PORSCHE PICKS MARIA SHARAPOVA AS BRAND AMBASSADOR

                        

German car maker Porsche on Monday made what some might consider a surprising announcement: Its first global endorser would be a woman. The brand, which is dominated by male buyers, chose tennis player Maria Sharapova to be the face of its company for the next three years.

"This says a lot about her longevity and her brand power," said her agent, Max Eisenbud. "To have a company like Porsche that is so high-end and so meticulous to allow her to stand next to their car says a lot."



Sharapova was back in Stuttgart, where the car maker is based, to defend her title in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. After winning there last year and winning a white Porsche 911, she went on to win the French Open. More than 88 percent of 911 buyers are men, according to research by automotive data website Edmunds.com.

                 
Being the sponsor of Germany’s Women’s National Team, Porsche CEO Mathias Muller said “We are fully committed to these activities for a long term. And with Maria Sharapova, we are now extending our involvement in women’s tennis globally. Maria Sharapova is an exceptional athlete. She combines top performance in her sports with elegance and power. These are precisely the qualities that are embroiled in our sports cars”.

Sharapova, the No. 2 women's tennis player in the world, makes about $20 million a year in endorsements, more money than any other female athlete. Part of her allure is that she appeals to both men and women. Sharapova has deals with Nike, Cole Haan, Evian, Tag Heuer and Samsung.

She is also turning into a candy mogul with her Sugarpova brand that sells gummy candy and gumballs. Since August, the company has sold more than 1.5 million bags of its candy around the world, including 30,000 bags online in the first six months without any advertising, Eisenbud said. The candy is already sold in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan and will soon be in Canada, China, Korea, Peru, Colombia and Uruguay.

                
This is Sharapova's second car deal. She signed a deal with Land Rover in 2006 but was lost in the shuffle when Ford sold the brand less than two years later.

            
With a brand of Porsche’s repute, it was but obvious for the Russian tennis star to be excited. Posing besides a 911 Cabriolet at the Porsche Museum, the world no.2 said “This is a really special day for me. I have had the privilege to be associated with some of the best brands in the world, but now to be partners with Porsche, is such an amazing honor”.

Though the financials of the deal were kept under wraps, but considering that her eight year contract with Nike is to the tune of US$ 70 million- it won’t be surprising if Porsche created a new endorsement landmark for the tennis star.