Women’s football continues to increase in popularity among fans and sponsors around the world, and the 14th edition of the UEFA women’s tournament, currently underway in Switzerland, is no exception.
With such an important competition and considerable financial interest in it from sponsors and broadcasters, some forms of ‘ambush marketing’—a term that was coined in the 1980s by Jerry Walsh of American Express—are likely to rear their ugly heads.
Often referred to as ‘clever’ marketing, it is, in fact, a form of unfair competition in an economic or business sense. UEFA, which strictly prohibits ambush marketing, will aim to combat any instances of it, for the protection of the sponsors of the tournament.
A creative sport
Ambush marketing takes various forms according to the creativity of those who engage in this unfair marketing practice. These forms include using official event marks, logos or imagery without permission, as well as any marketing activities, including advertising and promotional
