Diageo Defends Kurt Busch Decision
Speaking at the Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily Motorsports Marketing Forum, Dan Sanborn, director of sports marketing for Diageo North America has defended the decision to suspend Kurt Busch for the final two events of the 2005 NASCAR season.
“Our position would not have changed,” said Sanborn, even “if Busch had been leading the Nextel Cup standings with two races left in the season.”
“The issue was never alcohol, it was about behavior and making the right choices,” Sanborn said. “When we hire a celebrity or an athlete to represent our product, we expect them to be an ambassador for us. …The characteristics (Busch) displayed were not those of a champion.”
“We would have done exactly the same thing,” said John Hayes, brand director for Jack Daniel’s. “It would have been two-faced for us to be speaking about being responsible and then turn our cheek to that.” (Source NASCAR Shop Talk)
NASCAR, Auto Racing, Sports
Bookmark this article Marc, and dredge it back up in the future when some other bad boy driver with booze sponsorship is leading the chase and doesn’t get suspended. Would you like some salad with those words you’re about to eat?
Hypocrites!
I could have made some money betting this post would catch your eye George.
I was actually thinking about searching through past “endorsement stars” from the company and cross referenceing it with news stories on the same “stars” having behaviour problems.