APRIL 24, 2002

Formula 1 adapting well to tobacco threat

THE Sports Business 2002 Conference currently taking place in London heard today that Formula 1 is responding well to the forthcoming ban on worldwide tobacco sponsorship.

"Tobacco advertising is banned in a lot of countries already," Octagon's president of sales Tim Moufarrife told delegates to the London conference. "Formula 1, which so heavily depends on the financial backing of cigarette firms, is already preparing itself for the worldwide ban. We are already seeing a lot of tech companies associated with F1."

Delegates were told that getting the most out of F1 sponsorship is not an easy business.

"We are still failing in terms of sending out the right message about our brand via this sponsorship," said Pippa Collett, European sponsorship manager of Shell Europe - which has long been one of the most loyal F1 sponsors. "We are not just a mobile billboard."