Team sponsors await cricketing move
Whether sponsors stick with Cricket Australia after its ball tampering scandal will depend on their brand values.
There has been widespread outcry about the Australians’ use of tape to try to alter the condition of the ball during their test against South Africa.
The team’s sponsors include Qantas Airways, KFC, Lion, Sanitarium, Gatorade, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Gillette.
Sarah Leberman of Massey University said this was different to recent scandals because a whole team was involved, not just an individual. ‘‘It’s not going to look good for sponsors. They need to figure out what to do.’’
She said the extent of the fallout would depend on how Cricket Australia handled it. If something was seen to be done, there would be less risk. ‘‘At the moment it’s taking quite a long time.’’
She said the deals would involve significant sums of money.
Mike Lee, a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Auckland, said the situation was a familiar story. ‘‘Every year there’s a scandal.’’
He said it was a risk that businesses took when they sponsored ‘‘fallible’’ human beings.
‘‘In some cases, sponsors do draw a line in terms of deciding when the line has been crossed and ending the contract.’’
Lee said that when golfer Tiger Woods’ infidelity scandal erupted, Nike stuck with him because it was a matter of private life, not sporting prowess.
‘‘That’s the main association they wanted. But with [cyclist] Lance Armstrong they pulled sponsorship because it was his athleticism in question.’’
Sanitarium’s Weetbix brand in particular was focused on fair play and good family values, he said, and that might prompt concern.
Lee’s colleague, Bodo Lang, said sponsorship was usually a ‘‘winwin’’ for sportspeople and brands, but there were risks where ‘‘winning can be everything’’.
A Lion spokeswoman said the company was ‘‘deeply disappointed’’. ‘‘This is not what you’d expect from anyone in sport at any level.’’
Sanitarium echoed the disappointment. ‘‘We are interested in the detail of their investigation and the actions Cricket Australia will take on this matter.’’