The research team commissioned a leading US sponsorship surveillance company to track tobacco industry funding for the years 1997-98. The team also searched the web for evidence of corporate sponsorship between 1995-99. All the major companies and brands were included.
At least 2733 events, programmes, and organisations across the USA were sponsored with tobacco dollars. New York was the most heavily funded State, while motor sports lured almost two thirds of the monies at $208 million. Hunger projects attracted $108 million. Almost 450 causes involved in public health took tobacco industry dollars through direct funding or grants awarded to umbrella organisations.
In 1997-99 alone, the authors estimate that the industry gained the equivalent of $410.5 million in television advertising from motor sports sponsorship. Several funded facilities, including sporting ones, included the name of the funding tobacco company. They suggest that the findings probably significantly underestimate the true value of sponsorship across the country.
They conclude that corporate sponsorship is an important sales, branding, and public relations tool for the tobacco industry, and that those working in public health organisations need to address the problem of sponsorship if they are to succeed in reducing tobacco use.
[Use of corporate sponsorship as a tobacco marketing tool: a review of tobacco industry sponsorship in the USA, 1995-99 2001; 10: 239-46]
Tobacco Control