Business as usual for Sampoerna sponsorships

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna quieted fears on Friday that its acquisition by Philip Morris International Inc. would disrupt its extensive sponsorship of sports events.

"There is no change in operations, it's only an ownership change," the firm's head of corporate communications, Niken Rachmad, said.

"The plan and marketing budget for 2005 are already set. Philip Morris has emphasized that there will be no change to them."

Sampoerna, through its various brands, sponsors many sports activities, including bowling, basketball, baseball and cycling. Several of the competitions, such as basketball and volleyball, involve leagues held in cities nationwide.

During this week alone, Sampoerna sponsored TV coverage of the All-England badminton championships and the Proliga volleyball series, which began its second round of Jakarta matches on Friday.

On Sunday, it will sponsor cycling's Dji Sam Soe Tour de' Jakarta.

Niken could not disclose the total amount of Sampoerna's sports sponsorship budget, saying events received allocations from the respective brand's marketing budget.

A Mild brand manager Ria Renny Christina said on Thursday a series of world-class billiards tournaments would go ahead in April as scheduled.

"Of course, we still have to see whether or not the new owner will change the present policy in the future," Ria said.

Philip Morris is also a major sponsor of sports events, especially in the United States after cigarette advertising was banned on TV and radio in 1970.

It was the sponsor of the women's tennis tour, through its Virginia Slims brand, from the 1970s to 1996, and is the sponsor of Formula One's Ferrari team led by Michael Schumacher.