On the first day of the new year, Bridgestone Americas Inc. lost out on a great sports marketing opportunity. And it wasn't the company's fault.
That's because the annual Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, scheduled to be played on Jan. 1, 2013, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., was cancelled.
Why? Because the team owners and players cannot agree on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement for the 2012-2013 season.
The Winter Classic is more than a regular season hockey game. For one, it is held outdoors. Even Bridgestone describes it as "a huge annual event in the sports world."
Modern Tire Dealer Editor Bob Ulrich analyzes how this affects Bridgestone and its dealers in his latest blog, "To Bridgestone, no rink stinks -- but to what extent?"
Read the blog, then let us know what you think by leaving a comment!
