Since Big Brown
galloped across the finish line at the Kentucky Derby, the horse -- and the
company that's been riding it for all it's worth -- have reaped an estimated
$4 million in free publicity. But should the 3-year-old colt emerge victorious
in the June 7 Belmont Stakes, delivering horseracing's first Triple Crown
winner in 30 years, UPS will cash in with at least double that.
Triple Crown winner
Big Brown just happened to be named after the shipping company.
Fortuitously for UPS, Big Brown was named after the shipping company by its
original owner, Paul Pompa, a New York trucking agent, before Mr. Pompa sold a
75% interest in the horse to IEAH Stables. Knowing a good bet when it sees
one, UPS signed on to sponsor Big Brown's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, and IEAH
right before last month's Kentucky Derby. (As part of the deal, UPS's logo was
featured on a patch on Mr. Desormeaux's pants, which the National Thoroughbred
Racing Association says has been a frequent practice for the past 10 years
among jockeys in high-profile races.)
Since Big Brown's May 3 Derby victory, UPS's publicity payoff has been a
handsome $4 million in media coverage, according to Eric Wright, VP-research
and development, Joyce Julius & Associates, a firm specializing in
measuring the impact of corporate sponsorships. He said this takes into
account exposure from NBC telecasts, and TV, print and online news articles.
And UPS has a perfect storm of factors coming together to help maintain this
level of exposure: Big Brown's highly probable victory, interest from people
other than OTB regulars and the fact that he can become the first Triple Crown
winner in three decades, which almost guarantees that it won't just be sports
journalists and sports networks requesting media credentials to cover the
race.
"If he wins, you're conservatively looking at doubling, if not more, the
amount of exposure [UPS] has already gotten," Mr. Wright said. "But
it gets a little unpredictable in that this is all new and we're not sure
what's going to transpire after a victory if it even gets that far."