Marketing and all things related

Now you might think that the Miami Heat is the hottest damned team in basketball, and you would be right—maybe. The heat is scheduled to play the Chinese national team in Guangzhou this week, and the Chinese have their mind set on winning the 2008 Olympic gold in basketball. This game is just a scrimmage to prep their bench. But on the advertising front, the Miami Heat have the edge with a massive advertising campaign by Gatorade. Gatorade is blanketing China with 20 million bottles featuring Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade on the label. Dwayne will also appear on Gatorade television commercials. This celebrity endorsement is a bold move, because the Chinese are obsessed with basketball, and love to watch American teams. (Millions watched an exhibition game between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings.) Marketing Blurb reminds sports fans the Chinese decided to get serious in men’s gymnastics and diving a few years ago, so get ready for a show down—if not this week—in 2008. We learned about this from the Miami Herald. Photo Credit: Gatorade