Oakley Cuts Sports Posts to Fund Advertising Push

Oakley Inc. said Monday it has dismissed 8 of its 28 sports marketing managers, freeing up more money for an expanded advertising campaign.

“We want to balance our marketing expenditures across sports marketing and advertising,” spokeswoman Renee Law said.

Sports marketing managers help recruit athletes and provide them with Oakley sunglasses and other products to wear at events.

The shift reflects new Chief Executive William D. Schmidt’s increased emphasis on using the media to boost consumers’ awareness of the Oakley brand. The Foothill Ranch company is hiring an outside advertising agency for the first time.

Marketing manager positions were eliminated earlier this month in surfing, windsurfing, tennis and golf. In some cases, those sports had two managers and will now have one, Law said. In other cases, the manager of one sport will pick up another.

“We’re not reducing our commitment to those sports,” Law said. “The roots of Oakley are still in sports, but we’re just looking at ways we can be more efficient in our overall marketing programs.”

Law declined to say how much money the company would save as a result of the job cuts. Oakley currently has no plans to eliminate other jobs, she said.

Oakley has about 900 full-time employees and about 300 part-time workers, Law said.