The biggest sports brand you've probably never heard of

This Saturday Ricky Hatton fights the world’s finest boxer Manny Pacquiao.

While Pacquiao will have Nike in his corner, Hatton will wear a brand less well known in the UK but has exploded in the US.

If you like watching people smash each others faces in, heavy metal and generally going around being well 'ard then Affliction is the brand for you.

Set up in 2005, the clothing range had also been prominent in the highly popular Ultimate Fighting Championship, before it was banned due to suspicions that it planned to set up its own rival series. Which is promptly then did.

Affliction Entertainment, of which Donald Trump is a major shareholder, was set up as an independent branch of the company last year and has already hosted its first event.

It is now promoting  'Affliction: Banned’, which will feature some of world’s highest profile fighters.

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Affliction also promotes and manages heavy metal music events in association with blue-chip brands.

In the US, it is currently running a music festival series called Music is a Weapon IV, with - curiously enough - Samsung Mobile.

As if the British economy weren’t in a bad enough state already…

The folk behind the brilliant online game Stick Cricket have now lauched Sticket Tennis - and have helpfully calculated that if it continues to grow at its current rate it could cost British employers £75m in wasted wages.

Stick Cricket became a phenomenon in the summer of 2005 as office workers around the country neglected their jobs to nervously follow the Ashes on www.cricinfo.com and sneak in a few cheeky games of online cricket.

As Murray-mania grips middle-England this summer be sure not to get caught by your boss as you serve and volley your way to Grand Slam glory. I warn you now it very addictive.

Give it a go (when you get home of course) at http://www.sticktennis.com

The final Flora London marathon this Sunday

This Sunday is the last Flora London Marathon, and it still isn’t entirely obvious to me why Unilever took the decision last year to pull the plug on its 14 year relationship.

I’ve always believed in the value of sponsoring mass participation sports events, and it seems so to does Richard Branson whose Virgin Money brand takes over the title sponsorship from 2010.

Where to start? A database of over 34,000 runners isn’t bad. And the kinds of people London marathon sponsor reach – doers rather than couch-potatoes - is another benefit. Then, of course, are their friends and families.

Runners don’t just turn up on the day with their loved ones as they would for a concert. Rather they are all involved throughout the training process – whether it be through enquiring how its going, joining the runner on a training run or simply through sponsoring them.

The events, and similar ones like the London Triathlon, are healthy and carry little risk of scandal. When was the last time a marathon runner was caught taking drugs? And even if they did, who would really care? After all for most people the race is about Joe Public getting on with it rather than the thoroughbreds at the front.

Then there’s the emotional engagement. It’s easy to get gushy when talking about marathons and what they mean to people, so I won’t bang on. Needless to say the event is emotionally charged and for many people there on the day it is there first and last attempt at a marathon so something they are unlikely to forget in a hurry.

If you’re still not convinced about the merits of marathon running and why it should make sense to a lot of brands to get involved with then check out www.memory-joggers.co.uk, set up by Flora for runners to share their marathon stories, photos and memories over the years.

To me the only surprise is that there aren’t more brands aren't involved with one of the world’s greatest sporting events.

Good luck to everyone doing this year’s London Marathon.

David Beckham: Back in Europe and back in the mega bucks ads

You can tell how David Beckham’s football career is going by the brands he’s promoting. Or to put it more accurately, by the brands that want him in their ads.

In his playing pomp at Manchester United and then Real Madrid, the squeaky voiced midfielder promoted Armani and Vodafone among others.

But then he made the fatal mistake that all footballers seem to make at some point in their career – he turned 30. Whooosh… off to LA Galaxy he toddled but soon found brands such as Gillette and Pepsi unwilling to renew contracts with a star seemily on the wane.

England’s record caps holder must have wondered why exactly he was then being asked to promote Sharpie markerpens and breaded fish but being the trooper he is did so without fuss.

His return to Europe with AC Milan and to the England squad is mirrored by the launch of a new global ad campaign for Motorola.

The ‘Aura of Beckham’ ads promote Motorola’s luxury handset, Aura a ‘celebration of artistry and design’. This is much more like Becks.

The phone takes over two weeks to make due to its hand-sculpted body apparently and it has over 200 Swiss-made individual components. It has a 62 carat sapphire lens, one of the most scratch resistant materials on Earth, and exposes its internal mechanics like a ‘classic watch’.

Basically it’s really really cool.

Welcome back Becks.

Swim to the beat and get set for the Marketing Industry Triathlon

It’s lovely out - well maybe not today I guess, but its getting there. Slowly. Anyway, no excuses now for getting yourself a wetsuit and going for dip in preparation for the Marketing Industry Triathlon.

Personally, I’ve put it off so far. It’s been too cold and I don’t like swimming. But it has to be done I’m afraid.

Speedo recently brought out a bit of kit which you might be interested in to alleviate some of the boredom.

The Speedo Aquabeat is a fully waterproof mp3 player and although the sound quality is a bit tinny it does help when staring at the bottom of the pool lap after lap.

You wont be able to use an Aquabeat during our race, but you will need a wetsuit.

If you’ve not got a wetsuit yet, then our event partner Human Race has great offers on wetsuits at their website - which inlcudes a £20 voucher for any Human Race event.

So when signing up for our event at www.humanrace.co.uk why not get yourself kitted out?

Smug grins, popped collars and ruffled hair - it's a bad look for England rugby

A smart trick for sports promoters and governing bodies is attracting new fans but without losing any of their traditional fan base.

Despite some early resistance, cricket has done a great job in reaching a new audience through 20Twenty, for example.

In some people’s eyes rugby union is the refuge of the private school toff and the hooray Henry. But finally the sport is now trying to reach previously untapped talent and take the game to a wider viewing public.

So while it is encouraging to see England sponsor O2 doing its bit through initiatives such as its TV programme, ‘The Big Tackle with Austin Healey’ – others are sadly lagging behind.

Take this horribly self-satisfied ad from fashion retailer Eden Park, starring England internationals Delon Armitage, Olly Barkley, Ugo Monye, Danny Care and winger David Strettle sporting a ridiculous black-eye. It’s excruciating.

On a more positive note, Marketing has talked to O2 head of sponsorship Mark Stevenson and Austin himself about O2’s rugby sponsorship and will be bringing you the video on marketingmagazine.co.uk later this week.

Chelsea FC to sign Cristiano Ronaldo

The goalkeepers have some interesting obstacles laid out in their session.

From my window I can see the lads are all out for training.

Frank Lampard has returned, all smiles.

Umbro's new England football kit and rioting in North London

Yesterdays riots reminded me of watching a Liverpool-Manchester United game.

You know its impossible, but you find yourself wondering if its possible for both sides to lose.

Some bankers were waving £10 notes at the protesters, which is pretty obnoxious - but then again it's hard to sympathise with a lot of the rioters, many of which seemed to have little or no idea why they were there.

Today I found myself in Shoreditch, not to lob bricks through windows but to visit Umbro's temporary shop which its using to promote the launch of the new England football kit.

The new 'tailor made' kit is probably the most radical depature from modern day football strips since Cameroon decided to chop their sleaves off. That was Puma's idea by the way.

While there there seems to be a general feeling the kit looks fresh and more fashionable than previous England shirts, the idea of a 'Saville Row' shirt and the stereotypical football fan (in some cases hooligan) is an curious one. Cricket, tennis or rugby seem an more obvious fits for this strategy.

But this is the whole point. Umbro appears to be reclaiming the England team for all England fans. While those who travel drunkardly over land and sea following the team are legitimate fans the team belongs to everyone.

The shop, where I was met by Umbro marketing director Tim Parkinson, contains images of football fans from 196 ethnic minorities that live in England (apparently there are 208 in total).

It's a bold move by Umbro and one that I support 100%

You can read my profile on Tim Parkinson and find out more about Umbro's strategy in The Marketing Profile in next week's magazine.