Are Virginio Slims ond women's tennis hoppy togefter, or ore they both iust woiling to exhole?

BY SUSAN FESTA FISKE, Associate Editor

A FEW MILES FROM FLUSHING Meadow, site of the U.S. Open, there hangs a billboard for Virginia Slims, the title sponsor of eight women's tennis tournaments in the U.S. this year. The advertisement appears aged, weathered, neglect- ed; its colors have faded and bits of the sign have peeled away so that what once was there-the smiling face of an attractive woman-is barely discernible. If a picture does tell a story *lr this tale isn't as simple as it ^ appears. When the $3 mil- lion Virginia Slims Champi- onships begin at New York City's Madison Square Garden this month (November 16 to 22), the women's tour will be closing a year that has raised more questions than delivered answers, with the most puzzling query being, where is the tour going? In January, Kraft General Foods, completing its third year of a five-year contract as tour sponsor, is obligated to tell the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) whether it will renew its contract. If Kraft, part of the Philip Morris Co.-which also manufac- t tures Virginia Slims cigarettes-decides to continue >(-L as the sponsor, the two groups have 45 days to ham- f mer out an agreement. s z Since global o Kraft is a company, its association d with the women's tennis tour-which will feature 67 = z tournaments in 22 countries in '93-seems like a J f perfect fit. Kraft contributes more than $6 million a o year to the tour and, along with Virginia Slims, is E responsible for $ 15 million in total financial sup- port. Tom Keim, Kraft's director of event marketing, says he's pleased with what his company has been

TENNIS. N()vEMtsIrR tcgz. 5l STIMS able to achieve for women's ten- its product, devaluing its worth, look at how we're spending our nis. And Gerry Smith, executive which may be overvalued money. Is the [tournament] director of the WTA, believes already. successful?" Kraft is "a terrific sponsor of Thirty-five of the tour's 67 But Philip Morris is sending women's tennis." That hamrony events are characterized as Tier mixed signals. It did convert the between tour and sponsor will be III and IV tournaments with Slims of Philadelphia into a most obvious next year when the prize money of either $150,000 "Blockbustei' event, increasing Kraft Tour introduces its "Block- or $100,000. The WTA has to the purse from $350,000 this buster Eventsj' at least one tour- supply players for these events, year to $750,000 in '93. And the nament each month, January but the players they offer usually Slims of Florida has moved through November, with prize are not big names. Without a sites-from Boca Raton to a new money of at least $750,000. Monica Seles or a Steffi Graf to state-of-the-art stadium in Del- ray Beach-because of the ca- pacity crowds it consistently draws. These are signs that the company is solidifying tourna- THESE WOMEN ments it knows are successful. WHY'p ARE But as Philip Morris pulls away rj snrr'rc cIGABETTES? from tennis, it has introduced a 2 new promotion called the Vir- $ ginia Slims Shopping Fling. E Kicking off this year at civic cen- I ters in-Dallas/Fort Worth, Balti- E more and Atlanta, these shop- $ ping extravaganzas will charge a fi $5 admittance fee for the oppor- $ tunity to purchase designer I ilothes at 50 percent off retail. # The money raiied will be donat- { ed to AIDS projects in the vari- 8 Could protests foree Slims to butl oul ol women's tennis? ous cities. A tournament that was But beneath the accord, ill will attract crowds or sponsors, these dropped from the Slims calen- simmers. Keim admits to hear- events are not very profitable. dar this year is Oakland, an ing rumors about the WTAs Another hurdle the tour may event the company had spon- plans for sponsorship renewal- have to negotiate is what ap- sored for 17 years. Again, Banks from no tour sponsor to no in- pears to be the waning interest cites a business decision on volvement by that sponsor in of Virginia Slims, whose interest Slims' part and suggests that a tour decisions. "Tfrere's a new in women's tennis has been un- regional sponsor was best for the rumor every week and they're questioned for more than 20 tournament's growth (Bank of distracting," he says. And com- years. Next year, Slims is spon- the West, the ninth largest bank pany insiders say that by having soring only six tournaments in in California, is the new spon- to attach the "Kraft" moniker to the U.S.-Chicago; Delray sor). Banks also says the Oak- the women's tour, the company Beach, Fla.; Houston; Los Ange- land event was too close to Slims is prohibited from advertising les; Philadelphia; and the Cham- events in Philadelphia and New any one of the more than 3,000 pionships. That's a dropoff of York City (they were to be held products it manufactures. A two from this year and half the in three consecutive weeks this consumer can't go out and buy number of events it sponsored in month) and that the Slims tour- a Kraft. For his part, Smith 'gl. nament in Los Angeles is strong hasn't hidden his desire to up- Sheila Banks, director of me- enough to carry California. But grade the tours image and mar- dia affairs for Philip Morris, con- rumors abound that the reason keting. He tried to reorganize tends that the decrease is no Slims pulled out is because of the tour during last year's more than a marketing decision. the tournamentis other spon- Championships, but couldn't Explaining why the company sors, who refused to link up with find enough support. "I'd love stopped sponsoring the Virginia a cigarette company. to keep Kraft involved as our Slims of Albuquerque in '91, Philip Morris is the nations sponsor," he said at the time, Banks says: "The event in Albu- biggest cigarette seller, and the "but it's clear that women's ten- querque didnt draw top-notch company relies heavily on to- nis is not achieving full market- players, and the purse wasn't bacco saleb. Last year, total to- ing potential." high. The crowds had not been bacco sales accounted for 72 If Kraft bows out and another what we had hoped for. When percent of the company's operat- company doesnt come forward, we look at something from a ing profits and the Marlboro the WTA will be forced to shop business standpoint, we have to brand alone pulled in 40 percent

52 . rENNrs . NovEMtsER 1992 of Philip Morrid operating profit. Services Secretary called for to- same time, you have to have Joe Cherner, president and bacco to butt out of sports: "The some loyalty to the people who founder of SmokeFree Educa- sponsorship itself uses the vigor brought you to where you are to- tional Services in New York City, and energy of athle[es as a subtle day. And Virginia Slims was has been lobbving against the but incorrect and dishonest mes- there when no one else gave a sponsorship of women's tennis sage that smoking is compatible damn about women's tennis. by Virginia Slims for more than with good health." Obviously, sports and cigarettes five years. "Virginia Slims is not Citing figures that lung cancer don't go together, but we are the right sponsor for a sport that has topped breast cancer as the here because of them. . . . Mv epitomizes good health in wom- leading cancer among women answer was always that I dont eni says Cherner, whose group (51,000 women died of lung can- tell people to start smoking. I will protest the Championships cer last year), Sullivan said that just tell them if they smoke they this month. "We're pro tennis. We just think women's tennis needs a new sponsor." "Obuiously, Cherner believes his campaign sports and forced Virginia Slims' hand to abandon the Oakland event. Ac- cigarettes don't go cording to Chcrncr, 7UP, one of the tournament's sponsors, pulled its financial support when together," sAys I'{aaratiloua, the soft-drink manufacturer was besieged with complaints about working with a cigarette com- " but we dre bere because of pany. "Philip Morris is putting up a smokescreen that Oakland was a business decision," says Virginia Slims . . , ." Nancy Andrews, who coordi- nated Cherner's campaign in California. Banks says that it's "almost he found it "irresponsible" and might as well smoke Virginia laughable to think that the pres- "unconscionable" that tobacco Slims, which is probably not a ence of a dozen or so people pro- companies would use events like good answer but that has been testing our presence at a tourna- women's tennis to promote my answer for years." ment would have any impact on smoking among women. Sulli- Cherner doesnt believe wom- the business decision oi a big van called upon owners of are- en's tennis owes Virginia Slims corporation like Philip Morris." nas and parks to stop allowing anything. "Women's tennis has She also defends Slims sponsor- their facilities to be used for more than repaid its debtj' says ship of women's tennis. "I think sporting events sponsored by to- Cherner. "Philip Morris has ad- very definitely that Virginia bacco companies and for sports dicted millions of young girls Slims has a place in sports, not promoters to stop accepting to- and made billions oi dollarJ off just a place, but many people bacco companies as sponsors. its association with women's will say that the name Virginia Whether anti-smoking cam- tennis. If Philip Morris liked Slims is synonymous with wom- paigns are the reason or not, Vir- women at all, it wouldn't be en's tennis. . . . We largely are ginia Slims has made changes in sponsoring women's tennis." responsible for the success of recent years. Samples of the cig- Smith allows that the relation- women's tennis." arette no longer are handed out ship between his organization But the fact is that opposition at the entrances of tournaments. and a cigarette company is not to smoking continues to grow. They are available at booths "good business" and that it has Smoking no longer has the ca- within the tournament site, but "created publicity not in the best chet it once did. Congress man- proof of age is required. The interest of women's tennis." But dated warning labels in 1965 and woman within the Virginia Smith also maintains that Vir- ordered' tobacco companies to Slims logo, Ginny, now holds a ginia Slims has "conducted itself put the warnings in their ads in tennis ball instead of a cigarette. in the most impeccable manner '69. Cigarette ads have been The company has never asked you can expect." Smith has said banned from TV since 1971 and players to use or endorse their that Virginia Slims can't take smoking has been banned on vir- product. women's tennis to the next level, tually all domestic airline flights "The sponsorship has been a because it is a domestic compa- since 1990. Only in recent years problem for women, and we ny and because it cant invest in has the relationship between have been trying to address it the TV programming. "We need to sports and tobacco becorne an best way we can," Martina Nav- align ourselves with internation- issue. Two years ago, Dr. Louis ratilova explained at last yeals al interestsj' says Smith. "That Sullivan, Health and Human Championships. "But at the has nothing to do with Slims'

TENNTs . NovEMBER tssz. 53 SLIMS lack of interest. God knows, they have brought womens tennis a long way, but they are a U.S. company." Gladys Heldman, who was re- sponsible for getting Virginia Slims involved in women's ten- nis in the first place, believes there's a fine line between what'p appropriate sponsorship and what isnt: "Cigarettes are legal. How about alcohol? How about Neiman Marcus selling fur coats or hospitals polluting our waters with wastes? Where do you stop? As long as it's legal, I don't have a problem with the sponsorship. People will say you cant have Du Pont sponsoring tennis be- cause they manufucture ammu- nition. I dont approve of ammu- nition, but I would accept their sponsorship." Every year, the Virginia Slims Championships ends rvith a par- ty for the players, media and ten- nis officials. In 1990 that party included an appearance by the singer Taylor Dane, for which she reportedly received party be SEE TRAVEL AND PRODUCT INFOBMATION PAGE $100,000. That will not held this year. As someone in- side the Slims organization has RCA Salutes said, "People will come to free dinners, but, is it worth it?" Ulti- mately, that may be the bigger llete Sampras question Kraft and Virginia Slims must answer. I for his victory at the RCA MenS Virginio Slims Hard Court Championships Chompionships Fost Focls Sile: Madison Square Garden, New York City.

Dqles: November 16-22.

Top Ployer: Top 16 women, including Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, Gabriela Sabatini, Martina Navratilova, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Mary Joe Fernandez and Jennifer Capriati, and top 8 doubles teams.

Surfoce: lndoor supreme. IV: Prime Network and ABC. See page 96 for times and dates. H e Prize toney: $3 million; $250,000 to the singles winner, $90,000 to doubles champs.

Delending Chompionr: Monica Seles, singles; Navratilova-Pam ]rG'I Shriver, doubles. 54 . rENNrs . NovEMBER r992