CHICK-FIL-A: is extending its sponsorship deal of the Peach Bowl, changing the name from the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl simply to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The new arrangement reflects a substantial financial increase by the Atlanta-based QSR. Under the deal, the Chick-fil-A name will be included in any mention of the game. The company, which became a title sponsor of the bowl in 1997, dropped its sponsorship of an Atlanta-area LPGA golf tournament after this year’s event to focus its market on college athletes.
TECATE: will continue as the official beer sponsor of the 32nd Annual Toyota Grand Priz of Long Beach, April 7-9, 2006. This is the fourth year Tecate sponsors the event.
DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA: named Rick Smith president-CEO of the marketing cooperative. Smith adds the CEO title on Jan. 1; he has been president-chief operating officer. He replaces retiring CEO Gary Hanman. Smith has been with Kansas City, MO-based DFA since 2001.
ELECTRONIC RETAILING ASSOCIATION: Washington, DC, has launched a Web site where consumers can check into product claims they see while buying online or on TV. The site, Savvyshopper.org, is part of the association’s self-regulation program that collaborates with the FTC and National Advertising Review Board to police product claims in direct-response advertising. The year-old program has already reviewed 1,700 TV ads and 2,000 online ads, and handled 60 cases (12 of them referred to the association by consumers).
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