- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Prevagen will be bad enough.
Advertising on competition clothes
- Thread starter jan.zilka
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2024
I cannot support to see a part of sponsor on a figure skating dress. Imagine make an emotional program and has a McDonald's logo on you're back... Of course skaters need money, so I think the good compromise could be to put more logo's on training clothing but let the competition dress away from the sponsors
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2022
Or on the jacket they wear when they come out for their group's warm-up. Although I suppose then their sponsors could demand they keep the jacket on for a specific length of time, which wouldn't work well if they like to get rid of it after one circuit of the rink. The Italian skaters wear the name of their sponsoring organization, Polizia etc, and always point to the name on their jackets in the K&C.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Wait.... The Police are the big sponsors of figure skating in Italy?
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2014
From what I understand, the skaters are members of the "Polizei". I don't think they do much policing.
I have no problem if jackets are covered in sponsor's logos and if they are worn during warm-ups. Meh. Just not the costumes.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Seriously, to judge by the sponsorships the sport attracts nowadays, the change from "wholesome family values" and beauty products for teenage girls to commodities of interest to old people ought to set off some alarm bells as regards the future of figure skating in the U.S.A.
Let's hope the skaters can make some money out of this. I don't really understand how any of them live when you consider the cost of the sport (maybe most of them have wealthy parents 
)
This is all stuff that should have been done years ago.
I mean, the ISU complain about girls dropping out of the sport at 17 or 18 but what future do they offer them when they can make more money in shows, through sponsorship deals, PR, etc.
That is one aspect of the sport I've never understood the level of entitlement where athletes are expected by the ISU and fans to destroy their bodies for money that barely covers their expenses if at all and a shiny medal plated with a sliver of gold.
If ISU doesn't know how to monetise the sport and offer opportunities then maybe the IOC needs to allow other skate organisations or leagues to flourish in its place. The ISU as custodians of the sport haven't done much to help the athletes -- ever.
)This is all stuff that should have been done years ago.
I mean, the ISU complain about girls dropping out of the sport at 17 or 18 but what future do they offer them when they can make more money in shows, through sponsorship deals, PR, etc.
That is one aspect of the sport I've never understood the level of entitlement where athletes are expected by the ISU and fans to destroy their bodies for money that barely covers their expenses if at all and a shiny medal plated with a sliver of gold.
If ISU doesn't know how to monetise the sport and offer opportunities then maybe the IOC needs to allow other skate organisations or leagues to flourish in its place. The ISU as custodians of the sport haven't done much to help the athletes -- ever.
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- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Oh, OK, that makes sense. Like when Olympic athletes are in the army. Or the U.S. Post Office being the primary sponsor of cycling back in the day.From what I understand, the skaters are members of the "Polizei". I don't think they do much policing.
I remember now that Carolina Kostner was a proud member of the Flamme Oro (Golden Flames) division of the Italian Police. (Good name for a synchro team.
) Christopher Dean was real policemen (in Nottinghamshire)_for 6 years.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
From what I have gathered over the years, the vast majority of Italy's winter sports athletes (and an increasing number of their motorbike racers as well) are part of a sport programme run by the police. The police fund their sports, and in return the athletes perform light duties during their off-season.
In Germany, the same is the case, except that it is the army doing it.
As for questionable sponsors, I will repeat what I wrote about sponsors in motorbike racing in the thread about the ISU Congress, which was in reply to a comment from @TallyT about sponsors in F1:
I don't know how current British Eurosport commentator Jamie Whitham (ENG) managed to keep a straight face wearing this:
Jamie Whitham (ENG) - Heron Suzuki (1989 Isle Of Man TT)
Rider Randy de Puniet (FRA) certainly benefitted from his team boss signing this sponsorship deal - he ended up marrying this particular example of the "sponsor's product"!
Randy de Puniet (FRA) - LCR Honda (2010 MotoGP World Championship)
And Rory Skinner (SCO) from the 2023 season (he has since left the team, but the team still has the same sponsor):
Rory Skinner (SCO) - American Racing (2023 Moto2 World Championship)
Jamie Whitham (ENG) - Heron Suzuki (1989 Isle Of Man TT)
Rider Randy de Puniet (FRA) certainly benefitted from his team boss signing this sponsorship deal - he ended up marrying this particular example of the "sponsor's product"!
Randy de Puniet (FRA) - LCR Honda (2010 MotoGP World Championship)
And Rory Skinner (SCO) from the 2023 season (he has since left the team, but the team still has the same sponsor):
Rory Skinner (SCO) - American Racing (2023 Moto2 World Championship)
Mind you, I do know of a few figure skaters who have been in the main product made by one of those sponsors...
CaroLiza_fan
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2022
I did a hunt on that awhile back, because several of the skaters had Polizia on their jackets. Seems the EMS and some military branches sponsor athletes who are nominally members and give a set number of hours of service, usually in a public relations exercise. The national police force sponsors most (in skating, anyway), but there are also some under the wing of fire departments, customs/border services, navy....I forget the whole list now. Like the system in the old USSR where everyone was ostensibly in the army but really spent all their time training for their sport.
Edit: I remember there was one photograph of Carolina Kostner posing fetchingly at an intersection, "directing traffic".
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I remember that, too!. I searched for it but it does't seem to be available on line any more.
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2024
I think it's like in USSR before and like so many country today, they are member of italian police to won a regular salary but in fact they don't do that much for italian police. In France, a lot of our olympic athlete are members of the french military. Like this, they can trained in full time and do just a few thing to the armyFrom what I understand, the skaters are members of the "Polizei". I don't think they do much policing.
I have no problem if jackets are covered in sponsor's logos and if they are worn during warm-ups. Meh. Just not the costumes.
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- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Bread and circuses.
It IS kind of interesting that countries and their political leaders feel that the success of their athletes contributes to national pride and patriotism to such an extent as to warrant the expenditure of state resources and taxpayer money to support them.
It IS kind of interesting that countries and their political leaders feel that the success of their athletes contributes to national pride and patriotism to such an extent as to warrant the expenditure of state resources and taxpayer money to support them.
It is the norm for governments to fund Olympic sports.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I guess. But it is kind of awkward for a free trade capitalist. If I want to be a become a famous athlete, well, I have to pay for my training. Or be lucky enough to have rich and indulgent parents, or be charismatic enough that corporate sponsors come begging me to take their money.
Do I have the right to expect that other people -- strangers -- will cheerfully chip in to support my training, or that it would be ia good thing if the government decides to coerce them to do so, like it or not?
On the other hand, people who lean in the socialist direction -- well, that's a whole 'nother ball of wax. Now the plan is that everyone contributes their money and labor to the general welfare, and the benign government in its wisdom doles it out as appropriate for the common good.
Sounds fgood to me -- just don't give any of my tax money to support alpine skiing. I stopped contributing to the USOC in 2010 when Bode Miller turned out to be an insufferable jerk.
Edit: I wasn't sure if I really knew what I was talking about, so just looked up the official financial report from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. The latest available was 2023, a typical non-Olympic year. Their budget was about $250,000,000 per year, and their money comes from:
(a) All local, state and national governments and governmental agencies and programs ----- 0
(b) Endorsements, merch, licensing rights, and sponsorships from private corporations ----- 70%
(c) Contributions from individuals --- 19%
(c) a smattering from various miscellaneous sources. TV and broadcasting rights, practically nothing.
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- Joined
- Oct 25, 2012
Oh, that's a good one!
In the UK, that is only the case for sports where the government thinks we are assured of winning an Olympic Gold Medal
. If an Olympic Gold Medal is not assured, then the sport either doesn't get funding or, if it already gets some, the funding for that sport gets cut.I can't remember any of the details (largely because I am not interested in Summer sports), but I think it was at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics that we unexpectedly got some Top 5 positions (including medals) in one of these new-fangled sports that the IOC have been introducing to try to tackle waining interest in the Olympics amongst young people. And as a response to this, the government started giving funding to that sport. But then in the second half of the cycle for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, the person that was seen as our main hope for Olympic Gold Medals
got injured or lost form or something. And the government pounced on this and massively cut the funding they were giving to that sport. And there was uproar about the impact this would have on the grassroots of the sport, and about how unfair this was on the other athletes that were in the running to go to the Olympics. But, the protests didn't make a button of difference.I think we can see something similar brewing in figure skating. For years, there was no government funding for the sport. But then when Fear / Gibson started doing well, the government believed the hype and started providing funding. And I am pretty confident that when they don't win the Olympic Gold Medal
for Ice Dance in Assago next February, the government funding will be cut. Which will result in figure skating becoming an even more obscure sport than it already is.Maybe I'm naïve, but I thought the main aim of government funding was to help make sports more accessible to the general public, by providing money to help fund clubs at the grass roots level, where people could take up the sports and develop a love for them. Thus growing the sport. Not purely to provide money to make sure elite athletes win
Gold Medals at one specific event that is only held every four years, while disregarding any other results.This cynicism in the government only funding sports where we are likely to win Olympic Gold Medals
is yet another reason why I hate the Olympics.CaroLiza_fan
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The size limits seem pretty tight, especially compared to other sports like cycling or hockey. But maybe it’s just a way to test the waters without upsetting the traditional look too much. I’m also curious if the ads can be from any brand or just related to skating gear. Would be nice to see some clarification on that. If skaters can pick their own sponsors, it could really help with costs.
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2023
Most marketing decisions are incomprehensible to us normal-folk because we are not psychopaths paid to manipulate people.
You are thinking of individual marketing instead of marketing to the collective conscience. Marketing is about symbolism. ManU is one of the biggest brands in the world. Futball is inarticulably important to Europeans. The jerseys and athletes are everywhere. If the collective subconscious is penetrated by a symbol, be it the logo of a computer-chip company, there is nothing better for the company. It is so powerful.
Also more concretely about the individual aspect. You have to understand if you are paying for a center-piece area of a ManU jersey, you are now paying to be featured in every single instance where that jersey is featured. That means every advertisement opportunity almost any player on ManU gets in which they are wearing the jersey (which they will be often, because it is part of the archetype which gets people to buy the product they are holding), you just secured a free multi-millionaire budget ad campaign on a competitor's paycheck that they can do nothing about. There is an enormous difference between Messi in khakis and a T-Shirt versus Messi in his Barcelona jersey. I would love to see the marketing statistics on that. $75 million actually sounds cheap to me for a center-piece area of a ManU jersey. Another thing is that a logo, if maintained for long enough on a jersey, becomes iconic to the generation which grows up with that iteration of the jersey as inextricable from it. These people remember jerseys from different eras. Its not just the team. Futball is really unique with jerseys. People get really specific and nostalgic about them. Its a special culture not like American sports where its just about the player's name and iconic team colours. Again this is emotional influence on the subconscious.
Another more simple point. In days past computer parts were sold to geeks and football marketing was to jocks. Not so anymore. All the young kids who play sports are tech experts too. The geek-jock dichotomy is dead. Nerds go to the weight-room now and athletes are playing video games, running dropshipping businesses or editing high-quality YouTube videos.
If you want to target B2B clients, your PR is everything. They want their product to be marketed alongside yours to ride your aura. So again having penetrated the collective subconscience to the level of futball relevance you have zero competition.
Yes. They do. Check out the social medias of almost every Russian skater in off-season. They are all doing world tours and taking boat trips daily. Its unbelievable.I don't really understand how any of them live when you consider the cost of the sport (maybe most of them have wealthy parents
True, but I think the main reason is that skating is one of the most demanding sports in the world. How many other sports force you to homeschool from 5 years old and train 10 hours a day? At least according to reports from Russian ladies. Do that for a decade... and most of the ladies who retire at 17 or 18 already won everything anyways. They can keep the joy of skating for fun in shows and in practice without annihilating themselves. I dont know if money is the incentive. Like I said I think they are rich already anyways. A lot of them also dont have much of an identity so they want to find themselves ASAP. They are told what to do, what to eat, etc... from birth. Intense stuff. I can tell you for sure no professional fighter or anything like that has a clue of what a figure skater goes through. This is a different level.
Efficient ISU monetization - I think it will not happen any time soon if ever. Skating is only popular for one Olympic event. People en masse are uninterested in it otherwise. It is too demanding. Not like watching a guy run back and forth with a ball for 90 minutes while you eat nachos. I think the staff at ISU does not care about commercial success but just maintaining their position and paycheck until they die. Its like congress. Meanwhile if we get a bunch of gen-Z coming in and doing hype Tik-Tok marketing like for other sports, well, you can say goodbye to this sport forever. All we can do for international skating right now is pray, IMO. It will take a miracle. The focus should be on shifting the conscience of society to something adequate for skating, rather than vice versa.
Oh and BTW, I do agree with the consensus on this thread about the central issue. Putting advertisements on a gorgeous dress meant for a Rachmaninoff performance well... it is retarded and will kill the sport immediately. For the same reason as hype Tik-Tok marketing would be. It wont make any money anyways and no company wants a random out of place logo somewhere. They know it will just piss people off, TBH. Someone suggested the brand of a specific designer. I suppose it works but still useless. Who are you targeting? Other skaters and coaches? Those people already look at the dresses they like and find out who made them. You will be paying for zero extra exposure frankly. That is a very niche target audience. Meanwhile for commercial clothing business there are way more effective marketing strategies.
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2023
@Mathman
Regarding government sports funding and taxes. You are very pragmatic. However cultural development is a legitimate expenditure, IMO. International PR also encourages PR of your entire national market and hence economy. That being said I do agree there is a lot of awful government spending. Like you I don't mind taxes as long as they are prudently expended. This is not so much the case IMO. We are paying for a lot of useless programs. Or even in theory if they are useful they are governed by ignorants.
Otherwise they say don't hate the player, hate the game... I usually disagree. Some should have enough honour not to play the game. But we understand that not playing is not really an option for governments... Your point is also a little redundant because you begin your treatise with your own answer: bread and circus, son. We can't all be Michelangelos. You want a society filled with Jon Does tweaking out cause you took away their sportsball and pugilism? What else are they gonna do all day? You can only eat nachos on the couch watching family-guy reruns for so long. We need the veneer of proud importance in our international sports rankings to keep the dopamine and adrenaline going.
Regarding government sports funding and taxes. You are very pragmatic. However cultural development is a legitimate expenditure, IMO. International PR also encourages PR of your entire national market and hence economy. That being said I do agree there is a lot of awful government spending. Like you I don't mind taxes as long as they are prudently expended. This is not so much the case IMO. We are paying for a lot of useless programs. Or even in theory if they are useful they are governed by ignorants.
Otherwise they say don't hate the player, hate the game... I usually disagree. Some should have enough honour not to play the game. But we understand that not playing is not really an option for governments... Your point is also a little redundant because you begin your treatise with your own answer: bread and circus, son. We can't all be Michelangelos. You want a society filled with Jon Does tweaking out cause you took away their sportsball and pugilism? What else are they gonna do all day? You can only eat nachos on the couch watching family-guy reruns for so long. We need the veneer of proud importance in our international sports rankings to keep the dopamine and adrenaline going.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Quite so, quite so. Now that we have the bread/nachos part down, we still need the circuses.
I suppose that we should be thankful that figure skating is still sufficiently in the public eye that advertisers think it is worthwhile to pursue this kind of branding.
