Former Pepsi Chief Dawn Hudson to Join NFL as CMO

The National Football League (NFL) have annnounced today that veteran marketing and advertising executive Dawn Hudson has been named the new Chief Marketing Officer.

Hudson will oversee the development, ed direction and implementation of all marketing activities for the NFL. Hudson will report to Commissioner Roger Goodell and begin next month at the league’s New York office. 

“We are looking forward to working with Dawn, herbal whose experience as a leader and marketer will help further connect the NFL with fans, unhealthy ” said Goodell. 

“I am excited to join the NFL where I will be able to combine two of my passions – sports and marketing,” said Hudson. “Sports have always played a big role in my life and in my career. While at Pepsi, I worked with numerous sports properties, including the NFL, and I also served as a LGPA board member.” 

Hudson replaces Mark Waller as the NFL’s CMO. In a series of organizational changes last month, it was announced that Waller now will focus exclusively on the growth of the NFL’s international business. 

Hudson brings to the NFL broad experience at the highest level in a variety of industries, including consumer goods, food service, and communications. 

For the past five years, she served as the Vice Chairman of The Parthenon Group, a Boston-based strategic consulting firm. She led and developed the firm’s consumer practice, focusing on food, beverage and restaurant sectors across North America, Europe and Asia. Hudson focused on growth strategies and serving CMOs with critical investment decisions. 

Hudson previously spent 11 years at PepsiCo, where she rose to President & CEO of Pepsi-Cola North America. She held other senior level positions at PepsiCo where she was the top marketer at Pepsi-Cola North America and Frito-Lay International. Hudson was named one of Advertising Age’s Top 50 Marketers when she was CMO of Pepsi-Cola North America. 

Prior to joining PepsiCo, Hudson gained extensive marketing, advertising and brand experience at major agencies such as DMB&B and Omnicom. 

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Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium Signs Telstra Technology Partnership

Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium has inked a a five-year deal with Telstra to upgrade its internet and replay screen technology ahead of the 2015 season. 

In a deal that will significantly improve connectivity for fans and improve the match-day experience, 1,000 WiFi hotspots will be installed around the stadium. 

Telstra and IT company Cisco will also combine to install 1,600 internet protocol television screens. 

The upgrade will include the installation of 4K technology, which will provide ultra-high definition replays. 

Etihad Stadium CEO Paul Sergeant said the new technology would “put Etihad Stadium on a par with the best stadiums in the USA and Europe”.

The upgrade will bring Etihad Stadium’s technology in line with Adelaide Oval and Sydney’s ANZ Stadium. 

Telstra group executive of retail Gordon Ballantyne said fans at Etihad Stadium would have a better experience with social media as well as being able to access streaming video and live statistics. 

“The WiFi solution will take the event or match-day experience to an exciting new level,” he said. 

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said the AFL was “determined that AFL fans remain at the forefront of new technology to access our game in every way possible”.

FISA Delighted with Rowing’s Inclusion in 2015 SEA Games

Rowing has been included in the competition programme for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Singapore.

The chairman of the SEA Games Federation executive committee, ambulance Tan Eng Liang, therapy announced that rowing – along with boxing, try equestrian and volleyball – had been added to the 30 sports that were approved for the programme last year following the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar.

FISA Executive Director Matt Smith was delighted to hear the news, “This is great news especially as rowing is growing rapidly throughout Asia. This is a great legacy for Singapore following the very successful 2010 Youth Olympic Games rowing event held on Marina Reservoir.”

Rowing at the 2015 SEA Games will be held at Marina Bay, which means distances of 500m and 1000m will be raced.

Missing out on inclusion in the games was karate, weightlifting and wrestling, while floorball and petanque were chosen.

The SEA Games is a biennial event open to the 11 countries that make up Southeast Asia. It attracts about 7000 athletes. The 2015 SEA Games will be held in June and will include 36 Olympic and non-Olympic sports.

Infront Sports Named Official Agency of Stade de France

The Stade de France, cough home to the French national rugby & soccer teams, has appointed Infront Sports & Media as the Official Agency.

Swiss-based Infront will be responsble for the commercialisation of hospitality packages for all events held at the Stade de France in 2014 and 2015.

Under the agreement, Infront France will offer VIP hospitality for all events carried out at the Stade de France in the two coming years. These include:

•    the RBS Six Nations Championship – France vs England on Saturday 1 February, France vs Italy on Saturday 9 February and France vs Ireland on Saturday 15 March
•    the matches of Racing Metro 92 and Stade Français Paris – Racing Metro 92 vs Stade Toulousain on Friday 24 or Saturday 25 January and Stade Français Paris vs Stade Toulousain on Saturday 22 March
•    the friendly matches of the French national football team – France vs Netherlands on Wednesday 5 March
•    the Final of the French League Cup – Saturday 19 April
•    the final of the French National Cup – Saturday 3 May
•    the Final of the Top 14 – Saturday 31 May

This mandate further extends the Infront Group’s hospitality portfolio and will be carried out through its subsidiary Infront France.

Dannon Secures Super Bowl Advertising for Yogurt Brand

The Dannon Company has announced its Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt brand is set to reappear in Super Bowl advertising on February 2, viagra sale 2014.

The decision to return to the big game is a reflection of Dannon’s continued commitment to growing the company’s Oikos brand, clinic which has more than doubled since the first time Dannon advertised during the Super Bowl in 2012.

“Dannon Oikos is becoming a household name because people love its great taste and nutritional benefits, especially its protein, and the brand is a real innovator in the yogurt category,” said Sergio Fuster, Chief Marketing Officer for The Dannon Company. “Millions of Americans are embracing Greek yogurt for its nutritional benefits, and Dannon Oikos has all of those benefits along with great taste. Men and women alike are huge fans of Oikos, and advertising during the single largest television viewing event in the USA is a natural fit.”

“It’s a big decision to advertise during Super Bowl and it shows our commitment as the leading yogurt maker to help Americans make better food choices and to encourage Americans to eat yogurt every day,” said Michael Neuwirth, Senior Director of Public Relations for The Dannon Company. “After our strong showing within the top-10 of Ad Meter two years ago, we’re ready to again create a really exciting experience for viewers that promotes a more healthful and nutritious offering than what is traditionally advertised during the big game.”

Circuit of The Americas to Host Pirelli World Challenge Championships

Circuit of The Americas has announced the addition of the Pirelli World Challenge Championships to the V8 Supercars Austin 400 motorsports event taking place May 17-19.

One of North America’s top production car-based racing championships, nurse the series is scheduled to race in Long Beach, stuff Lime Rock Park, Toronto and other cities in 2013. Cadillac has been selected as the naming rights partner for the Pirelli World Challenge event at Circuit of The Americas. The official title for the series’ weekend event is the Pirelli World Challenge Cadillac Sports Car Challenge at Circuit of the Americas.

“The Pirelli World Challenge Series provides an exciting show for race fans and features some of the top manufacturers in the world including Cadillac, Audi, KIA, Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Volvo,” Circuit Executive Vice President Bruce Knox said. “In addition, some of the world’s greatest sports car drivers compete in Pirelli World Challenge, headlined by Johnny O’Connell, a four-time class winner at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans and overall winner at Sebring and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.”

“We are excited to be racing at the Circuit of The Americas; it’s a tremendous facility,” said Scott Bove, president and chief executive officer of WC Vision and the Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series. “In its history, the series has raced only a few times in the southwest. The drivers, teams and partners are all looking forward to entertaining the fans with our unique brand of sprint format sports car racing.”

“The Cadillac Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas will no doubt be one of the most exciting weekends of the year for the series,” Greg Gill, vice president marketing and communications for Pirelli World Challenge Series, noted. “The ground-pounding GT and GTS classes will take to the track along with the 2013 debut of our TC and TCB racers. Our sponsor partners and fans cannot wait for this event.”

Sunshine Tour’s Tournament of Hope Suspended Due to Finances

The International Federation of PGA Tours and the Sunshine Tour announced today that the Tournament of Hope, thumb scheduled for the week of November 18, 2013, has been postponed.

The Tournament of Hope is an event to be contested in South Africa with a primary eligibility category of the top 50 players in the world, supplemented by the individual money lists and Orders of Merit of the various Tours that make up the International Federation of PGA Tours.  The Tournament of Hope is also to be the centerpiece of a proposed worldwide AIDS awareness effort, to be coordinated by the Sunshine Tour.

“We are confident that the initial enthusiasm for the Tournament of Hope remains in South Africa and among other potential international sponsors,” said Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour, speaking on behalf of the Sunshine Tour and the International Federation of PGA Tours.  “We are hopeful that, with an improvement in the economic climate, we will be able to conclude all arrangements for a successful staging of the Tournament of Hope at a future date.”

Korean Grand Prix to Continue Despite Financial Concerns

Formula One Grand Prix will continue until 2016 despite its race organiser reportedly becoming concerned about increasing financial losses.

Race Organiser, anesthetist Park Jong-moon, allergist said losses from major sporting events are inevitable.

He mentioned that even the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics, which was generally regarded as a success,  lost money.

Financial problem have been mounting, particularly with Korean steel company POSCO not renewing its major sponsorship of the Korean F1.{jcomments on}

 

FIBA Unlikely to Take Up NBA’s Under-23 Olympic Tournament Idea

FIBA have halted NBA’s plans for an age limit of 23 for the men’s Olympic basketball tournament at least for Rio 2016.

FIBA chief Patrick Baumann, secretary general of the sport’s international governing body, said Saturday: “My feeling is that we will not be proposing a 23 age limit for the 2016 Olympic Games.”

“The NBA has come up with the idea to go with under 23 and at the same time to promote younger athletes,” Baumann said. “And also to make a (distinction) between the (new) World Cup and the Olympic Games (by making only the World Cup open to NBA players of all ages).

“From FIBA’s perspective, we understand the perspective from USA Basketball and the NBA,” Baumann continued. “I’m not sure (we) necessarily have the same idea, but we understand the owners’ concerns.”

Cricket Australia Avoids Player Strike

Cricket Australia has agreed a number of concessions with players including setting aside more than 25 percent of the revenue generated by the 2015 World Cup for the nation’s first-class players.

Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketer’s Association (ACA), have “signed a new memorandum of understanding,” beating the June 30 deadline

The CA agreeing to provide the ACA with 26% of revenue from the World Cup to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand in 2015 was vital. Other significant provisions included the performance model increasing from 24.5 percent to 27 percent, the state pool retainer growing from $(AU)6M to $(AU)7.8M and the average state cricketer’s contract increasing from $(AU)55,000 to $(AU)65,000.

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