FLW Sponsors Drop Out ?

[Musky196]

FLW Tour sponsor dropout? 10/3/2007
FLW Tour pros recently began to receive their FLW Tour packets in the mail, and the sponsor page includes some noticeable absences. There were persistent rumors since late summer that several FLW Outdoors sponsors would not re-up for 2008, and for the most part, the rumors seem spot-on.

Brands missing from this year's FLW Tour sponsor list include: Act II, Banana Boat, BFGoodrich, Bounty, Crunch 'N Munch, David Seeds, Duracell, EverStart, Folgers, Fujifilm, Gain, Hamburger Helper, Ozark Trail, Pedigree, Pemmican, Sirius Satellite Radio, Slim Jim, and Wet Ones.

Note that several of the brands are owned by single conglomerates. ConAgra Foods owns Slim Jim, Act II, Crunch 'N Munch, David Seeds, and Pemmican. Proctor & Gamble owns Bounty, Folgers, Gain, and Duracell. Playtex owns Wet Ones and Banana Boat. So at least on the surface, it appears those corporations did not renew.

Pedigree is owned by Masterfoods, but Masterfoods is still represented as a sponsor via its M&Ms and Snickers brands.

The missing brands may still be involved with FLW Outdoors through trails other than the FLW Tour. Or they may be in negotiations, with announcements to follow. But if past years are any indication, deals are typically finalized before the Tour information is mailed. BassFan currently has a request into FLW Outdoors for clarification.

If in fact the above brands have pulled out, the ramifications for FLW Tour pros would be immense, since many pros have significant sponsor deals with those brands. At least one FLW Tour pro confirmed that he's not heard from his respective brand, and is "sure" he won't have the same team deal next year.

Casualties could include Craig Powers, Jacob Powroznik, and Ken Wick, who fish for Bounty. Then there's past Angler of the Year Anthony Gagliardi and reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion Scott Suggs, who fish for Folgers. Michael Bennett, Andy Morgan, and Keith Pace fish for Duracell. Kevin Vida fishes for Banana Boat. The list goes on.

Notable too is that Gain sponsors the FLW Tour Rookie of the Year award.

More details on this story will be published as they become available.

[guest reader]

Who will this affect in the walleye world?

[Deep Throat 2]

This is on the bass side. We will have to see how it shakes out on the walleye side of the FLW. The same with the rumors of new sponsors coming in. Time will tell.

[Tom (mich)]

So no more free Wet Ones?

[Juls]

>Who will this affect in the walleye world?

Not sure if the Walleye side is affected yet...we'll have to wait and see what shakes out.

Duracell is Paul Maleen
Bounty is David Kolb
Folgers is Dennis Lantzy
Gain is me
BF Goodrich is Dustin Kjelden

Juls

[Juls]

http://www.bassfan.com/docktalk.asp?id=4371#4371

FLW sponsor clarification 10/4/2007
Regarding the Dock Talk published last night about potential FLW Tour sponsor departures, BassFan received the following clarification from FLW Outdoors VP of communications Dave Washburn:

"As you know, we are fortunate to have several leading consumer-product companies as sponsors. In fact, we have the strongest sponsor lineup in the sport and one of the strongest lineups in all of sports. Our sponsors market literally hundreds of brands and product lines within their brands. It is not uncommon for them to rotate the brands and products they promote through FLW Outdoors. Many will simply be promoting new brands within their corporate portfolios beginning in 2008."

Washburn added: "Additionally, we have major new sponsors that will be announced soon. (BassFan's) statement that "deals are typically finalized before the Tour information is mailed" is simply not true. In fact, we have announced major new sponsors midseason in years past. It's unfortunate that rather than wait for solid information, BassFan continues to publish stories based on rumor and innuendo. It's a shame and a disservice to your readers and our sport. In the rush to be first, BassFan is often blatantly wrong. As is the case here."

The above statement could thus be good news for FLW Tour pros, many of whom remain uncertain about the status of their team deals for 2008 and beyond. More details will be published as they become available

[EYECRAZY]

Rumors, DON"T YOU LOVE EM........... Thanks for setting the record straight,Juls. Steve

[Gary Korsgaden]

A while back we had a exchange on the merits of the FLW exposure for a number of consumer products companies. Two individuals I have close contact with in this industry shared with me this recently on this exact topic. It is 100% correct, that they rotate their ad dollars through this medium, change is good and reaches new end users. Let me also share that Wal-Mart is a major reason for FLW support. As we speak, discussion of 2008 support goes on. FLW and the tie with Wal-MArt has established itself as the top medium to connect with the outdoor public, consumer product companies know this. A feat other media houses have tried but have been less successful. But remember this is always subject to be revisited and fine tuned. In a nutshell don't jump to "negative" conclusions. If one sponsor drops out or changes their will be others waiting to fill the voids. Also know that it is about "impressions" made that is evaluated and the market these impressions are visualized. The redish tour has a huge amount of appeal in a market with a large number of end users. The name of the game is exposure to the end user.