Some companies sponsor sports and sports stars as a way to advertise themselves. Some people think it is good, while others think there are disadvantages. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

More

companies

are adopting the marketing strategy of sponsoring sports teams and stars as a way of advertising their

brand

.

While

some are of the notion that

this

is great, there are others who believe that there are disadvantages.

This

essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of

this

strategy. On the one hand, sports and athletes command a huge following that represents potential customers for

companies

. Organizations who sponsor sporting events or pay athletes to become their

brand

ambassadors do so to gain the attention of their massive fan bases, most times leading to an increase in sales of products or services.

For example

, Adidas, the sportswear company, saw a 500% jump in its sales numbers a month after signing famous footballer Lionel Messi as an ambassador.

This

is a major advantage that has got other corporate organizations towing

this

line.

On the other hand

, the image of an organization typically becomes tied to that of its ambassador,

such

that if the ambassador were to engage in any socially unacceptable act or behaviour, it directly

affects

Wrong verb form

affect

show examples

the organization's

brand

image.

Furthermore

,

this

can turn out to be a huge public relations problem for the company as evidenced in the recent Tiger Woods cheating scandal which caused fashion

brand

La Coste's stock prices to plummet when news of it broke to the general public. Again,

this

can be very problematic and put

companies

at a disadvantage. To round it up,

while

sponsoring sporting events and sportsmen can lead to an increase in business for

companies

, it

also

has its downsides that can potentially affect the organization's image. In my opinion, I believe that

companies

who adopt

this

strategic marketing gimmick should include clauses in contracts that bar ambassadors from engaging in acts or behaviours that can become scandalous.