Brands are reconsidering association with Clippers

Published May 14, 2014 at 6:35 am

It should go without saying, but it’s a good idea for prominent owners of sports teams to watch what they say, or the consequences could include loss of important corporate sponsorships and advertising partners. However, they do not always take such care, and sometimes make comments that damage a brand.

The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, allegedly made racist comments that caused a few of the team’s sponsors to want to cut ties with the team. This is not surprising, as politically charged comments can become associated with a brand, and marketers need to watch out for these associations because they could lead to a negative or inaccurate image that may be hard to shake.

McDonald’s, although not technically a sponsor of the Clippers, had planned a national advertising campaign that it initially decided to pull as a result of the commentary. However, AdAge reported that they will be coming back to advertise during the team’s NBA playoff telecasts. Some of the Clippers’ other sponsors, Red Bull and Yokohama Tire, have decided to return if certain conditions are met, but others are still deciding what action to take.

Not all brands felt this way, as Corona reportedly decided to drop its sponsorship from the team altogether. Although the NBA fined Sterling and banned him for life, this was not enough for the company to want to come back and be associated with the team.

Brand image is an important consideration for companies. A negative association can impact a company’s sales and send a message that the brand represents certain ideas or values that it actually does not. For this reason, it makes sense for brands to reconsider their sponsorship and association with a team that has made remarks that were offensive.