Name-change ruckus draws massive attention to tennis pro’s candy line
Done well, PR stunts can expose your brand or product to a whole new audience. We’re used to seeing them for blockbuster films or big-label product launches, but recently we saw an excellent example from an unexpected place – the camp of Maria Sharapova, currently the world’s #3 female tennis player.
Last week, word “leaked” out that Sharapova was considering changing her name to Sugarpova in order to promote her line of candies at the U.S. Open. Now, consider this…Sharapova is a poster child for women’s tennis, a sport that takes itself very seriously. Because of this, even hinting at a move that would have, “Sugarpova to the court” ringing through Arthur Ashe Stadium was enough to raise eyebrows. The media quickly picked up the story, and suddenly tennis fans around the world knew that Sugarpova candies existed.
With enough buzz generated to make any PR pro proud (BusinessWeek reports Twitter mentions of Sugarpova leapt from 50 to 9,000 overnight), Sharapova announced that she would not be changing her name after all, reportedly due to passport complications. Perhaps that was the truth, or perhaps that was the plan all along. Whatever it was, the result was a sweet PR success for Sharapova and her Sugarpova brand.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com