The U.S. Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association has launched its European Help Desk, a program designed to help its members be more competitive in the European market. It will answer questions about licensing, cross-cultural marketing, distribution, subsidiary relationship and EU regulations.
Based in Munich, the new service is anchored by two prominent sports industry professionals. One is Jochen Schaefer, the famous German attorney who has worked with the sporting goods industry for 25 years, among other things as legal advisor of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry. He recently set up his own legal practice. The other is one Tanya Carter, an American with experience in sales marketing at K2 and Lowa, who recently co-founded a consultancy called The Missing Link Brand Engineers.
The SGMA’s European Help Desk has its own link on the SGMA website (www.sgma.com/europeanhelpdesk) and offers special rates to members. The program works in three steps. First, the member gets (brief) free, confidential advice from the team in Munich, where it was developed. Then, if needed, the Help Desk will come up with a strategic or operative plan, for a pre-negotiated fee.
If the member decides to go ahead with European expansion, the team will help coordinate the plans, including sale, marketing and legal advice. Once established, the member can retain the Help Desk’s services on an advisory basis, or just call on it as necessary. This will save members the time and hassle of finding their way through Europe on a trial-and-error basis.
