The Cork Has Not Hurt Sammy’s Credibility.

Just-released research by Knowledge Networks shows that legendary home-run hitter Sammy Sosa has lost relatively little of his value as a product endorser in the wake of his suspension last week for the use of a corked bat. Although many fans doubt Sosa’s explanation of the incident, it is having a modest effect on their overall views of the Chicago Cubs slugger or Major League Baseball as a whole.

“With a declining fan base and recurring rumors about steroid use, baseball has been fighting an uphill battle for sponsorships and advertising,” observed Darren Marshall, Vice President of Business Development at Knowledge Networks. “Sosa’s accomplishments and strong personality have been a powerful asset for the league, and MLB fans still seem willing to place their faith in him as a spokesman. If the worst of the damage is over, Sosa’s standing with advertisers and
sponsors should improve even more as time passes.”

Conducted over the weekend among baseball fans and followers who belong to the Knowledge Networks panel – the only Web-based consumer panel that is projectable to the full U.S. population – the study shows that:

• only 4% feel “strongly” that Sosa’s endorsement of a product would now have less of an impact;

• over 50% say that Sosa remains a good role model, while 16% disagree with that statement (undecided: 32%); and

• 50% feel that the incident has not tarnished baseball’s reputation, while 22% feel that it has (undecided: 28%).

Role Model Despite Corked Bat Incident

Knowledge Networks study shows fans separating doubts about infraction from overall views of MLB. Baseball fans and followers are more evenly divided on whether to believe Sosa’s account of the incident – that he didn’t know he was using a corked bat; 41% accept this explanation, while 39% do not (undecided: 20%). And while 31% report they are now more likely to question the recent spurt of home run records, 44% are not (undecided: 25%).

In general, women, older fans, and casual followers of the game are more likely to say that the corked-bat incident has tarnished their view of Sosa and baseball. Core MLB fans, on the other hand, show the greatest levels of forgiveness.

For more information at http://www.knowledgenetworks.com