World Cup: How brands will activate as the knockouts begin Sport Business Most eyes will be firmly fixed on the pitch as the World Cup enters the knockout phase next week. But for the discerning observer, there is another contest playing out in the background: what are the sponsors up to? With marketing and sponsorship deals related to the World Cup reported to generate between $2.5bn and [...]
World Cup proves film and music walked in the US so that sports can run Sport Business With the US experiencing football fever Alistair Watkins argues that we have seen this before, with sport following in the footsteps of film and music When people think about European culture making its mark in the United States, they tend to think of music, film and television. From The Beatles to Harry Potter and One [...]
Game, Set, Match: How brands can serve up lasting value at Queen’s Sport Business Queen’s is here and the tennis is back. Thom Newton looks at how brands get value out of the grass tennis tournament. Sports fans are relishing a summer that includes a World Cup, alongside the major fixtures of tennis, cricket and athletics. With sport comes the inevitable opportunities for brand sponsorships. However, visibility at events [...]
Patagonia faces PR backlash over trademark lawsuit with drag queen June 2, 2026 Patagonia is in hot water over its legal action against a drag queen, but as lawyers suggest, businesses face a double-edged sword when it comes to protecting their trademarks. A drag queen artist and environmentalist, Wyn Wiley, was sued by the US outdoor retailer Patagonia, which alleged the performer violated its trademark by going professionally [...]
HSBC is the only UK name on $13 trillion list of top global brands May 14, 2026 The rise of AI has shaken up an influential ranking of global big-name firms, as the competition to become one of the world’s elite brands becomes fiercer than ever, according to an influential index tracking the corporate elite. The Kantar Brandz Top 100 – which ranks the value of brands – unveiled on Thursday, is [...]
Brands, think you’ve missed out on the London Marathon? Think again April 25, 2026 It’s that time of the year again. Everyone is posting on their social media about long runs and training plans as the London Marathon rolls into town. It’s a once-a-year (or potentially twice) opportunity for brands to get involved in a day that many will remember for a lifetime. Brands often assume that if they’re [...]
Fury: The real fight is not in the ring or ad spend, but brand alignment April 11, 2026 Tonight, when Tyson Fury steps back into the ring, the spectacle will be available live on Netflix to 300m customers worldwide. It is a knockout for audiences. And it will be a showcase event for brand partners too. However, in high-profile environments like this where brands want to make an impression, it is not just [...]
Revolut and Nationwide sharpen swords in battle to bank Britain March 25, 2026 The claws are out in the battle to bank Britain and in this week’s column Samuel Norman takes a look at the latest shots fired from Revolut and Nationwide. If you had ‘Graham Norton sitting on a horse’ on your banking bingo card, congratulations. The BBC chat show host has swapped his famous sofa with [...]
AI is rewriting reputation – what happens when it gets you wrong? March 6, 2026 AI means companies can now lose their reputations in an instant, with brands now being defined by systems they neither control nor understand.
Formula 1 presents creativity conundrum for brands and sponsors March 6, 2026 They know how to make noise in Formula 1. This week, motorsport’s premier championship explodes back into life across its ever-expanding media universe. Twenty-four high-glamour race weekends, driving peerless broadcast innovation. A mould-breaking, news-making Netflix docuseries. An official film starring Brad Pitt, the highest-grossing sports movie ever made and an Oscar nominee to boot. More [...]