Kicks Inc.: Confidential Information for Billy Cash (Quiksign Agent)

Kicks Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of athletic apparel and shoes, had plans to launch a new tennis shoe line within the year and was seeking an up-and-coming young athlete to be its spokesperson. Sebastian Martinez had emerged as an ideal candidate, and contract discussions were underway. Six issues need to be resolved to the satisfaction of the six parties involved—the athlete, the athlete's mother, the athlete's father, the athlete's agent, the Kicks brand manager, and an International Tennis Federation representative. This case provides specific role information for the athlete's agent. The case needs to be accompanied by the background information case, UVA-QA-0739. Excerpt UVA-QA-0741 Rev. Jun. 3, 2011 Confidential Information for Billy Cash (QuikSign Agent) Billy Cash had worked with many athletes throughout his career at QuikSign but had yet to have a superstar athlete in his portfolio. Some agents worked specifically for one player, typically a high-profile and highly successful athlete. On average, though, each agent handled between five and fifteen athletes at any given time, usually with a variety of lower-ranked players and few, if any, more successful players. Having multiple athletes allowed the agent to be cost-effective and time-efficient, and gave the agent leverage when negotiating deals for his or her athletes. When an agent attended a tournament, the cost of his airfare, hotel accommodations, and other expenses could be dispersed among all the players in the tournament. The agent's time during those tournaments could then be spent on networking for those players. And ultimately, when it came time to make a deal, the agent could influence a tournament director's decision on who would be accepted into the draw by offering a big-name athlete along with lower-ranked athletes. The agent could influence a sponsorship by suggesting that many of his or her athletes could represent the brand. An agent with many athletes could help lower-level players become well connected and help with their success considerably more if the agent were able to claim a big-name athlete. Cash was due to have such an athlete. In the past, Cash had managed only two other athletes who had cracked the top 20, but they had both recently retired because their primes had come and gone. Cash had wanted to add an athlete to his portfolio who was not only higher-profile, but also one who had the potential of becoming a top-10 player. Cash believed Sebastian Martinez could be this breakthrough athlete. Cash thought Martinez seemed independent and mature enough to make decisions for himself; however, he knew that Martinez's parents had been very involved in his career, so it was important to remain on good terms with theentire family. Although Martinez seemed mature, he was still very young; Cash wanted to be careful not to go overboard in terms of endorsement contracts and sponsorship opportunities, knowing that many young tennis players became distracted by the money, glamour, and fame. Such distractions could hinder Martinez's success if not managed well. Remaining focused was crucial for Martinez's success, and Cash certainly wanted Martinez to reach his potential. . . .