Yonex All England - Unfair Business Practice

[derekrobinson59]

I've just posted this on Badminton Central, but I wanted to make sure as many people see this as possible.

I'd like to voice a concern about the way Yonex do business.

I recently visited the All England tournament in Birmingham - this is a a Badminton England tournament but anyone would think that he event was owned by Yonex themselves! They are just the title sponsor! After speaking to several of the other brands present I learnt a few truths I thought I should put out there:

1. Due to pressure from Yonex on Badminton England. None of the other brands are permitted to sell there products at the event.
2. The retailer at the event is pressured to sell at the full RRP.
3. Although the actual figure is unknown, it is recognised that Yonex vastly underfund the sponsorship of the event, simply because the other manufacturers do not have the resources to compete.

Essentially due to this unfair practice, Yonex virtually make a profit out the event. Frankly to me this stinks and I thought it should be voiced.

I have started an e-petition to send to Badminton England about this:

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/17782.html

Please sign if you agree that this practice should be stopped.

[vatovey]

Hi Derek,

This has been going for many many years, vendors apart from Yonex can display their warez, but cannot sell.

As much as I would like to see others selling at the event, I can also see Yonex's view to, if I sponsored an event the size of the AE, I would expect exclusive rights to sell my merchandise to.

Also, if Yonex don't support the All England, how many other companies do you think could plug such a huge gap ??, maybe many, maybe none, I guess BE don't want to take that risk, and possibly allowing the AE to become an average tournament, rather than one of badminton's showpiece events.

Please don't think I'm a Yonex fanboy by any means, I would love to see alot more competition for Yonex, this would force Yonex to increase their sponsorship money, or fall by the wayside. But until that happens, Yonex have a captive market for the most part, and don't have to pay alot of money to get it.

Vaughn.

[TheChosenOneReturns!]

I dont see it as unfair business practice, if BadmitonEngland agree to the terms set down by Yonex, then take them to task. I call it good business practice !!

Hold on, why don't we give all our competitors a chance now, open it up a little for them ...

NO !!

[pompey]

I'm not sure that it is unfair business practise to demand exclusivity if you are sponsoring a tournament - but I agree with the sentiment. Yonex is synonymous with badminton and with the All England and they are receiving all this for a pittance. They must make a fortune from racket and shuttle sales in the UK yet little has changed in the promotion of badminton over the 20 years I've been playing - apart from a few blips due to the success of the likes of Robertson and Emms. Surely badminton is an ideal product for banks and other big companies to get involved with. It has a wholesome image, men and women play together and it's played by multitudes of recreational players. I'm sure the BAoE must have tested the water but I find it hard to believe that the Yonex deal is the best they can get. Players and clubs should stop buying Yonex products and force them to up their game.

[TheChosenOneReturns!]

I feel the need to edit my last post (before someone else does) ... but point still there. If shi&&y little companies can not compete, whose problem is that Derek ?

[zeddie]

also see

http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=825111#post825111

[rhombus]

I've just posted this on Badminton Central, but I wanted to make sure as many people see this as possible.

I'd like to voice a concern about the way Yonex do business.

I recently visited the All England tournament in Birmingham - this is a a Badminton England tournament but anyone would think that he event was owned by Yonex themselves! They are just the title sponsor! After speaking to several of the other brands present I learnt a few truths I thought I should put out there:

1. Due to pressure from Yonex on Badminton England. None of the other brands are permitted to sell there products at the event.
2. The retailer at the event is pressured to sell at the full RRP.
3. Although the actual figure is unknown, it is recognised that Yonex vastly underfund the sponsorship of the event, simply because the other manufacturers do not have the resources to compete.

Essentially due to this unfair practice, Yonex virtually make a profit out the event. Frankly to me this stinks and I thought it should be voiced.


I have started an e-petition to send to Badminton England about this:

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/17782.html

Please sign if you agree that this practice should be stopped.

Dear Derek,

Have not been to the AE since it moved from Wembley.......the good old days when we had plenty of British players past the first couple of rounds.
Back to the point....Sponsorship, what do they get for their money?
Don't have Sky, so I watched edited highlights last Tuesday Night (Midnight)...... no wonder sponsors are very thin on the ground.
I would be interested to know what the TOTAL spectator numbers were, and of that amount how many were new to Badminton, and did not know of Yonex.
In the far east Badminton is massive.....however in this country it seems to be in terminal decline. The lack of sponsorship is seen at ALL levels of the sport.

[myself]

1. Due to pressure from Yonex on Badminton England. None of the other brands are permitted to sell there products at the event.


Yonex paid for it! it's a lot of money for getting the right. why don't yourself sponser the event and let everyone sell their products there



2. The retailer at the event is pressured to sell at the full RRP.


i myself think that it would be a big problem only if the retailer at the event were pressured to sell at BELOW RRP.... the customer always has the option to buy or not...no one uses guns pointing to them..customers are welcome to buy from ebay....also, if the products are at full RRP and the ppls still buy them, what do that mean?


3. Although the actual figure is unknown, it is recognised that Yonex vastly underfund the sponsorship of the event, simply because the other manufacturers do not have the resources to compete.


the actual figure is really unknown but the truth is Yonex has substantially overfunded the sponsorship of the event...Yonex simply is willing to pay more than other brands in order to get the right


Essentially due to this unfair practice

the UK is basically a free economy and the Queen respect human rights....UK is neither a communist nor a totalitarian country, all sponsorship are open for bidding, it's a matter of supply and demand for the sponsership...if you say that Yonex is unfair, all the other brands owners are participating and contributing in arriving at the sponsership price and such "unfair practice"

I
Yonex virtually make a profit out the event.

Yonex make a lost out of the event. Frankly to myself it should be voiced.



Please sign if you agree that this practice should be stopped.

so if you were sucessful in stopping, BE would get more fund from clonex!? :confused:to tell the truth, if BE could get more sponsorship by stopping Yonex, BE would have stopped Yonex million years ago...if yonex were to be stopped and clonex were successful in getting the contract at 1 pound, we would prepare to see similar practice from clonex

I've just posted this on Badminton Central, but I wanted to make sure as many people see this as possible.

i wish you have received a lot of empathy from them...but badders.com will only support the truth

derek,
from the way you write i believe that you are the competitors of Yonex!

[Phil McBride]

Nup he got poked in the eye with a ****ty stick there too, the central folks are giving it good

[AXC]

I'm not sure that it is unfair business practise to demand exclusivity if you are sponsoring a tournament - but I agree with the sentiment. Yonex is synonymous with badminton and with the All England and they are receiving all this for a pittance. They must make a fortune from racket and shuttle sales in the UK yet little has changed in the promotion of badminton over the 20 years I've been playing - apart from a few blips due to the success of the likes of Robertson and Emms. Surely badminton is an ideal product for banks and other big companies to get involved with. It has a wholesome image, men and women play together and it's played by multitudes of recreational players. I'm sure the BAoE must have tested the water but I find it hard to believe that the Yonex deal is the best they can get. Players and clubs should stop buying Yonex products and force them to up their game.

Banks only sponsor big names (Tim Henman springs to mind) and/or sports their directors are involved in such as golf and sailing. You will never get a bank sponsoring an unknown or hopeful badminton player as they are only interested in what they will get out of it. They might sponsor a badminton player once they are successful, i.e. when they don't need it. A bit like their policy on lending money. If it was socially acceptable for banks not to sponsor anything then that is what they would do; it is all about the bottom line. I am sure many other large companies fall into this category, not just banks. The days of badminton players being able to negotiate good sponsorship deals are largely over so they are forced to rely on lottery funding whether they like it or not.

My tirade against big business leads me to thank Yonex for at least providing some funds for the All England. I am not confident that any one will fill the gap. Until there is a better offer Yonex has the whip hand and can do as they like.

[Phil McBride]

How does Bank of Scotland giving money to Badminton Scotland fit in then?

I thought the figure was something like £150,000 over 3-5 years ???

[TheChosenOneReturns!]

Does that even cover the wages and the complimentary champagne though ?

They put on a good show up in scottie the Chosen One recalls !!

[Phil McBride]

Have you been a benificialry of such hospitality?

Was there a lot of press attending?

[myself]

Does that even cover the wages and the complimentary champagne though ?

They put on a good show up in scottie the Chosen One recalls !!

scottie is near to downtown bangkock?

[Phil McBride]

As soon as someone heard the shabang the flash bulbs started going off in all directions, truly horrific

[TheChosenOneReturns!]

Where there is free champagne the Chosen One is never too far away !!

[AXC]

How does Bank of Scotland giving money to Badminton Scotland fit in then?

I thought the figure was something like £150,000 over 3-5 years ???

The exception that proves the rule is where banks with a country in their name get shamed into sponsoring a sport in that country. I think Royal Bank of Canada has some connection with badminton in Canada or Canadian badminton players. You would never catch any of the large English banks sponsoring a minor sport or an unknown player unless they were connected to one of their directors.

I would love to hear of examples where I am wrong to prove that banks do their fair share of minor sports sponsorhsip rather than looking upon their sponsorship as something they only do because they are shamed into it or because they see it as a huge publicity opportunity.

[TheChosenOneReturns!]

Agreed !!

Much like Northern Rock and Newcastle United ... and look how that ended up, the blind leading the blind as they say.

[Phil McBride]

The exception that proves the rule is where banks with a country in their name get shamed into sponsoring a sport in that country. I think Royal Bank of Canada has some connection with badminton in Canada or Canadian badminton players. You would never catch any of the large English banks sponsoring a minor sport or an unknown player unless they were connected to one of their directors.

I would love to hear of examples where I am wrong to prove that banks do their fair share of minor sports sponsorhsip rather than looking upon their sponsorship as something they only do because they are shamed into it or because they see it as a huge publicity opportunity.

Agreed !!

Ok so what do the Halifax have to do with Scotland? Remember HBOS => Halifax Bank of Scotland after the merger?

The Bank of Scotland is not an independant body anymore and hasn't been for a good few years.

[TheChosenOneReturns!]

As another development of the rule Scottie banks aren't really real banks, they have even been known to dispense monopoly money in the high street because they are so tight. Probably not a bad merger target in the case of Halifax, profitability gains of merging with a Scottie bank could be massive, but I digress. In regards to Badminton Scoltand getting £150,000 over 3-5 years ? Well that was all in Monopoly money as well, boy were the sweaties suckered in good with that one !!

[AXC]

I think the "S" in HBOS sums it up