Have you ever watched the finals of a World Cup or another major sporting event? I have watched many. As a sports fanatic I try to watch as much sporting events as possible, and repeatedly I find myself astonished. It is not necessarily the action on the field that leaves me in thought, but also the commercial world surrounding the field of play. Stadium seats, team outfits and commercial boards are all used as tools to influence the viewers at home. Myamazement does not come from the fact that companies use these tools, but more from the fact which companies make use of these marketing tools. Companies supplying unhealthy food and beverages like Budweiser, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Heineken and Burger King are common sponsors for sporting events! The question is, is this way of marketing an ethical one?
One of the main sponsors for the Champions League is Heineken
Source : http://sustainabilityreport.heineken.com/
Of course, a part of the viewers enjoy the sporting games from their couch, preferably with a beer and a snack, being a target group for the big companies who sponsor these sporting events. But what about little children, who mimic and copy their behaviour from the big athletes around the world? Most of these kids grow familiar with the image that their heroes are being sponsored by companies like Coca-Cola, Heineken and McDonalds, creating a wrong image about these companies. I feel that these particular companies know exactly how to adjust their public image, by associating unhealthy goods with healthy sporting events. From a business point of view I see this as extremely successful, but from a social point of view I consider this to be irresponsible. Although most people know that Burger King and Coca-Cola provide unhealthy products, consumers unintentionally like to think that it is not as bad as it seems. If even professional athletes wear shirts with a Burger King logo on it, how bad can it be?
Roberto Soldado Playing for Getafe, with Burger King as their sponsor
Source : www.coventrytelegraph.net
The problem is easy to address, but the solution is very difficult to find. When both the companies and the event organizers benefit from a sponsorship, only governmental interventions can try to establish a ‘fair’ way of marketing. The fact that McDonalds is the official restaurant of the Olympic games until at least 2020 is an example that both parties are satisfied with these sponsorships. The official Olympics site, www.olympics.org, even claims that “McDonalds has served its menu of choice and variety to millions of athletes.” Personally, I think that athletes like Usain Bolt, Sven Kramer and Michael Phelps prefer their lean chicken and vegetables over a Big Mac when it comes to their health and performance.
McDonalds being the official restaurant of the Sochi Olympic Winter Games of 2014
Source : news.mcdonalds.com
Then again, a solution is hard to find. There are multiple arguments for who is responsible. The main sport organizations need the sponsorships in order to exist or develop, although they make the decision who to accept as sponsors themselves. The mentioned companies are making use of clever and legal business tools for which they cannot be blamed, although I think their way of marketing is socially irresponsible. Then at last, the consumer is able to draw their own conclusion and decide how much an advertisement is going to affect them, despite the fact that companies are trying to frame the consumers decisions. All in all, I feel that companies are playing with the limits of ethical marketing but it is hard to point out who is clearly responsible for this way of marketing, and therefore it is hard to come up with a proper solution.
