Top Rank hires new exec to organize Pacquiao's marketing potential

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Handling a celebrity athlete like Sarangani congressman and boxing champ Manny Pacquiao is not an easy task, especially as around 50 people form "Team Pacquiao" represent the world’s top pound-for-pound king. To help consolidate Team Pacquiao's marketing efforts, Top Rank appointed Lucia McKelvey as its new executive vice president for business development and marketing, according to an article published by the New York Times. Top Rank, led by its CEO Bob Arum, is the company that promotes all of Pacquiao's fights. Arum's stepson and Top Rank president, Todd DuBoef, said they needed someone who has contacts with corporations and “spoke the language of potential sponsors." "I'm guilty, Bob's guilty, all of us in boxing are guilty to listening to the rhetoric that corporate America won’t associate itself in boxing," DuBoef said. "They will, if it's done right." McKelvey, the former IMG Golf vice president for development and sales, knows how to deal with the pressure brought by Pacquiao's royalty status in the sport of boxing since she once handled Tiger Woods. The 33-year-old McKelvey was given the nickname Cameron Diaz by Team Pacquiao members as she resembles the blonde Hollywood actress. Although she has no previous experience in boxing, she hopes to maximize the Filipino boxing icon’s earning power. "When you look at Manny's world, there was no continuity," McKelvey said in an interview by New York Times reporter Greg Bishop. "You name it, they were coming to him and saying, 'Sign this contract, sign this contract.' That made no sense," the report quoted her as saying. McKelvey sees Pacquiao's portfolio in North America to grow after the eight-division world champion beat former world No. 1 golfer Woods as the most searched athlete on Yahoo in 2010. In the Philippines, Pacquiao has a wide range of endorsement deals as companies try to get a share of the influencing power of the Filipino boxing icon. Some of the products that Pacquiao endorses are a popular beer brand, beverage and ice cream products, a motorcycle, television and a fast food chain. Internationally, Pacquiao joins Woods, former world No. 1 netter Roger Federer, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and basketball legend Michael Jordan in the list of endorsers by sports apparel maker Nike. All endorsement contracts and letters that are sent to specific companies also go directly to McKelvey and Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser Mike Koncz. Pacquiao, who also recently launched his own perfume brand, will also sign with Hewlett Packard. McKelvey, in the New York Times article, said she estimates Pacquiao's potential earning power at more than $50 million. While ESPN magazine said Pacquiao earned $32 million in all of his boxing matches last year. Pacquiao, who represents the lone district of the province of Sarangani, also declared P1 billion in his 2010 statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), making him the wealthiest member of the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress. - JVP, VVP, GMA News