The entry of Radio Shack into
the world of professional cycling is an unusual and historic move for cycling
sponsorship in America. They are hardly the first American company to sponsor a
European-focused cycling team. But they are certainly the first to view the
value of sponsorship strictly through its impact on an American audience.Many of the companies that sponsor cycling teams are wholly
unfamiliar to non-European audiences. Quick Step makes laminate flooring.
Lampre makes pre-coated steels. Rabobank is a Dutch banking company whose
cycling team gained recognition before the bank expanded into the United
States. Caisse d’Epargne is a French bank. Liquigas makes gas-operated
barbecues, space heaters, generators and more.
The (Radio) Shack's bizarre new sponsorship campaign
Why exactly would a company that only markets in North America decide to sponsor Lance Armstrong, a man who spends most of the year riding bikes around Europe?