Ambush marketing at rugby fest is not cricket
Offenders at the Japan tournament face prison or a fine of up to R1.2m
The Rugby World Cup (RWC) is the showpiece event for rugby union, and this year's world cup in Japan will be one of the most watched sporting events of the year. The 2019 RWC's global partners include multinational companies such as Heineken, Emirates, Land Rover and MasterCard, and official sponsors include Canon and NEC. These companies, together with official suppliers, licensees and broadcasters, have made significant investments to gain the exposure and goodwill that come with being associated with this major event. However, the value of this goodwill could be diluted by effective ambush-marketing strategies. Ambush marketing is an intentional effort by a non-sponsor of a sporting event to create the impression of their being an official sponsor - without the organiser's authorisation. The ambush marketer seeks to weaken the campaigns of competitors who are official sponsors to the event, without paying a penny. Such campaigns confuse the public and take unfair advantage of the...
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