There is a number that is indelibly linked to the multi- billion dollar industry that is sports marketing today. The year 1984 remains the landmark year for the then still nascent industry. The commercial success of the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles was coupled with acceptance in the corporate boardrooms that sports and business do mix. A very ubiquitous soft drink brand spent US$30 million on endorsements throughout the games, a figure which was exorbitant at the time.

Most significantly, companies who got involved experienced increased brand awareness regardless of their team’s performance. A HSBC-sponsored Jaguar Formula 1 Racing team was mediocre on the race track, but still played a major role in building the bank’s global brand.

» Read more: Sports Marketing – Are You Getting ROI For Your Marketing Dollar?