As European nations fight for glory in Euro 2020, a parallel battle is on going between corporate houses in-order to derive maximum mileage from the ongoing tournament. As usual, the demigod of modern football Cristiano Ronaldo is the star attraction in this battle too. The act of moving a bottle by the Portugal captain has allegedly cost a soft drink manufacturing company Rs. 4 billion within hours. Two other footballers performed the same action, but on different occasions. Now the question is being raised as to whether or not these were deliberate attempts by the players to de-endorse products of the rival companies. Was it part of a larger conspiracy to defame an established brand? Was the action simply innocuous or a guerilla tactic adopted to hoodwink opponents? Ronaldo came out with a statement refuting the conspiracy theory, but candidly admitted that he did not endorse the soft drink kept on the table in front of him during a post-match press conference. The incidents are reminiscent of the incidents that took place during the 1998 FIFA World Cup where two teams that met in the finals were sponsored by rival sports goods manufacturing companies. It is being argued that the Brazilian star player Ronaldo performed miserably on that day due to the tension from the intensity of the corporate war.
Such corporate battles are not only limited to football fields; other sports like Tennis or Cricket have also experienced the same. One of the best examples of such corporate one-upmanship in cricket happened during 1987 ICC Cricket World Cup. Events of the fourth edition of cricketing gala are still fresh in people’s minds not for any cricketing heroics, but for the googly delivered by the soft drink giant Pepsi. After losing the race of becoming the official partner of the tournament to their rival Coca-Cola, it came out with a unique catch line ‘nothing official about it’ and managed to draw the attention of the people like wildfire. Till today, the particular catch phrase is regarded as an example of excellent ambush marketing.
As a matter of fact, corporate war is no less intriguing than any other form of war. To establish hegemony, corporate houses often come up with innovative ideas to reduce the market share of rival companies. As long as the battle remains within a certain limit, it causes no harm either to the sports or to sports lovers. But the battle is becoming murkier as companies are now spending exorbitant amounts to promote their products. To ensure proper returns from such huge investments, the sponsors are now calling the shots in every aspect of a sporting event. Be it the timing of the match or the items to be placed on the high table during a press conferences, the demands of the sponsors are always supreme. Such phenomenons are causing controversies and hurting the reputation of sports, a clear separation of sport and business must be established.