Pepsis Official For 1999 World Cup

There was nothing official about it during the 1995 cricket World Cup. However, in 1999, when the World Cup would be played in England, PepsiCo can stake claim to be the official drink. The New York-based company recently inked a multi-million pound deal with England and Wales Cricket Board to be one of the six main sponsors for the 1999 World Cup.

In the absence of title sponsorship a major change from the past like Wills World Cup or Prudential World Cup the deal will give PepsiCo use of the World Cup cricket name and registered trade mark in brand advertising and promotions, field board signage and pouring rights at all stadiums. This means Pepsi would be the only soft drink sold in the stadia, while Coke, the official drink of 1995 World Cup, has been left holding the can. With Pepsi and cricket forming a great team in India Pepsi has an agreement with BCCI till 2000, the company runs a cricket academy in Mohali and has been title sponsor for the Independence and Asia Cups the World Cup deal has been described by a senior executive as hitting a six to win a match.

 

When contacted by Business Standard in the UK yesterday, EWCBs marketing director, Terry Blake, said: Pepsi, along with cellular phone major Vodafone and Nat West Bank, will be one of the main sponsors. Negotiations with others will be finalised by the end of the year.

Building on our dedication to the sport, this partnership enables us to further connect with todays consumers, especially the youth, an elated Massimo DAmore, vice-president (international marketing) PepsiCo, said. However, both DAmore and Blake were not forthcoming on the financial details. But, according to corporate sources, the amount that PepsiCo has paid for being one of the main sponsors for 1999 Cup is much less than what ITC or Coke had shelled in 1995.

Just before the 1995 World Cup, when ITC quoted a figure of 8 million for the title sponsorship of the Cup or Coke coughed up approximately $3.7 million plus $340,000 for hoardings, initial reaction was that such figures amounted to corporate hara-kiri.

Now that everything is official for Pepsi, what does Coke think about it ? The Coca-Cola Company could not reach an agreement with cricket World Cup organisers on the value of the sponsorship and, as a result, we decided to cease negotiations, Cecil Dewars, Coca-Cola Indias senior manager (media relations) said.

Business Standard.

In a major turnaround from past traditions, the International Cricket Council has also done away with the practice of letting a corporate organisation lend its name to the World Cup. So there would be no Reliance World Cup or Wills World Cup, but only main sponsors in future.

Explained EWCBs Blake, This has been done in consonance with the sporting spirit and traditions followed by other sporting extravaganza like the soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games where no corporate body can lend its name to the Cup.

Though, a decision on television rights have not been taken, Blake informed that all the big ones (including TWI, ESPN, Sky Sports and BBC) are in the running. The final verdict will come by the end of the year, he said. The 1995 World Cup TV rights went for $ 22 million.