Marketplace Roundup

Marketplace Roundup

Published September 11, 2008

Davis (r) Reportedly Dropping Reebok To Endorse Li Ning

SPORTINGNEWS.com's Chris Littmann cited a source as saying that Clippers G Baron Davis is leaving Reebok for Chinese apparel company Li Ning. Davis becomes the "second big-name point guard this offseason to leave a U.S. footwear maker for a Chinese company," following Mavericks G Jason Kidd's move from Nike to Peak (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 9/10).

RIGHT ON TIME: Rolex extended its two-year-old status as official partner of Ryder Cup Europe through the 2014 event in Scotland. Rolex also has an official deal with the PGA of America through 2011 that includes Ryder Cup rights. The European Tour organizes and sells sponsorships for Ryder Cups on European soil; the PGA of America does the same when the event is in the U.S. (Jon Show, SportsBusiness Journal).

STAYING FRESH: PepsiCo Chair & CEO Indra Nooyi participated in a Q&A with the WALL STREET JOURNAL's Betsy McKay for the paper's Boss Talk segment. The company's Gatorade brand lost share last year and changed its management team, but Nooyi said, "Brands go through ups and downs. Gatorade is an extremely strong brand. I think every five or seven years, you've got to change out the approach to the brand, because you need a new boost of energy to think about the next iteration. Brands never die. You only stop reinventing them" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/11).

NOTES: Turismo Madrid has inked a three-year deal to become an int'l sponsor of the Fed Cup, beginning with this weekend's Russia-Spain Fed Cup Final (ITF)....Charlotte-area Harris Teeter grocery stores are offering three "Panthers signature sandwiches" this season. The first is OT Jordan Gross' "Big Block" -- a "turkey sandwich with onions, sprouts, banana peppers, cucumbers, provolone cheese, light mayonnaise, oil and vinegar on whole grain bread" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/11)....NHRA driver Hillary Will will feature the "colors of the Kingdom of Bahrain on her KB Racing Top Fuel dragster" this weekend at the Carolinas Nationals (AUTORACING1.com, 9/10).