mokuso /mohk-so/ - Meditation or meeting of the minds.
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With all of the current hype over sports entertainers being role models, advertisers should definitely consider with whom they do business. The current talk of the two is Phonak, the prominent sponsor for Floyd Landis, the alleged doper of cycling. Brandchannel posted a blurb on it and allows comments from its readers. The comments that followed varied, some siding with advertisers and some against. I for one, feel that there is a negative impact on the advertiser in these types of situations.
We all are comfortable with the term 'cognitive recognition' and I think that sponsors use this to their advantage in sponsorships. Look at NASCAR for example. Each car is littered with sponsors while the car is traveling around an oval at great speeds. These sponsors know that not only will the audience support the products that each driver supports (NASCAR fans are highly known for their "brand" loyalty) but also, 'cognitive recognition' will take its toll. Constant visualization of a logo or tagline will inevitably place that product in the upper tier of memory when considering products.
So is the case for cycling. I highly doubt any audience member will refuse to use Phonak in the future but they’ll subconsciously have a negative view of the product. The brain works in mysterious ways but its known to generate shortcuts and I think this will have a negative blow. When humans can associate something to a negative or positive event, they may not remember the event in the future but the brain will remember the tag. In other words, Phonak might be remembered negatively but the audience won't remember why.
I truly feel that all sponsorships are a gamble to the point but there are plenty of stories that say otherwise. Nike and Woods is a prime example while companies like Wonder Bread are reaping the benefits of NASCAR in the movies.
Companies can throw the dice but must accept the consequences. How does a company know that their marketing dollars are well spent...
