We all know that marketing is one of the most essential areas of business. No matter how good your product is, if no one knows about it because your marketing is poor, you cannot make money.

我们都知道，市场营销是商业中一个最重要的核心领域。无论你的产品质量多么好，如果由于你的市场营销做得不好而不被人所知的话，你仍然没法赚钱。

Increasingly, sports marketing is becoming a popular way to advertise a company's goods and services. For an annual fee, you can have your company name on the shirts that sporting team or individual wears.

在体育活动方面的市场营销正逐渐成为公司商品和服务进行广告宣传和普及的一种途径。缴纳年费，你就可以将公司的名字印在运动队或队员穿的队服上。

As sports are incredibly popular on TV, having your company name on a shirt or cap means that millions or even billions will associate your company with the sport.

由于体育活动通过电视转播变得非常普及，把公司的名称印在队服的衬衫或帽子上意味着公司能通过体育赛事赚到百万甚至上亿的钞票。

Sports marketing is not cheap though, so some companies try other types of visible marketing such as putting their company name on tall buildings, or by supporting arts and musical events.

但是，体育活动市场营销的成本并不便宜。因此，有些公司尝试别的方法进行可视广告宣传。例如把公司的名称悬挂在高层建筑上，或赞助一些文化和音乐活动等。

The two most lucrative sports marketing events are the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup. If you can wait four years and have a large enough budget, by sponsoring these types of events, you can virtually ensure that the entire world will know your company.

两种最有利的进行市场营销的体育活动就是奥运会和世界杯足球赛。如果你能等上4年，还能有个足够大的预算的话，通过赞助这样的体育赛事，你可以确保让整个世界都能知道你的公司。

Dialogue（对话）

Beth: Did you watch the game last night?

Sally: What game? You know that I don't watch much TV.

Beth: The team that our company sponsors was playing.

Sally: Oh! I got an email about that but forgot all about it. Did we win?

Beth: No, the other team beat us by a long way.

Sally: Will they have an affect on our sales and marketing campaign?

Beth: No way! The team might not be winners but the company is.

Sally: I just hope they win next time.

Beth: Don't worry - you will probably forget to watch them anyway.

贝丝：你看昨晚的比赛了么？

萨丽：什么比赛？你知道我是不怎么看电视的。

贝丝：是咱们公司赞助的队在比赛。

萨丽：噢！我收到一封email是讲这个的，但我给忘了。咱们赢了么？

贝丝：没有。另外的那个队赢了我们一大截呢！

萨丽：那对我们的销售和广告计划会有影响么？

贝丝：绝对不会。运动队可能不是赢家，但公司绝对是。

萨丽：我希望他们下次能赢。

贝丝：别担心。反正你可能仍会忘记观看的。