Coca-Cola GB appoints sponsorship manager

Coca-Cola Great Britain has poached Carlsberg-Tetley’s sponsorship and football expert, Steve Cumming.

In February, Cumming – formerly Carlsberg-Tetley sponsorship manager for lager – announced he was leaving the brewer but declined to reveal where he was going (MW February 20).

He is to take up the role of sponsorship manager at Coca-Cola, reporting to marketing services director Donna Birkett-Baida. Previous sponsorship manager Jonathan Ford moved to work on planning for the Euro 2004 football tournament at Coca-Cola Europe, Middle East and Africa earlier this year.

Cumming worked at Carlsberg-Tetley for nine years and was involved in signing up Carlsberg-Tetley as ITV’s broadcast sponsor for the Euro 2000 football tournament, accompanying the brewer’s involvement as the official beer of Euro 2000.

Cumming worked on the deal to make Carlsberg one of the Football Association’s five “pillar sponsors” until 2006 (MW May 15, 2002) and negotiated Carlsberg’s sponsorship of Liverpool Football Club for a further three years last year.

Coca-Cola’s sporting interests include a global deal for the World Cup and Euro 2004. It also sponsors The Premiership on ITV1 and the Under-13 Cup, together with distributor Coca-Cola Enterprises.

Through its Powerade sports drink, Coca-Cola also has links to a number of athletes.