ambush marketing: marketing opportunity or business liability? (blaž bolcar - sportelement)

Sportelement Providing sponsorship excellence

AMBUSH  MARKETING:    Marke4ng  opportunity  or  business  liability?    

Blaž  BOLCAR  A+orney  Candidate  Specializing  Sports  law    

blaz@bolcar.si  TW  @bolcarius  

Ambush marketing Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Ambush activities - creativity Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Surce:  AIP  CorporaDon,  2010    

Football  World  Cup  2010  •  Sponsor  of  WC  Adidas  •  Sponsor  of  NT/

individuals  Nike  •  commercial  

Ambush marketing Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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DEFINITION  -­‐  (Unfair)  markeDng  pracDce  –  occurs  when  a  party  ((un)intenDonally)  claims  an  associaDon  with  a  sports  event,  which  it  does  not  have  and  for  which  it  has  not  paid  any  money.      •  Purpose  –  to  capitalize  on  biggest  publicity  magnets  in  sports  without  paying  for  

rights    •  Term  -­‐    One-­‐Dme  stunts  or  Long  term  campaigns      WHAT  IS  THE  TRUE  VALUE  OF  SPONSORSHIP?  •  It  jeopardizes  exclusivity    ILLIGAL  vs.  LEGAL  •  Irrelevant  whether  (un)intenDonal      

Ambush activities

DIRECT ACTIVITIES – intent to associate with an event or property; no rights purchased, no official sponsor •  PREDATORY AMBUSHING –

intentionally attacking a rival’s official sponsorship (nike?)

•  COATTAIL AMBUSHING – direct association by using a legitimate link other than becoming official sponsor

•  PROPERTY INFINGEMENT – the intentional unauthorized use of protected intellectual property

•  (web – odeje)

•  UNINTENTIONAL/ACCIDENTAL AMBUSH

Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Ambush activities

INDIRECT ACTIVITIES – through suggestion or indirect reference •  ASSOCIATIVE AMBUSHING – use of

imagery or terminology to create an illusion that sbdy has links to a sporting event/property

•  DISTRACTIVE AMBUSHING – setting up a promotional presence at or near an event without making specific reference to event itself

•  VALUES AMBUSHING – use of an event’s/property’s central value or theme to imply an association

•  SATURATION AMBUSHING – increase of advertising and marketing at the time of event with no reference to the event itself, no associative imagery

Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Legal framework

WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO ACT? •  Solely the rights owner COURT OF LAW •  Code of obligations – Damages must be established, very difficult to prove •  Absence of case law

•  Compensation for loss of earnings without appropriate SLOVENIAN ADVERTISING CHAMBER – COURT of ADVERTISING •  Recognition of bad practices without real impact on ambush activities

CONTRACTUAL PROTECTION/CLAUSES SPECIAL LEGISLATION

Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Ambush activities Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Naslov trenutnega poglavja na strani Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Ambush activities - timeframe Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Media Ambush

•  Unintentional ambush

Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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Ambush activities - creativity Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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London  Summer  Olympic  Games:  •  two  Dme  gold  medalist  

Mo  Farah  •  sponsor  of  OG  Adidas    •  sponsor  of  Mo  Farah  

Nike  

Fighting Ambush Ambush  markeDng:  MarkeDng  opportunity  or  business  liability?

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LEGAL  PROCEEDINGS  (bendtner;  bavaria)  •  Court  of  Law  •  AdverDsing  chamber  •  Market  Inspectorate  

MARKETING  ACTIVITIES  •  Sponsorship  acDvaDon  

PR  ACTIVITIES  •  Fame  and  Shame  •  EducaDon  -­‐  Building  awareness    

Thank  you!  

Sportelement d.o.o. sports marketing

November 2012