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8 • Touchline • Issue 16
ith the 2011 Rugby World Cup (‘RWC’) in New
Zealand living up to its billing as the ‘Stadium
of Four Million’, the Rugby Football Union and
the RWC 2015 Organising Committee have a
daunting task ahead of them in exceeding expectations for
the next installment. With a reported revenue commitment
to the International Rugby Board (‘IRB’) of £80 million, it is
essential that every opportunity to create wealth to make
good on the promise is exploited. Delivering a financially
successful major sporting event is no easy task, with tales of
woe being commonplace for poorly thought out events (see
Montreal’s $1.5 billion debt from the 1976 Summer Olympic
Games - which was finally settled in 2006). One element
which can greatly assist in producing a major sporting event
on budget is legislative assistance from government. Yet
government is not always willing to lend this helping hand,
notwithstanding that the benefits of doing so can outweigh
the perceived inconveniences and stress on resources.
One of the main legislative areas in which government
can assist those hosting major events is comprehensive
protections against ambush marketing. These aim to
guarantee to sponsors who are committing significant funds
to the event that their brand will be the only one associated
with the event in their respective brand category. This is a
well-trodden area for those involved in delivering such events,
with history full of clever marketing ploys by corporations
looking to undermine their competitors.
Burton and Chadwick from the Centre for the International
Business of Sport define ambush marketing as a, ‘…form of
strategic marketing which is designed to capitalise upon the
awareness, attention, goodwill, and other benefits, generated
by having an association with an event or property, without
an official or direct connection to that event or property.’ By
way of illustration, the now infamous orange lederhosen
promoting Bavaria Brewery at the 2006 FIFA World Cup stole
the show where Budweiser had been the official sponsor.
W
OUTLAWING
AMBUSH MARKETING
BY CATHERINE BELOFF & DYLAN KENNETT OF DLA PIPER UK LLP