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.