P&G Scales Back; Adidas Signs Football Deals -- Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR) TOP sponsor Proctor & Gamble has divested up to 100 of its brands.

On Friday, P&G CEO Alan Lafley told analysts in a conference call that the consumer goods conglomerate would focus on 70 to 80 brands in its portfolio. The brands that will remain have not been made public, and they account for a reported 95 percent of P&G’s profits.

A spokesperson for P&G declined to say how that could affect P&G’s Olympic marketing efforts, or if any of the brands being sold had been used as part of P&G’s TOP Sponsor program.

When questioned about potential Olympic impact, a spokesperson told Around the Rings that P&G signed its TOP sponsorship agreement in 2010 and that the deal lasts until 2020.

Nike Surpasses Adidas in Kit Sponsorships

For the first time since the 2009-2010 season, Nike has "outpaced" Adidas.

Repucom and PR Marketing’s latest Kit Supplier Report shows Nike will kit out 26 clubs while Adidas will supply 18.

"Nike now supply the kits to just over a quarter of all clubs in Europe’s top five leagues," Repucom reports. "In comparison, Adidas’ kits represent an 18.4% share of the market."

Football expert at Repucom, Andrew Walsh, says that while Nike may "be winning in the quantity stakes, Adidas is certainly not bowing out in the running for market superiority.

"The brand is now starting to flex its muscles by supplying Europe’s biggest clubs."

Ahead of the 2015-2016 season, Adidas will be taking two of Nike’s biggest club deals, Manchester United and Juventus FC.

United's current deal with Nike is worth "31.5 million euros per year," according to Walsh, "a figure dwarfed by Adidas’ new 94 million euro deal."

The deal with Juventus "will also increase," Walsh says, "from 19 million euros to approximately 23.25 million euros per year."

Panasonic Stands to Profit from Tokyo 2020

TOP Sponsor Panasonic says as much as $10 billion in revenue could be generated from the 2020 Olympics.

In an interview with Reuters, Panasonic says it hopes to earn $1.5 billion from Olympic contracts and as much as seven times that amount from contracts following the Tokyo Games.

"The Olympics will, without a doubt, spur the development of new business," Masahiro Ido, the director of Panasonic's Olympic Enterprise Division, was quoted by Reuters.

"Panasonic is not just a home appliance maker. We have all kinds of technologies, including ones related to social infrastructure," he added.

Last February,the Japanese audio-visual giant renewed its TOP Sponsorship through 2024. It currently holds the rights to the AV category.

According to the report, Panasonic is considering a wide range of products to tie in to the Games, including traffic-control systems, cooling technologies, and surveillance equipment.

Panasonic first became an IOC sponsor in 1987 and can trace its Olympic partnership to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Phelps Teams With Aqua Sphere

Michael Phelps is developing a new swim brand with Aqua Sphere.

On Tuesday, Aqua Sphere announced a partnership with Phelps and his longtime coach Bob Bowman. Through Aqua Sphere, Phelps and Bowman will design a collection of products.

"With Aqua Sphere’s product design and development capabilities, we believe there is an opportunity to help make the sport more inviting to others by recognizing that everyone begins at different levels, requires assistance matching their skills with products, and lack the appropriate context in order to maximize their swimming experience," Phelps said in a release on Tuesday.

"Michael Phelps is one of the select global icons in all of sports while coach Bob Bowman is a true swimming mastermind," Todd Mitchell, business line manager of Aqua Sphere, added.

"We are honored to align our rich history of innovative aquatic technology and international distribution with their passion for the sport and commitment to share their knowledge and experiences with others in this collaborative line."

Written by Andrew Murrell, Nicole Bennett, and Ed Hula III

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