"Nike, Porsche, TAG Heuer cut ties with Sharapova"
The article “Porsche, TAG Heuer become latest sponsors to Cut Ties with Maria Sharapova” by Sarah Sloat discusses the recent event where the former world number one in tennis and the highest paid women athlete in the world, Maria Sharapova, testing positive for the drug “Meldonium” at the Australian Open.
Major sponsors like Nike, Porsche, and TAG Heuer have already suspended Sharapova’s contract until the situation is resolved and the consequences are determined.
Sharapova has been using Meldonium for a decade for her reoccurring injuries and heart condition. World anti-doping agencies recently added Meldonium to the banned list since research has proven that the drug enhances athletic performance.
"Human mistakes can backfire"
Maria Sharapova is currently facing her biggest challenge as an athlete since her integrity is questioned. We have seen earlier how scandals have destroyed careers in sports like Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, and OJ Simpson.
Sports endorsements have been a huge contribution in order to build major brands as Nike and Adidas, but as much as it can benefit the companies, it can also backfire and make it worse. The star athletes are only human and they make mistakes which can reflect badly on the company.
"Reputation is everything"
Companies are interested in finding the right person to promote their product and company. They wish to find someone who reflects their identity which will cause a positive effect on their identity. According to research, when a consumer sees its favorite athlete representing a product, they are more likely to buy it.
The sports marketing industry is everywhere and includes everything from television rights to sports endorsements. Currently, the sports industry finds it challenging to advertise through traditional marketing channels, this moves the marketing focus on to endorsements of famous athletes representing their brand.
As you can see, marketing relates to the sports industry as a mutually beneficial relationship between the company and the athlete. Promotion and personal branding are crucial Sharapova testing positive on meldonium are destroying her personal and her sponsors reputation. The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Sharapova is the drug allegations, not the fact that she has worked her whole life to achieve her success as a top tennis athlete.
By Marius Roeine,
March 9, 2016
As brands seek consumer loyalty they must display loyalties of their own. The decisions of the companies that have cut ties with Sharapova seem very impersonal. I believe she should have had the opportunity to prove that she was not taking the drug for any improper reasons before her contracts were terminated. While there is always a possibility that she was acting with impropriety, this seems like an honest mistake.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allison, I think that they should have listened and determined all the facts before taking such drastic actions. BUT if she was taking that drug for her heart condition and injury, couldn't she have found another drug to use? There's so many factors that could play into the decision making. Like was there another drug she could have used? Is she saying that she had heart conditions and injuries and using that as an excuse to take the drugs? Too many questions haha, not many answers.
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