NEW YORK – The U.S. soccer team's surprising success in the World Cup
won't translate into lucrative endorsement contracts for its stars without
more wins and a defining moment or two.
Marketing experts say a sluggish economy, public indifference to soccer
and the sleepy-eyed hour of most games being played halfway around the
world are conspiring against hopes players might have of really cashing
in.
Even if the team continues to beat the odds and wins its quarterfinal
match Friday against Germany, the experts doubt any player can get the
attention Brandi Chastain did when she ripped off her jersey after
scoring the winning goal for the United States against China in 1999
Women's World Cup final.
"Right now soccer is not in the loop," said Andrew Rohm, a marketing
professor at Northeastern University's business school. "The World Cup
games are on at ungodly hours, so no one's watching them."
Soccer boosters disagree, saying ratings are higher than expected
despite games that begin as early as 1:30 a.m. CDT.
They also point to heavy U.S. media exposure for soccer players who were
unknown a few weeks ago. For example, midfielder Landon Donovan — who
scored the second goal in the win over Mexico on Monday – was on the
cover of the Sports Illustrated issue that hit newsstands Wednesday.
"If they lose to Germany, I think they will still be well into six and
seven figures (for annual endorsement deals) individually," said Mark
Noonan, executive vice president of marketing for Major League Soccer.
"If they go farther, the sky's the limit."
But those predictions are wildly optimistic to Bob Williams, chief
executive of Burns Sports & Celebrities Inc., which matches athletes
with advertisers.
In a best-case scenario – with the U.S. team actually winning the World
Cup – he thinks a star player or two might land endorsement deals
translating into $250,000 each annually.
"The two biggest obstacles are the times of day the games are on and the
current economic climate in advertising," he said.
Burns also said it will be tough for players to match Chastain's big
moment. She was wearing a black Nike sports bra, and the company got
publicity it never could have bought.
That game in the Rose Bowl also was televised on a Saturday afternoon,
meaning huge ratings reinforced by pictures of the moment the next day
in Sunday newspapers.
"The timing needs to be as perfect as it was for Brandi," Burns said.
"Advertisers love to associate their product or service with winners."
Perhaps the biggest obstacle to marketing the U.S. players is the
country's reluctance to embrace soccer. The women's victory prompted
predictions of a huge attitude change toward the sport that never really
materialized, said John Antil, a marketing professor at the University
of Delaware.
"It's extremely ironic that it's the No. 1 participation sport for
kids," Antil said. "But we can't seem to maintain interests for adults
in terms of TV viewership and game attendance."
He agreed that some sort of heroic moment on the part of a U.S. player
is needed to grab American attention and hold it.
"You need a phenomenal play, the Pele up-in-the-air, over-the-head kick
that gets a goal, that's the kind of thing you pray for," he said. "It
has to be a super event that imbeds itself in the national
consciousness."
But experts say no American player ever will win the amount of national
attention that foreign soccer players get — and the millions they rake
in from endorsements.
The 61-year-old Pele is Brazil's star of soccer merchandising who last
year signed a two-year advertising deal with Coca-Cola. He also does TV
commercials for Viagra and health insurance, and even has a popular
Brazilian brand of coffee bearing his name.
"If you take NFL football and multiply it by 10, you're not at the
intensity of interest for soccer in other parts of the world," Antil
said.
Marketing experts agree, however, that some U.S. players may be able to
cash in to some extent on Spanish language advertisements for the
country's increasing Hispanic media market.
Despite the slow advertising climate, corporations have increased their
use of athletes to target Hispanic customers, Burns said.
Moore said four players on the team are of Hispanic descent, and Donovan
speaks Spanish well enough to be interviewed in the language.
"They certainly can make Landon Donovan a crossover spokesperson," Moore
said. "He does speak the language and grew up in Southern California,
and the most important thing is can you play – and he can play."
