Scottish Government cracks down on ambush marketing ahead of Commonwealth Games 2014
The Scottish Government has unveiled proposals aimed at regulating trading and advertising surrounding the Commonwealth Games 2014, in a bid to protect sponsor’s rights and the associated value of funding they provide.
The regulations, which are open for consultation until the 7 August, state that unauthorised marketing cannot take place in ‘event zones’ including the Hampden Park Precinct, George Square and the Merchant City,
The regulations state that: "Games sponsors provide a vital source of funding for the Commonwealth Games, without which Scotland would not be able to host the Games.
"In return for this funding sponsors have exclusive rights to associate their brands with the Games."
"Unauthorised advertising in the vicinity of Games venues is a form of marketing commonly employed by non-sponsor entities through which they attempt to create an association with the Games, gaining the benefit of the association rights sponsors have paid for, but also at the same time diminishing the integrity of the Games. This is commonly known as ambush marketing. Such activity undermines the value of Games sponsorship,"
Breaching the regaltions could result in court action with fines of up to £20,000.
The proposals from Holyrood suggest that hand-picked council workers from Glasgow and the surrounding area will form a team of enforcers who will patrol the streets surrounding all 17 Games venues.
Ty Speer, deputy chief executive of the organising committee, told the Evening Times that seminars would be held to help the business community.
He said the seminars would help “strike the right balance between supporting local traders while protecting the integrity of the Glasgow 2014 brand”
Despite similarly strict regulations put in place by LOCOG for the London Olympics 2012 many brands, including Nike, Paddy Power and Oddbins went ahead with ambush marketing campaigns.