A small slip-up just cost Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho a whopping $750,000!
Coco-Cola has officially ended their relationship with the popular athlete after he was seen taking a swig of Pepsi during a news conference.
According to WorldofSport, “Ronaldinho stunned Coke chiefs by turning up at a press conference and sipping nonchalantly from a can of their arch-rivals’ fizzy pop. Furious bosses at the Atlanta-based firm immediately demanded that the plug be pulled on his huge endorsement deal, according to a report in the ‘O Estado de Sao Paulo’ newspaper.”
The cardinal rule of any food/beverage sponsorship deal is clear: consume only the product you’re endorsing and stay very clear of the competition. Too bad Ronaldinho failed on both counts.
Coca-Cola marketing chief Marcelo Pontes told the ‘O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper “”The fact that the player has appeared with a can of Pepsi was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The sponsorship had become embarrassing.”
