Sw1 Complete

A MARKETING DIRECTOR’S GUIDE TO THE POWER OF SPONSORSHIP ISSUE #1

Open House: MMC and the Open Championship

Gulf Air’s Bahrain Grand Prix

THE MAIN EVENT Building relationships, changing perceptions and delivering return on investment

Land Rover’s greatest Challenge

Sony Ericsson and the Empire awards

Your sponsorship research in safe hands Broadcast • Sport • Arts Whatever the area of your sponsorship activity, the key to success is reliable, independent research. And in Ipsos you will find the only genuine specialists in the field. In almost two decades of experience we have covered every sector – sports, arts and broadcast and worked for almost every major sponsor. Combining our unique understanding of sponsorship with our expertise in communications research, we will make sure you get the maximum benefit from your sponsorship spend. And because we understand that sponsorship is about more than just exposure and awareness, we have developed innovative solutions to assess exactly what impact your sponsorship activity is having on your consumers. So if you want to make sure your sponsorship never drops the ball, make sure you talk to Ipsos first. Contact David Vincent on 020 8861 8055 or email [email protected] www.ipsos-uk.com

IT WORKS! BY NIGEL CURRIE, CHAIRMAN OF THE EUROPEAN SPONSORSHIP ASSOCIATION (ESA)

CONTENTS 004 THE MAIN EVENT

THE DEVELOPMENT OF EVENT SPONSORSHIP

008 FRONT OF THE GRID

GULF AIR AND THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

010 HOWZAT!

NATWEST’S CRICKET SPONSORSHIP

012 SALES BOOSTER

CARLSBERG REFRESHED BY EURO 2004

014 FIRM FAVOURITE

MARTELL’S WINNING GRAND NATIONAL

016 GETTING ACTIVE

NORWICH UNION GETS BRITONS MOVING

018 WILD ROVERS

LAND ROVER ACCEPTS A CHALLENGE

020 ASSESSING VALUE

FINDING AND DEVELOPING THE RIGHT SPONSORSHIP

024 CHAMPION PERFORMER FORD AND THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

026 EMPIRE BUILDING SONY ERICSSON’S MOVIE AWARDS

028 SENIOR PARTNERS MMC AND THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

030 ASSESSMENT

BY THE EUROPEAN SPONSORSHIP ASSOCIATION

Editorial Director: Kevin Roberts Editor: David Smith Production Manager: Lucy Scott [email protected]

Published by: SportBusiness Group 6th Floor Elizabeth House 39 York Road London SE1 7NQ

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Sponsorship Works is it a statement of fact or a sudden statement of acceptance and realisation by marketers previously indoctrinated by the belief that advertising was the only marketing option worthy of serious consideration? The fact is that sponsorship does work and an increasing number of forward-thinking companies are using sponsorship to achieve specific marketing needs. The amount spent each year on sponsorship programmes continues to increase and, most importantly, the way brands are now using sponsorship displays a much clearer understanding of its true marketing potential. It is only in the last few years that marketers have started to look in detail at what sponsorship can actually deliver beyond awareness and exposure. Sponsorship has a unique ability to deliver a range of opportunities that no other marketing discipline can. Traditional marketing activity still dominates marketing thinking and leads to a safety-first approach. However, as with all marketing disciplines things change. New market conditions, legislation, proliferation of the media and increased expectations from marketers and their brands. As tobacco money has been forced out of the market so other product sectors have increased their commitment to sponsorship. The drinks industry, financial services and mobile communications are now the major players in sponsorship and they have all been to the fore in developing a host of new ways to maximise their returns from their involvement in sponsorship programmes. The most significant development in recent years has been the realisation and acceptance by marketers that by committing extra funds and resource to

their sponsorship programmes they can not only increase awareness but actually sell more of their products and services. In terms of growth, sponsorship has consistently outperformed all other marketing disciplines. Across Europe the figure for sponsorship spend is just over £5billion per annum. These figures don’t show the increased levels of support and promotional, advertising and PR budgets, which are now being committed to enable even more benefit to be extracted from sponsorship programmes. The steady menu of opportunities that sport in particular is able to offer will continue to fuel the sponsorship industry. While the major global events tend to operate on four-year cycles, major continental and national events amply fill any “gaps”. This enables the widest possible range of opportunities for companies to become heavily involved in sponsorship programmes at all levels and will ensure that the discipline continues to develop and offer a wider range of marketing options. The greater commitment to sponsorship shown by the marketing world and the increased reliance on its ability to deliver for brands, has in turn led to an increasing number of outstanding case studies of just how leading sponsorship programmes should be developed and used to maximise the returns for the sponsor. Sponsorship Works shows some of the most outstanding examples of sponsorship in action. These programmes in turn are run by sponsorship professionals using a range of specific skills as well as the full range of other marketing disciplines. The sponsorship industry can be proud of the impact it has made and we look forward to many more outstanding examples of the discipline delivering outstanding results for satisfied sponsors. Nigel Currie is director of sports marketing and entertainment agency GEM, part of the CSS-Stellar Group.

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ISSN 1363 4553

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EVENT SPONSORSHIP: DEVELOPMENT

ANDY FRY TRACES THE DEVELOPMENT OF EVENT SPONSORSHIP AND EXAMINES THE TECHNICAL, COMMERCIAL AND MEDIA CHALLENGES FACING TODAY’S MORE DEMANDING AND SOPHISTICATED SPONSORS. Earlier this year, music lovers around the world spent many fruitless hours disagreeing over whether the release of Elvis Presley’s first single, 50 years ago, could be seen to signify the birth of rock n’ roll. While the King brought R&R to the masses, there were plenty of music buffs who swore blind that there were R&R riffs lurking in pre-war Jazz. You’d encounter similar problems if you tried to specify the origin and inventor of sport event sponsorship. Gillette was among the early pace-setters, in both the USA and UK - sponsoring one-day cricket in England as early as 1963. And beer brand Mackeson rates a mention for picking up the Cheltenham Gold Cup sponsorship in 1968, says European Sponsorship Association (ESA) chair Nigel Currie. Others at the forefront of the sector’s development included tobacco brand John Player - which entered cricket in 1969 - and Gold Leaf, which became sponsor of the F1 Lotus Team at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix. A few years later, mass-market newspaper ‘The News of the World’ stepped in as title sponsor of famous steeplechase, The Grand National. While all these are landmarks in their own right, the reality is that event sponsorship emerged as a professional marketing discipline on a number of fronts over a period of around 20 years starting not long after WW2. At the Rome

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SPONSORSHIP AND THE MAIN EVENT 1960 Olympics, for example, there were 46 sponsor/suppliers providing everything from technical support to toothpaste. By Tokyo 1964, there were 250 partners including cigarette brand Olympia which generated $1million for the Organising Committee. Jump forward to Montreal 1976 and a total of 628 sponsors and suppliers generated $7million for the Organising Committee - not much by today’s standards but a sign of things to come. Of course, most federations were not known for their commercial instincts (and even today are often dismissively referred to as the badge and blazer brigade). So it was left to entrepreneurs like Patrick Nally, Peter West, adidas heir Horst Dassler (who later set up ISL), Bernie Ecclestone and IMG founder Mark

McCormack to drag sport kicking and screaming into the modern commercial era. It was Nally and Dassler, for example, who helped Dr Joao Havelange take control of FIFA from Sir Stanley Rous in the early 1970s and start globalising the structure of soccer. Along the way, they persuaded the likes of Coca-Cola, Gillette and Seiko to come on board as sponsors of Argentina 1978. The late Peter West, meanwhile, played a key role in setting up commercial packages around English cricket’s Benson & Hedges Trophy and Snooker’s World Championship. It would be wrong to suppose, however, that any of these individuals came in with a preconceived notion of themselves as event sponsorship specialists. Nally, for example, recalls teaming up with West to

create West Nally: ‘a PR agency specialising in sport’. Once the early entrepreneurs started rewriting the rule books, the opportunities afforded by owning a high-profile event franchise were not lost on other sports. Rights-holders like the IOC and FIFA which already had a big event were not static. Instead, they started to explore ways of sweating their assets as hard as possible. This not only gave rise to better broadcast rights management but the segmentation of sponsorship into categories. The IOC, for example, introduced three categories of sponsor at the 1984 LA Games - with 34 companies signing on as official sponsors, 64 purchasing supplier rights and 65 becoming licensees. Four years later at Calgary 1988, the IOC launched its

By Sydney 2000, the IOC had again taken the lead - buying up outdoor space around the city and clamping down heavily on attempts to flood venues with marketing materials. Perhaps it would have been possible to control the sponsorship space - had it not been for the rising power of team and individual talent. Today’s event sponsor often has to fight for share of voice with rival brands which have secured precious space on player apparel and equipment or in related above-the-line advertising executions. They have fought back well - utilising every inch of space that is available to them (eg npower branding on cricket stumps). But this kind of lateral thinking is overshadowed by an ongoing battle for control of communications which, for shorthand, is called the conflict over image rights. In recent years, every major event has been preceded by a row involving international governing bodies about what branding is or isn’t allowed in a venue. While the emergence of talent as the fourth major force has created some jurisdictional difficulties, it’s also important to point out that it has given rise to new event dynamics. A good example is the rise of made-forTV events which depend specifically on the involvement of key talent. In the US, for example, Tiger Woods (another IMG star), has been involved in head-to-head golf duels with the likes of Dave Duval on ABC network. Perhaps the ultimate expression of this gladiatorial format has been the migration of boxing to Pay-PerView.

worldwide TOP programme - a model based around partnering a limited number of top-tier sponsors in distinct business categories across the full Olympic four-year cycle. Despite a few modifications (notably the alternation of Summer and Winter Games every two years), the basic blueprint is the same today (though the money on the table is of a magnitude which would have been unthinkable then). Creative and dynamic though this early era of event sponsorship was, it was a period in which there seems to have been a sense of equilibrium between the various parties involved. Rights-holders generated extra revenue from their prize assets, sponsors secured exposure for their brands and broadcasters were still very open to the prospect of creating an appointment-to-view at the heart of their schedule. “It was a triangular relationship based on a common commercial interest,” argues Karen Earl Sponsorship chief executive Karen Earl - who started her career with West Nally. “It was possible to create new events that slotted neatly into the annual sporting calendar.” SHIFTING GROUND

But all that began to change in the 1980s and 1990s when the tectonic plates beneath sports marketing began to shift. Perhaps the most significant development was the emergence of television as the dominant partner in the equation. First came the growth of international free-toair coverage - which promised fantastic new levels of exposure for sports and, by corollary, sponsors. Then came PayTV which added a lucrative new revenue stream to the mix. As broadcast rights fees began to surpass traditional revenue streams like ticketing and sponsorship in value, event sponsorship entered a dynamic new phase. There’s no question that the changing dynamics of the broadcast market had a number of major implications for event sponsors. Firstly, as their influence increased, broadcasters wanted to ensure the best possible returns from their coverage. The result was increasing pressure on rights-holders to deliver events which fit the demands of competitive TV schedules. Event sponsors had to adapt to this shift in editorial style and visual grammar accordingly. Secondly, the growth of PayTV raised the prospect of big mainstream audiences being lost to sponsors as sports migrated to thematic channels. Although some major events like Six Nations and Wimbledon did not show any desire to join the PayTV gold rush, others took PayTV’s money but saw ratings dive. Thirdly, the late 1980s and early 1990s (depending on which territory you were in) saw the advent of broadcast sponsorship; a new form of on-screen exposure which threatened to drown out the event sponsor’s voice. Such developments sparked another wave of

Our kinda town...Coca-Cola makes its presence felt at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games Getty Images Sport

SHAPING EVENTS

innovation and development across the sponsorship. This was evident in a industry. Rights-holders, for example, number of ways. Gillette, for example, tightened their rules so that contracted was a pioneer in the arena of ad-funded broadcasters had to offer first refusal of programming through its support for broadcast sponsorship weekly magazine show to event sponsors. In “LOSS OF MEDIA Gillette World of Sport. some cases, they went Like car manufacturer EXPOSURE even further - by Ford, it also became a BROUGHT ABOUT bundling-up broadcast BY THE ARRIVAL mainstay sponsor on OF PAYTV rights as part of the PayTV networks such as ENCOURAGED event sponsor’s SkySports and Eurosport. SPONSORS TO entitlement. In the At the other end of the TAKE THE NOTION case of UEFA events, sponsorship exploitation OF THROUGH-THE- spectrum, corporate for example, agency LINE SPONSORSHIP TEAM Marketing MORE SERIOUSLY” hospitality moved from packages the being a soft, unmeasured broadcast sponsorship marketing option to a sure-footed industry based on solid centrally for all contracted broadcast business-to-business objectives. partners. At the same time, the loss of media CHANGING DYNAMICS exposure brought about by the arrival of At the same time sponsors found PayTV encouraged sponsors to take the themselves having to deal with the rapid notion of through-the-line sponsorship rise of so-called ambush marketers. The more seriously. Instead of viewing purchase of outdoor advertising space sponsorship as a glorified media buy, the around venues and free hats and shirts loss of TV exposure forced clients to put for fans bearing a corporate logo were the more effort into building activities around hallmarks of ambush in the mid-late their core investment. 1990s with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics In this respect, the arrival of PayTV regarded by many as a high-water mark. could be seen as a step forward for

It’s not just broadcasters and agents that have been playing around with the format and profile of events. Leagues (e.g. Major League Baseball) and teams (e.g. Real Madrid and Manchester United) have been actively involved in creating events as a way of broaching new geographic markets. Over the years, of course, corporate sponsors have also explored the potential of creating and owning their own events. Owning events, the thesis supposed, was a way of preventing a rights-holder revamping its event without asking or ditching a sponsor after three years thereby ripping the heart out of its communications strategy. At the same time, it might even generate additional revenues. Notable examples which have stood the test of time include the Stella Artois Tennis Championships and Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race (now Volvo Ocean Race). But these are exceptions rather than part of a strong emerging theme, argues Earl. “The key lesson over the years is that sponsors owning events has its limitations,” she says. “Firstly, there’s a problem of ubiquity - people losing the ability to distinguish between the brand

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EVENT SPONSORSHIP: DEVELOPMENT

articles. During the Games themselves, Coke backed the creation of an impressive On The Ice installation - a 20,000 squarefoot structure which featured high-tech simulations of key Winter Games events. Members of the public were able to use a 110-foot luge course with a 90-degree turn, a 50-foot long sheet of ice for curling, a bobsleigh on a 45-foot track and a 40-feet-by-12-feet ice hockey rink. The whole affair was backed up by live news from the main event, competitions, star appearances and entertainment. Coke also used Salt Lake to showcase biodegradable cups and its commitment to recycling plastic. The other big challenge for events is how to adapt to the arrival of digital media. As many industry sectors have learned, digital is both an opportunity and a threat to the status quo. DIGITAL DILEMMA UEFA Champions League...fewer sponsors deliver greater value. Getty Images Sport

and the event. Secondly, it makes it harder for brands to change direction when business demands it. Finally, running events is a non-core business which many marketers are not suited to.” Besides, many sponsors have created the illusion of event ownership around third party events. The Flora London Marathon, Vodafone Derby, Cornhill Tests (now npower) and Embassy World Snooker are just a few examples of sports events where the sponsor is/was synonymous with the activity. Of course, long-term association with a third-party event can raise the same differentiation issues as in the case of wholly-owned events, says Earl. It also presents problems for rightsholders. What after all is golf’s Dunhill Cup without the word Dunhill - and how do you replace the Benson & Hedges Snooker Masters when you withdraw the B&H name? “Rights-holders and sponsors have started to realise there is a need for balance,” says Earl. Adapting to developments in broadcast/ technology, event management, image rights and ambush marketing bred a new generation of sponsor which is able to roll with the punches. And the challenges didn’t end there. The last five years, for example, has seen Europe’s regulators desire to kick tobacco out of sport reach its inevitable endgame. While tobacco’s long-term role in developing a sophisticated sports marketing sector is unquestionable, the incompatibility between smoking and sport had long been obvious and eventually became unsustainable. As yet, however, sports like snooker and darts have not found a satisfactory alternative to the likes of Embassy and B&H - key commercial supporters down the years. On balance, regulators have caused sponsors more problems than not. While Europe’s listed events legislation - a hot topic in the 1990s - went some way towards keeping

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quality for granted. Consumers want to big events on free TV (good for sponsors), buy products or do business with attacks on tobacco have been mirrored by companies that make them feel good, the French dislike of alcohol advertising challenge them, fit into their lifestyles (which affected Budweiser during France and provide them with a social identity. 1998) and the current move towards In other words, they want branded control of the snack food and soft drink experience.” This argument has relevance sector. While the prospect of Coke and for the way event sponsors exploit their McDonalds being kicked out of top-flight association. But IMG Consulting’s Daniel soccer is highly unlikely, the upshot is Zammit thinks many players in the field that more investment than ever before is have failed to learn the lesson. “Most channelled into the community support clients focus on areas like association and elements of such sponsorships. media without ever delivering a A recession in marketing naturally had memorable experience. You’ve got to an impact on sponsorship but rightscreate an immersive brand experience holders and agencies have put a clever that touches your audience directly. It’s spin on the issue by characterising this the biggest missing latest phase as an component in most example of the industry “THE EVENT sponsor deals.” Part of adopting a ‘less is more’ SPONSORSHIP the problem, says approach. Fewer partners SECTOR HASN’T Zammit, is that clients engaged in deeper JUST SURVIVED – IT’S GROWN TO don’t think about how relationships at the THE POINT THAT to express brand venue, on TV, in retail RIGHTS HOLDERS behaviour upfront. and promotions is the NOW TALK ABOUT “You need to hunt out preferred option. This SPONSORS AS sponsorships that give trend is evident PARTNERS” you the freedom to everywhere you look create experiences.” with the IOC drastically Some clients and rights-holders have reducing the number of partners it worked hard. worked with after Atlanta 1996. At Salt Lake City Winter Olympics 2002, FACING THE CHALLENGE for example, agency Momentum was Assuming all is working well in event given the job of linking Coke to the spirit sponsorship, what are the challenges and of the Games by celebrating everyday opportunities facing today’s commercial heroes. Working with sister agencies such partner? Well, perhaps the biggest single as McCann Erickson, MRM, FutureBrand issue in an era of media-savvy consumers and Weber Shandwick, Momentum put is ensuring that there is a genuine together an experiential strategy for the connection between event sponsor and Torch Relay and The Games. During the target audience. Recognising that it takes Torch Relay, people were invited to go more than official sponsor status to earn online and vote for ‘someone who the respect of fans, clients have been inspires you’. According to Momentum, talking up a concept called experiential this secured 125,455 nominations, marketing in recent years. So what is 70million TV impressions and grew sales experiential marketing? Berndt Schmitt, a volume. For the Relay itself, the PR leading commentator, says: “Consumers effort reached 436million consumers via increasingly take product function and 1,000 TV news stories and 2,000 print

On the upside, digital media enables sports rights-holders and sponsors to extend the shelf-life of partnerships by maintaining a presence on a range of digital media. Extra capacity on digital TV and online also means it’s possible for minority audiences to get drilled down coverage of favourite sports. Packaging of event content as special promotion DVDs or for use in museum exhibitions provides spin-off opportunities for both rights-holders and sponsors. On the debit side is the possibility that event sponsors will be marginalised. This could happen through the use of virtual media - which superimposes brands and logos on the field of play. At best this creates clutter, at worst it’s a tool which broadcasters could use to rub out event sponsors - or as a way of extracting incremental revenues from them. The move towards on-demand viewing through personalised video recorders (PVRs) like TiVo and Sky+ could also have an unexpected twist. Research evidence shows that people do not record and playback live events and that some other TV genre is likely to go downthe recorded on-demand route. This will make the ability of sports events to draw live audiences even more highly prized good news for rights-holders but a sign that the price of event and broadcast sponsorship prices may have to rise considerably again. As in all phases of event sponsorship history, however, the parties involved have an option to embrace or reject change. “The key observation from the last 40 years is that sponsors have always found a way to adapt to changes in the market,”says ESA’s Currie. “The event sponsorship sector hasn’t just survived – it’s grown to the point that rights-holders now talk about sponsors as partners delivering both cash and support services which helped the event run more smoothly. “It’s an inherently strong relationship - which is likely to weather any impending storm.”

Picture: Dan Ljungsuik

THE BUSINESS OF YACHT RACING SUMMIT

January 14th at the Schroders London Boat Show, ExCeL, London Docklands Yacht Racing is a global giant in terms of sponsorship. Millions of corporate pounds are poured into the sport each year and more and more sponsors are looking at the exciting potential and benefits of the sport.

Speakers include:

Yacht racing has a proven record of success in the increasingly important areas of internal communication, employee motivation and corporate branding providing opportunities unmatched by other sports. In corporate entertainment yachting offers a range of unique experiential hospitality options and is the only sport where guests can actually take part in the real event alongside the pros. New media technology is making the sport ever more accessible to its large but geographically diverse audience, while also enabling an ever closer relationship between fans and competitors.

• Tracy Edwards MBE, CEO, Quest International Sports Events

Don’t miss out. Find out what yacht racing could do for your company.

What you will learn from the summit:

• Sir Chay Blyth CBE BEM, Executive Chairman, Challenge Business • Richard Brisius, Director, Atlant Ocean Racing AB • Iono Jones, CEO, Narrowstep • Edward Leaske FCA ATII, Director, Fast Track • John Luff, former Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, BT plc • Liz Rushall MBA MCIM, co-author “The Business of Yacht Racing” • Mark Turner, co-founder, Offshore Challenges • Georges Vanderchmitt, Managing Director, Carat Sport • And more to be announced...

• The multifaceted sailing sponsorship proposition Price: £495 (20% discount for SportBusiness International subscribers

• The options available for brand owners • The potential provided by new media

For more details or to book your place please contact Gerard O’Brien Email: [email protected] Tel. +44 207 934 9194

• The growing role of tourism • The unique corporate hospitality options • The scope for internal communication and employee motivation

SPECIAL OFFER: Buy the “Business of Yacht Racing” report AND attend the Business of Yacht Racing Summit for just £795 (plus VAT), or just £695 (plus VAT) for SportBusiness International subscribers.

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY 2004 Gulf Air Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix Agency: Global Marketing Communications

Agency Profile: Although we work in a variety of sports including golf, football and sailing, it is in the highly demanding world of Formula 1 that we are best known. In its review of Formula 1 marketing agencies, BusinessF1 magazine said that London based Global Marketing Communications “is now generally recognised as the market leader…….No other agency comes close.” With offices in the UK, Germany, Australia, America and China, we work with many brands including the British Grand Prix, Sony, Lucky Strike and WilliamsF1. Our PR, hospitality management and merchandising services can also be provided as an integrated outsourced sponsorship management service that has proven to be very cost-effective for Gulf Air, Ford and others. Ian Forbes International Strategy Director 159-163 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PA Direct Phone: +44 (0)20 7307 5113 [email protected]

GULF DRIVES CHANGES How Gulf Air’s sponsorship of F1’s Bahrain Grand Prix delivered major benefit BACKGROUND

The first Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix was the single greatest sporting event in the entire region. Appointing Global Marketing Communications to manage the sponsorship exploitation just 12 weeks before the event, the national airline sought to ensure its management of the naming rights to the event was handled in the most professional and effective manner. The agency based a team within the Marketing department at Gulf Air HQ that provided a fully integrated service including; • Consultancy services on the title sponsorship contract • Sponsorship Management • Public Relations • Merchandising • Event Management • Hospitality & logistics • Formula1 staff training • Research OBJECTIVES

• Help put Bahrain, and Gulf Air, on the world map

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• Build business opportunities for Gulf Air • Through the hospitality experience showcase both the traditional Arabian hospitality and warmth for which the island is famous, and the Gulf Air brand and its core values • Create strong brand identification at the event including the development of signage and merchandise • Develop linked events including a Grid Fly-over • Manage media events in & out of territory STRATEGY

• Develop the overall Event Sponsorship strategy and exploitation plan with detailed actions and responsibilities • Develop PR Strategy and messages, including coordination of efforts by Gulf Air’s in-house communications department and its London, Paris, Frankfurt and Dubai based consumer agencies • Develop Event Hospitality strategy including communications to invitees and all logistics, ticketing and

transfers • Plan the staging of a VIP Gala Event • Oversee relations with Formula 1 and the Bahrain International Circuit • Develop a Merchandise range ACTION

• Implement event hospitality strategy for over 1,200 high level guests, including fully branding and dressing hospitality suites, production of guest communication materials, and providing all guests logistics support • Secure all accommodation requirements and manage all offtrack hospitality including the VIP Gala event • Source the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix merchandise range. Create and staff a free standing on-track merchandise complex that included a Gulf Air F1 show-car, and two Formula 1 simulators • Negotiate for on-circuit signage, manage Grid display with Gulf Air flight attendants and the Gulf Air race day ‘fly-over’. • Develop and manage media events in

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY 2004 Gulf Air Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix Agency: Global Marketing Communications

Opposite page - Eye-catching images for press use worldwide Above - Fully dresssed paddock club hospitality Above right - Gulf Air staff used in hospitality and as grid girls Right - Inside merchandise unit Below right - Selection of merchandise on sale at event

and out of territory including media receptions at the Grand Prix, and follow-up media post-event • Provide a media guide, an Image and VNR library, and exposure research RESULTS

Success can be measured in a number of ways – for Gulf Air a key measure was to enhance the esteem of the airline in the region, with both the corporate and political decision-makers. In that respect, anecdotal evidence was uniformly very positive for how well Gulf Air acquitted itself on a world stage. Success is also about the tangible Return on Investment the sponsorship generated. These measures were primarily media exposure, and sales of tickets and cargo over the Grand Prix period and subsequent months. On both these critical measures Gulf Air experienced a very strong ROI multiple. Media exposure from signage alone was valued at over US$40 million. If one factors voice mentions in, then the media worth is considerably more. This weight of media exposure around

the world helped educate many people that there was an alternative to travel to the region than the high profile competitor Emirates Airline. This has directly translated into sales from the region, and from people using the region as a stop-over between Europe and Australia / India. Other success measures included; • Integrated agency service achieved very high levels of coordination and effectiveness • Gulf Air management and guests feedback on the event experience was very positive • Gulf Air’s sponsorship played a strong role in the perception of the professionalism and success of the first Bahrain Grand Prix • Gulf Air branded photography showing event lead-up and the Grand Prix was used extensively around the world by major media groups • Media editorial coverage of the event was uniformly positive and strongly featured Gulf Air • Merchandise complex enjoyed high traffic during the event

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SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY NatWest and Cricket Agency: Octagon

Agency Profile: Opening day at Yankee Stadium. The 2002 FIFA World Cup Final. An Eric Clapton concert. Few things elicit more passion. Helping organisations tap into that passion to engage consumers and deliver results is Octagon’s business. Employing over a thousand people in 23 countries around the world, Octagon is the global sports, music and entertainment group of IPG (NYSE:IPG), one of the world’s leading organisations of advertising and marketing services agencies. Matt Hales, Planning Director Telephone: 020 7862 0000 Email: [email protected] Website: www.octagon.com

BANKING ON CRICKET How NatWest’s long-term involvement in cricket keeps the bank front of mind

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Background

Objectives

Strategy

From the early days of premier domestic one-day knock-out competition (The NatWest Trophy) to One Day International cricket today (The NatWest Series and The NatWest Challenge), cricket has been, and remains, an integral part of NatWest’s brand marketing strategy. A partner of cricket since 1981, NatWest has recently shifted the focus of its activity around the game to reflect the changing nature of its competitive environment. Coloured clothing, white balls, flood-lit matches and actionpacked entertainment still has to deliver for NatWest against clear business objectives!

In any purchase cycle keeping your brand ‘front of mind’ is critical. The cricket sponsorship allows NatWest to do this with some very important segments of their target audience. More recently NatWest has also used the cricket sponsorship to directly communicate the brand’s new identity and personality, an important part of which has become communicating NatWest’s corporate citizenship credentials. On another level, time and time again it has been proved that using the brand’s association with cricket as a marketing platform has allowed NatWest to directly increase the propensity of consumers to use NatWest products and services.

NatWest has worked with Octagon since 1996 to develop innovative and impactful strategies that maintain the brand’s relevance and freshness in the game. In an era of increased competitive investment and activity this has proved to be the major challenge facing Octagon and NatWest over the last few years. The most recent strategy evolution has been the positioning of NatWest as an innovator in the game. A key element of this is adding value to the fans’ experience and thereby encouraging the perception that NatWest is a vital stakeholder in cricket. Without a relevant and credible role in the game, a brand cannot hope to genuinely engage with the fans.

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY NatWest and Cricket Agency: Octagon

The Client’s View: Steve Day, Head of NatWest Brand Strategy “Our cricket sponsorship campaign, heading into its 25th year, is a highly effective marketing tool that continues to be fresh, creative and innovative, successfully driving NatWest to the forefront of consumer’s minds and differentiating us from our competitors. Two nominations and a winning Hollis award this year was testament to the hard work and success of what has been achieved to date.”

Left, England fast bowler Darren Gough in action at The NatWest Series Above, Vikram Solanki runs through NatWest's guard of honour at Old Trafford Above right: Kids patiently wait to enter the NatWest Speed Stars fast bowling Competition Below, Brighton seafront provides a stunning backdrop for the NatWest cricket Interactive roadshow

“Cricket is in great heart at the moment - NatWest play a major part in this - they should take great credit for the part they play” David Lloyd, Sky Sports cricket commentator

The corporate social responsibility strategy has focussed on both positioning the brand at the heart of the community and also identifying a cause directly relevant to the game. Action

A host of new initiatives, some of which are outlined below, were activated to compliment the traditional leverage activity. These ensured that whether you were at the match, listening on the radio or watching on TV, NatWest would be adding value to your enjoyment of the game and be seen as integral to the game. • NatWest became the first sponsor to animate the Third Umpire decision

and introduce Man of the Match interactive and text voting. • NatWest identified a powerful opportunity to team-up with Banana Boat and Marie Curie Cancer Care to highlight the dangers of prolonged exposure to the sun. • The NatWest Interactive Cricket Roadshow and Speed Stars competition visited 44 venues across the UK, allowing children of all ages and ability to play the game and win tickets to matches, equipment and coaching sessions with England players. This perfectly complemented NatWest’s sponsorship of Inter Cricket which provides much-needed support

to secondary schools cricket. • NatWest recognised the invaluable and important work undertaken by thousands of volunteers at clubs across the UK by supporting the ECB's Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards. In conjunction with the ECB, NatWest also created a framework and video to help recruit new volunteers. Results

NatWest employs a number of measures to evaluate the effectiveness of its activity. • 8% higher spontaneous '1st name bank mention' by those aware of the

sponsorship vs those unaware (Source: IPSOS) • Significant difference in brand attribute association between those aware and unaware of the cricket sponsorship (Source: IPSOS) • The majority of non NatWest customers aware of the cricket sponsorship said that they would be likely to use NatWest in the future (Source: IPSOS) • 85% of people agreed strongly that the NatWest Interactive Roadshow was ‘good because it got children playing sport’ (Source: IPSOS)

SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 11

BRAND OPPORTUNITIES BACKING THE EVENT OR THE TEAM?

David Stubley “Back the event not the individual” is an interesting mantra gathering momentum within sponsorship. Brands are attracted to the exposure and fame offered through association with sport, but, only if their new found fame is positive and sustainable. In our media-frenzied world this is becoming increasingly hard to guarantee. Today, our superstars are the news and round every corner lurks the danger of a mike, a camera or mobile phone. “Tell my Mum you love her” someone shouted to John McEnroe at the recent Superset Tennis event. He responded by taking the phone and doing just that! The risk of not saying the right thing, of not winning, of not being seen, or worse, being the centre of a scandal is a growing worry. Gone are the days when the media could be controlled through edited highlights or a carefully placed interview. In an increasingly conservative marketing world, sport is becoming more edgy. Events on the other hand are far less risky. For a start it matters less who wins. For the growing number of "global" brands there are limited options, with four Champions League sponsors (see Ford case study), 15 FIFA partners and 11 TOP Olympic Partners. As more brands seek global leverage we are therefore seeing interest in owning events (e.g. Volvo acquiring the Whitbread Round the World Race) or creating events from scratch (e.g. The Land Rover G4 Challenge). Dictating the course of events in this way provides brands with significant benefits. Determining where the event will take place to tie in with brand strength is one. Deciding which commercial partners can get involved, managing media output and insuring against being held to ransom over future rights negotiations are further benefits. But the risk of getting it wrong is considerable. So too the time it takes to establish a successful new format. The growing interest in events is not just consigned to sport. As regularly discussed within the pages of SportBusiness, an increasing share of the sponsorship dollar is flowing into entertainment marketing. Unlike most sports, movies and music engage both men and women passionately. They also appeal to the increasingly elusive 16-34 demographic. Heineken, Miller and Carling are examples from one sector working hard to differentiate themselves through creating music events. Many more brands are turning to Hollywood and the trend is also gathering momentum within the TV world through a growth in advertiser-funded programming. The creation of events, event sponsorship, event ownership, comarketing of movies and creation of original TV programmes is accelerating up the strategic agenda. No question that each represents the hard work option, but, unlike celebrities or teams, if executed well, they are seen by many to be far less susceptible to a swing in fortune or personal indiscretion.

David Stubley, CEO, Performance Sport Ent Worldwide

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THE ROLE OF EVENTS IN SPONSORSHIP HOW EVENT SPONSORSHIP COMPARES WITH OTHER CATEGORIES, USING DATA DRAWN FROM WORLDWIDE MEDIA REPORTING OF SPONSORSHIPS COLLATED BY SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS Total number of reported sponsorships by type Jan-Sep 2004

Team Sponsor 31%

Personality Sponsor 10%

Total value of sponsorships reported by type Jan-Sep 2004 Event Sponsor 22%

Team Sponsor 30%

Event Sponsor 41%

Personality Sponsor 10% Organisation Sponsor 38%

Organisation Sponsor 18%

Total value of reported sponsorships ($’s) Jan-Sep 2004

Share by type of sponsorship for 2003

1,710,028,631 1,363,442,945

Team Sponsor 29%

992,003,670

Event Sponsor 43%

458,266,500

Personality Sponsor 7% Organisation Sponsor 21%

Organisation Sponsor

Team Sponsor

Event Sponsor

Personality Sponsor

Source: www.theworldsponsorshipmonitor.com

EURO 2004 LIFTS CARLSBERG TO BRAND LEADER UEFA Euro 2004 was probably the most successful European nations football championship to date, with audiences in major European markets up by 20 per cent compared to Euro 2000. With the visibility of the tournament at a high, how did the some of the key sponsors fare in terms of return on investment? One of sponsorship’s and indeed marketing’s age-old questions is “did we sell any more”? This is generally a tricky question to answer given the difficulty of isolating the impact of any single piece of marketing activity. Whilst it may be difficult, TNS lead the thinking and analysis in isolating the sales impact of sponsorship. The combined use of media analysis and panel data has provided clients with unique insights into the sales impact of sponsorship. The TNS Superpanel is a continuous market research study which looks at the grocery purchases (including alcohol) made by the 15,000 panel members through Multiples and Co-ops. The results from TNS Superpanel are detailed here and enable us to evaluate how beer sales have been affected through sponsorship of the tournament. Beer sales peaked during June 2004 to a

RICHARD AMES OF TNSSPORT STUDIED THE SALES IMPACT OF CARLSBERG’S SPONSORSHIP OF EURO 2004 higher level than any other period outside of Christmas, but how did Carlsberg fare as the only beer sponsor? Having spent most of the year as the number three Standard Lager brand, behind Carling (number one) and Fosters, Carlsberg sales increased dramatically during the tournament promoting them to brand leader position. Carlsberg peaked at a 33 per cent share of sales in the week leading up to England v France (see Chart 1 overpage) and actually overtook Carling on a weekly basis over this period for the first time in at least three years. Watchers v Non-Watchers

To further analyse whether it was indeed the sponsorship that caused the swing in buying patterns, the panel looked at the behaviour of watchers of the tournament in comparison with non-watchers. Forty-four per cent of beer buyers during Euro 2004 were ‘Watchers’ of the tournament and these people are also more likely to be heavier beer buyers, with 20 per cent of them buying beer on

12 or more occasions in the past year. Chart 2 shows that Carlsberg enjoyed a greater share of spend by ‘Watchers’ than Carling during the relevant four-week period in June. During the week leading up to the England v France game, 62 per cent of Carlsberg buyers were ‘Watchers’, versus only 40 per cent of Carling buyers. Premium Lagers

If we look at the share of premium lagers during the tournament it is clear that Carlsberg Export was the only one of these beers to enjoy a significant increase in share during Euro 2004. See Chart 3. Furthermore, Chart 4 shows that this leap in share was more marked amongst ‘Watchers’, demonstrating clearly that the effect was not solely due to in-store promotions. Share of Beer Spend during Euro 2004

The impact of the Euros is further understood by looking at volume of sales compared with the same period in 2003. The average Carlsberg Export buyer

spent nearly £60 on beer during the nineweek period before and during Euro 2004, up 11 per cent on the same period in 2003. It made Carlsberg the biggest seller per buyer, according to spend. The average Carlsberg Standard Lager buyer bought seven litres of beer per shopping trip during the nine-week period. Again, this is up 17 per cent on the same period in 2003 and made Carlsberg the biggest seller per buyer by volume. Market Share

In summary, Carlsberg saw market share increase more markedly amongst Euro 2004 Watchers than Non-Watchers. This pattern was at its strongest for Carling Export where market share amongst ‘Watchers’ rose by 133.6 per cent during the competition in relation to its average market share for the year. The corresponding rise amongst ‘Non-

Watchers’ was less, at 99.3 per cent, demonstrating that this peak in sales was not simply attributable to in-store promotions. Competitor brands generally increase marketing activity during such highprofile events and this was certainly the case with Carling, who advertised heavily. Whilst there was some impact, the real consumer effect was experienced by Carlsberg. Carling’s market share among ‘Watchers’ of the competition fell by five per cent during the competition in relation to its average market share for the year. The corresponding fall amongst ‘Non-Watchers’ was almost the same at 5.7 per cent. There is little doubt that Carlsberg’s sponsorship of Euro 2004 added clout to the brand during the event. It is also likely that this increased pulling power will have a persistent legacy after the event.

Chart 1: Share of Standard Lager Spend – Carling Vs Carlsberg

Here’s lookin’ at you... UEFA’s president Lennart Johanson at the announcement of Carlsberg’s sponsorship Getty Images Sport

Chart 4: Share of Premium Lager Spend amongst ‘Watchers’

% %

50 Eng v Fra

45

18

40

16.4

16

35 14

30

12.3 12

25

10

15

8

10

6

5

4

0

2

27 10 Ju A l0 24 ug 3 A 0 07 ug 3 S 0 21 ep 3 S 0 05 ep 3 O 0 19 ct 3 0 02 Oc 3 N t 03 16 ov N 03 03 ov N 0 14 ov 3 D 0 28 ec 3 D 0 11 ec 3 J 0 25 an 3 0 08 Jan 4 F 0 22 eb 4 F 0 22 eb 4 0 21 Feb 4 M 0 04 ar 4 A 0 18 pr 4 02 Ap 04 M r 04 02 a M y 30 a 04 M y0 13 ay 4 J 0 27 un 4 J 0 11 un 4 Ju 04 l0 4

20

0 27 Jul Sep 14 Oct 12 Nov 09 Dec 07 Jan 04 Feb 01 Feb 29 Mar 28 Apr 25 May 23 Jun 20 Jul 10 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004

n Carling n Carlsberg

n Watchers n Non-Watchers

Chart 2: Share of Standard Lager Spend amongst Euro 2004 ‘Watchers’

Chart 5: Average Spend/Buyer during Euro 2004 competition & build-up £

%

70

50 45

£57.79

60

£56.58 £51.10

40

£50.92

50

35

£49.78

£47.88 £43.62

£42.53

£40.54

40

30 25

30

20 15

20

10

10

5 0 27 Jul Sep 14 Oct 12 Nov 09 Dec 07 Jan 04 Feb 01 Feb 29 Mar 28 Apr 25 May 23 Jun 20 Jul 10 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004

C

n Carling n Fosters Lager n Carlsberg Lager

Ex po rt Bu ye rs K 16 64 Bu ye rs C ar ls be rg Bu ye St rs el la Ar to is Bu ye rs G ro ls ch Bu ye rs C ar lin g Bu ye rs Be ck s Bu ye rs Bu dw ei se rB uy er s Fo st er s Bu ye rs

0

Chart 3: Share of Premium Lager Spend amongst ‘Watchers’ %

Chart 6: Average volume bought during Euro 2004 competition & build-up

50

Litres

45

8 6.9

40

6.6

7

6.1

35

6.0

6

30 25

Carlsberg Export the clear number two brand

20 15

5.9 5.2

5.1

5.1

5 4

3.3

3

10 2

5

1

Be ck s

La ge K r ro ne nb ou rg 16 64

Fo st er s

Bu dw ei se r

G ro ls ch

Ar to is St el la

C ar lin g

Ex po rt

n PL n Carlsberg Export n Becks

C ar ls be rg

n Stella n Grolsch n Budweiser

0 La ge r

27 Jul Sep 14 Oct 12 Nov 09 Dec 07 Jan 04 Feb 01 Feb 29 Mar 28 Apr 25 May 23 Jun 20 Jul 10 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004

C ar ls be rg

0

Source: TNS Sport

SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 13

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY

Martell Cognac Grand National Agency: SBI

Martell Cognac Grand National Agency: SBI

Agency Profile: Founded in 1985, SBI is one of the leading sponsorship agencies in the UK. SBI Group, the parent company, has recently expanded through its own properties ChallengerWorld, Europe’s leading inter-company team-building events business, and the London Triathlon. But it is SBI’s outstanding track record in consultancy, creative sponsorship exploitation, PR and event management which has driven the growth of the business, with all four areas now offering best-in-class services. SBI’s consulting client list has included Martell, Robinsons, Daily Telegraph, Citroen, Cisco Systems, BenQ, Coca Cola, Intel, Hitachi, Dr Martens, Prudential, AA, Cantor Sport, Guinness, Sandown Park, Barbarian FC.

The Clientside View: Crispin Stephens, Marketing Manager, Martell Cognac

Contact: Rob Mason, SBI Group Managing Director [email protected]

“Over the term of the sponsorship, the Grand National has delivered major benefits to Martell in the UK and internationally, especially in terms of brand equity and trade relationships. We have leveraged it hard across all areas, and so it was extremely rewarding to receive the Hollis Sponsorship of the Decade Award in 2004 – our final year of sponsorship.”

BACKING A FAVOURITE How Martell’s title sponsorship of the Grand National became a text book example of best practice BACKGROUND TO THE CAMPAIGN

Martell Cognac inherited sponsorship of the Grand National in 1992 from former parent company Seagram. The objectives behind the sponsorship required delivery in both the UK and key international markets, specifically SouthEast Asia at the outset of the campaign. Martell’s core brand values of heritage and quality were undoubtedly shared by Aintree. Martell’s repositioning, based on changing consumer attitudes to cognac, provided the impetus for a fresh campaign strategy 1998 onwards. The relationship with Aintree developed into a true partnership with shared objectives of broadening the international scope of the event and building an outstanding three-day sporting and entertainment festival in the North West. OBJECTIVES

The initial objectives for the project were split across the mature UK marketplace and the fast-growing South-East Asian region. Martell, as market leader in the UK, wanted to reinforce this position via association with a best-in-class property which could drive promotional activity and develop trade relationships in the UK. Later on in the campaign, the core objective was to communicate a more

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contemporary image for cognac-drinking. In Asia, Martell was a challenger brand so it was vital to build brand equity. Horse racing, especially in the key market of Hong Kong, was considered prestigious and stylish and therefore an excellent vehicle for brand-building and development of trade accounts. STRATEGY

Worldwide, the key requirement at the outset was to establish Martell’s association with the race – a longestablished sporting event. The primary focus was split between PR, particularly within the sports media, ideally elongating the campaign beyond the confines of Grand National week, and maximisation of TV coverage worldwide, both in terms of branding and distribution. Internationally, there was a need to provide relevance in the key overseas markets, while across the board an outstanding hospitality experience was critical to delivering the trade relations objectives. For the second phase, ‘brand experience’ became a key theme to communicate the changing face of cognac-drinking, via consumers on-site and associated media coverage and promotions.

Above left - Martell Cognac print design 2003 Above - the stylish Martell Mood Bar for specially-themed cocktails Below - Monty’s Pass and Barry Geraghty win the 2003 Martell Cognac Grand National

ACTION

Martell put in place a series of media ‘events’ to provide a series of pre-event hooks for the racing and sports media in the UK. This was supported by a media pack (later a media CD-Rom), video news releases and a dedicated press service to provide constant reinforcement of the Martell message. Internationally, the media campaign centred on hosting international documentary TV crews to visit Aintree, driving additional coverage over and above the live broadcasts, with the hosting of China’s main broadcaster CCTV paving the way to full coverage of the race. The brand experience was delivered via the creation of a temporary ‘style bar’ at Aintree, the Martell Mood Bar, with specially-themed cocktails and music.This provided hooks for promotional activity including the “Looking Good” bestdressed racegoer competition, tie-ins with style bars and other activity designed to broaden the message into a wider environment. To create relevance in Asia, Martell initiated L’Or de Martell Cup day in Hong Kong. Martell sponsored the evening’s racing at Sha Tin and Happy Valley racecourses and the ‘National was broadcast live on course with full betting.

“The Grand National, a folk ritual, a bringer of spring, has become one of the marketing miracles of sport” The Daily Telegraph This formula was subsequently used in Singapore, Malaysia, Bombay and Taiwan. The hospitality experience included Orient Express charter in the UK and renowned chefs working alongside the racecourse caterers, and a VIP guest list generated lifestyle press coverage. RESULTS

Media coverage was tracked and measured and – in the final two years of the contract – delivered over £8 million of advertising cost equivalent value. In the UK, with promotional spend focused around the event, Martell maintained its market-leadership despite a much lower above-the-line spend than key competitors. Annual brand tracking research demonstrated that the

sponsorship created front-of-mind awareness and drove brand preference. Internationally, Martell’s sponsorship in Hong Kong significantly accelerated growth in the region and provided a promotional platform in other key territories. International TV distribution increased from 40 countries in 1994 to 120 in 2004. Throughout the campaign, Martell received six sponsorship awards, including the Hollis Sponsorship of the Decade Award in 2004, the final year of the sponsorship. Above all, the partnership with Aintree delivered for both parties, and with over 140,000 people visiting a racecourse that sees new facilities opened virtually every year, the new sponsor will inherit an event that is at the top of its game.

SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 15

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY Tackling Obesity through Sport Agency: MEC:Sponsorship

Agency Profile: MEC:Sponsorship is part of global communications specialist Mediaedge:cia (MEC) and a WPP group company. A full service global sponsorship consultancy, MEC:Sponsorship offers clients a range of services from strategy, negotiation, activation and evaluation across all forms of sponsorship. Clients include: Norwich Union (UK Athletics), Visa (Olympics, Paralympics, Rugby World Cup and Disney), Xerox (Olympics, Paralympics and World Superbike Championships), and Specsavers (Scottish Football Association and Celtic Rugby Referees). MEC:Sponsorship, 1 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8NU Contact: Jeremy Clark, managing director, Europe Martin Johnston, director on Norwich Union account Tel +44 (0)20 7803 2020

GOING FOR GOLD How Norwich Union’s sponsorship of UK athletics is activated to promote healthy lifestyles among young people BACKGROUND

Norwich Union has been the principle sponsor of UK Athletics since 1998 with title sponsorship of seven televised events, the GB Team at all levels and four strong grassroots athletics schemes. But the company needed to re-invigorate the sponsorship to engage a wider audience and enhance the brand personality to create a better emotional bond with consumers. As Britain’s biggest insurers, the company has a vested interest in the long term health of the nation. Faced with the impending obesity crisis, Norwich Union commissioned a survey into the attitudes to sport and exercise amongst children and launched a CSR campaign in 2003 called ‘Do the Right Thing’ to engage more people in more sporting activity. Since then, participation levels in Norwich Union’s grassroots athletics schemes have doubled and now involve a million children annually. OBJECTIVES

• To take the sponsorship to a broader audience, while aligning all activity to the core athletics sponsorship • To reinforce Norwich Union as the number one sponsor of UK Athletics and the GB Team

16 : SPONSORSHIPWORKS

• To educate people about the benefits of increased activity levels • To inspire more people to engage in sporting participation – particularly children • To facilitate access to sporting opportunities • To provide business opportunities to drive sales leads

with the event promoter and the BBC, best perimeter board positions and other branding opportunities were gained and monitored to ensure best possible brand exposure Creative photography was taken of six key medal hopes for Athens and placed alongside feature interviews across all press.

STRATEGY

• Maximise brand exposure levels at televised events • Create high profile, mass appeal athletic-themed events in high footfall areas to support and enhance the televised events in key cities. • Support this event activity with media partnerships, schools marketing & PR using visiting top GB athletes – inc Paula Radcliffe, Denise Lewis, Darren Campbell and Kelly Holmes - as role models for visitors • Direct visitors towards the Norwich Union grassroots schemes to further their interest in athletics • Maximise media interest in the Olympics through PR ACTIVATION

Core Event Promotion: Through empirical research and working

Enhancing and Supporting the events in key cities – Glasgow, Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester, London, Edinburgh: Norwich Union Sportsparks, high profile athletics events, were created for local schools and communities in high footfall locations. Visitors could learn about and take part in a variety of fun, interactive activities which were all intrinsically linked to the core Norwich Union grassroots athletics schemes and formed a natural introduction to athletics. Showcase event in Trafalgar Square to provide an iconic focus for the campaign. The 2002 Commonwealth Games track was laid around the Square and wider disciplines were incorporated from pole

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY Tackling Obesity through Sport Agency: MEC:Sponsorship

vault to javelin, and shot putt to sprinting against a virtual Darren Campbell. A big screen showing all the action from the Norwich Union London Grand Prix was also installed, and a send-off for the British athletes to wish them luck in Athens was organised. Maximising Olympic Interest Due to Norwich Union funding, most of the GB Team were able to go to Cyprus for warm weather training. A press trip was therefore organised for 25 key media to showcase the facilities of this preOlympic holding camp and give journalists the opportunity to interview key athletes during their build up to the Olympics Sponsorship of the Olympic editorial coverage of the Daily and Sunday Express, including a special 16 page supplement. RESULTS

Core Event Promotion: The televised events delivered a cumulative live audience of 13.2m, were broadcast for a total of 18h20m, of which 41% was Norwich Union branded. Press features generated by the creative photography of key athletes ranged from national newspapers to consumer titles and had a cumulative circulation of 21.2m (readership – 63.6m) Over 100,000 branded giveaways were distributed at events and business leads and sales are currently being tracked.

Norwich Union Sportsparks: Over 40,000 people visited the events Total reach for the media partnerships was 7.9m with an ROI of 2.9:1. 4 page pullouts and pre-promotion in regional press; pre-recorded and live trails, plus broadcasts from the events by regional radio Highlights included Capital FM’s Katy Hill’s show being broadcast live from the event in Trafalgar Square

The Client’s View: David Czerwinski, head of sponsorship at Norwich Union “We have legitimate business reasons for trying to help fight obesity and promote a healthy, active lifestyle. The creativity around the event marketing that supports and enhances the core sponsorship platforms of the televised events, the GB Team and our grassroots schemes has been critical. The event in Trafalgar Square provided the focal point and was extremely well received by all visitors. The campaign has really taken off and we will continue to evolve it to create more opportunities to enhance consumers’ lifestyles”

The Mayor of London and London 2012 supported the event in Trafalgar Square 15 top athletes attended the Athens sendoff in Trafalgar Square Media coverage included live network TV interviews - BBC and ITN - and several national press and photographers in attendance, whilst radio interviews were syndicated via IRN. Maximising Olympic Interest: Media coverage from Cyprus included network BBC News, daily Radio 5 Live reports, and features in all national and some consumer press. The Express editorial sponsorship is expected to delivered an ROI in excess of 15:1 The CSR campaign has been embraced by all areas of the business and is now fully integrated into Norwich Union’s ATL campaigns.

Opposite page Trafalgar Sqaure is transformed into a Sportspark Top left - Thousands of children were introduced to athletics in a fun and engaging way Top right - Strong primary branding ensures excellent visibility Right - New photography commissioned by MEC:Sponsorship and Norwich Union used for event promotion and PR

“Norwich Union’s efforts are much appreciated and supported by the government” Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 17

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY Land Rover G4 Challenge Agency: Prism

Agency Profile: Founded in 1993, PRISM (Public Relations & International Sponsorship Marketing) is a global below-the-line specialist agency in sponsorship marketing, public relations and brand experiences. With more than 120 professionals, a network of 9 offices in Europe, the Americas and Australia, a number of partnership agreements with sister WPP companies particularly in the Far East, and proprietary tools like the Six-Sigma Brand Sponsorship Valuator 6.0, PRISM has become the preferred choice of results-driven brand managers globally. Contacts: Brian Greenwood CEO – PRISM UK Tel +44 20 7611 6145 e-mail: [email protected] Nick Horne Communications Director, Land Rover G4 Challenge Tel +44 1483 441 009 email: [email protected]

A GLOBAL ADVENTURE How Land Rover’s G4 Challenge helped create a distinct position for the brand INTRODUCTION

The Land Rover G4 Challenge is a global adventure competition that takes in both urban and remote locations with a common theme of discovering adventure. The mix of iconic urban settings and remote rural locations will provide the backdrop as young men and women from 20 nations, and all walks of life tackle multi-sport activities and tough 4x4 driving. The scope and rigour of the Challenge could only be conceived and carried through by a brand with Land Rover’s credentials; honouring the brand’s legacy as the original 4x4 motor manufacturer and illustrating the active lifestyle to which its customers aspire. Following the huge success of the 2003 event – which visited the USA, South Africa and Australia – the second Land Rover G4 Challenge will travel through Thailand, Laos, Brazil and Bolivia, starting in April 2006, with an anticipated $100m value for 2006. OBJECTIVES

Land Rover has one of the most distinctive brands in the motor industry, defining an entire class of vehicle for over 50 years. As Land Rover has evolved to meet new generations of customers, so it

18 : SPONSORSHIPWORKS

has sought to create distinctive brand positioning for its increasingly contemporary vehicle range, with the Land Rover G4 Challenge as the flagship programme. The Land Rover G4 Challenge embodies the adventurous personality of the brand and takes it to a global audience, focusing on the active, outdoor lifestyle that Land Rover customers identify with. Another invaluable component of the Land Rover G4 Challenge is in establishing long-term marketing partnerships with like-minded brands to join the programme such as clothing, sports goods and camping equipment. “Our products are of interest to a far wider global audience than we can reach through traditional activities alone,” Bob Campbell, marketing director of kayak manufacturer, Piranha. “The Land Rover G4 Challenge allowed us to team up with a major motor manufacturer, allowing us to share expertise and resources. The result was a very credible event with far greater PR and marketing support and a huge global audience.”

the past, present and future of the brand and deliver a unique brand experience. Traditional images of Land Rovers crossing seemingly impassable terrain are an integral part of the design, but modified to achieve this both in remote and exotic locations and relevant urban environments for Land Rover’s modern customer base. The Challenge succeeds in generating positive global media coverage through every element of its design, including its deference to environmental issues. The image of off-road driving being potentially harmful to remote habitats has been redressed through the thorough and obvious attention to detail in the event design. In order to maximise the effectiveness of the Land Rover C4 Challenge, Land Rover undertakes an integrated marketing campaign (below and above-the-line) over a twenty-two month period to support the Challenge. This works nationally across all Land Rover markets, with tailor-made programmes for both competing nations and non-competing markets.

STRATEGY

Key among the elements of each national campaign is the securing of TV broadcast partners in each participating country,

The design of the Land Rover G4 Challenge was conceived to encapsulate

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY Land Rover G4 Challenge Agency: Prism

The Clientside View: Niki Davies, Project Director, Land Rover G4 Challenge “The Land Rover G4 Challenge proved itself as one of the toughest, most spectacular adventure challenges in the world. Its authenticity and global reach allowed us to deliver on our global commitment of creating, inspiring and delivering a spirit of adventure. And in 2005 we will be doing it again”

Opposite page, left - New York’s Broadway is taken over for the start of the 2003 Land Rover Challenge Opposite page, right - The first urban event involved a spectacular and specially designed 4x4 driving course Left and above - GQ discovers real Land Rover adventure first-hand

“It is one of the world’s greatest and toughest off-road motoring adventures.” Ken Gibson, The Sun integrated e-marketing programmes and point-of-sale displays at public events and Land Rover dealerships. Similarly the commercial partners leverage their involvement in the programme to increase awareness, building wider exposure for a global audience. “The global aspect of the Challenge helped us to build our brand message in new and important markets,” said James Bailey, Manager, Corporate Communications, UK Operations, Goodyear. “The Challenge also provided an invaluable platform for us, from which to support a new product launch.” ACTION

The Land Rover G4 Challenge enjoys a

sustained PR and marketing programme that lasts more than 30 months, building to a crescendo during the four weeks of the Challenge. Following the initial launch of the programme comes competitor recruitment, through both point of sale and Internet applications. These are handled at a national level by each competing market and culminate in individual National Selections, from which the top three contenders will move forward to the International Selections stage. At International Selections the three competitors from each country will compete to be the sole national representative on the Land Rover G4 Challenge. The winners will then prepare

for the Land Rover G4 Challenge itself: the four-week adventure of a lifetime. RESULTS

Based on the results achieved from 2003 Land Rover G4 Challenge: • $85.5 million Advertising Value Equivalent of editorial coverage without any multipliers added. • 375 hours of TV broadcasting in over 50 countries • 3547 media articles and TV broadcasts • 81% of all media articles contained visuals and branding • 76% of all coverage contained key message communication • Over one million unique website users • 45% of website users viewed 5+ pages per visit • 10,000 applicants for the Challenge

SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 19

ACHIEVING VALUE

WHICH ONE WILL WORK FOR ME? RICHARD GILLIS LOOKS AT THE ISSUES FACING BRANDS WEIGHING UP EVENT SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Media coverage of event sponsorship tends to follow a set formula. The first paragraph is an unreliable answer to the question, “How much does it cost to sponsor the Olympics?” The title of the event in question can be changed depending on geography or the time of the year. So, for Olympics read Euro 2004 or Ryder Cup or the BMW International, and so on. The answer is nice and short. And quite often wrong. (The price of rights quoted in the press is sometimes inflated by up to two-thirds according to people who have taken part in such negotiations.) Once a figure has been established, then a discussion of the relative benefits of event sponsorship takes place. This is done by the use of third party post-event research that lists event sponsors so that they can be recalled by members of the public. The results lend themselves to headlines such as ‘Coke sponsorship a success’ or ‘John Hancock fails to deliver’. The copy will include statements such as ‘despite paying over $60million to be TOP partner, fewer than 20 per cent of the French public could list Sports Illustrated as being sponsors of the Games’. Such coverage of major events is also driven by the PR benefits available to the market research industry. Agencies are able to use recall data to create stories, most of which appear to undermine the commercial value gained by sponsors. After the Sydney Olympics in 2000, CIA Medialab published research showing that 50 per cent of adults questioned did not know the names of any sponsors, even though 80 per cent had watched the Games. Similar figures were paraded post Euro 2004 and following the Athens Olympics. The impression is given that event sponsorship is a high-cost, high-risk game, only available to a small number of global super brands. It also makes sweeping judgements as to the marketing objectives of the sponsor, assuming brand awareness to be the only goal. And, whilst no one would dismiss cost as a central part of the decision as to whether to sponsor an event, the above scenario tends to simplify the notion of value.

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Heineken... massive branding - but not in France Getty Images Sport

“MOST SPONSORS HAVE TO LEARN THAT SPONSORSHIP WORKS ONLY WHEN USED TO TARGET CONSUMERS THROUGH THE CREATIVE USE OF PROMOTIONS, DIRECT MARKETING, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING” CAMERON DAY, THE WORKS

AIM OF THE GAME

“Different events bring different things in terms of the watching audience, so it must start with the objectives,” says Peter Walshe of research company Millward Brown. Walshe assumes a level of selfknowledge on the part of marketers about their brands, and their strengths and weaknesses. This is taken from broader brand research rather than that specific to sponsorship. “It goes way beyond how many people the event reaches,” says Walshe. “It’s

about what sort of people it reaches, teasing out information as to their beliefs and value systems. It is important to be able to define that and see how it overlaps with the core brand. “Where’s the brand coming from? You have to understand what it is that makes those people buy your product.” Once this information is gathered the events themselves can be viewed as targeting tools, delivering relevant consumer or business audiences in significant numbers. Only then does the decision come

down to which particular sport, event or personality will help to deliver the message. Walshe highlights the next stage in the process: why choose event sponsorship over other forms? Why not attach the brand to a team and access the passion of the fans in a more direct way? Or associate with a celebrity or sports star who can deliver a highly personalised message on behalf of the client. The relative strengths and weaknesses of each form of sponsorship is a complex stew of factors. In the events

‘pro’ list is the flexibility of its use beyond its media value. Larger events have long been the backdrop to the development of business relationships using the sponsors rights to hospitality and corporate entertainment opportunities. And whilst beer sponsors are able to take the product to the consumer in the most direct way possible through exclusive pouring rights deals, other categories of partners are finding new ways to interact with their customers through some experiential marketing of their own. Peter Walshe believes that to make a link between an event and a brand takes more time than it would in other forms of sponsorship. “It’s harder to make the connection instantly,” he says. “The sponsor has to work hard to leverage it around the event and it’s rare that the event works strongly enough in its own right.” If this leveraging work is done well, the event can be a long-term support for the whole marketing effort, which not only acts as a positive lever for the brand but also as a defence to keep competitors out. “The event is the one thing they won’t zap,” says Walshe, referring to the extent to which many television viewers are going to avoid watching the advertising breaks between television broadcasts. His point is increasingly relevant as brands struggle to make an impression in a changing media landscape, which sees the proliferation and fragmentation of media and the development of hard disk recorders such as Tivo and Sky Plus. These changes to the way that media is consumed feeds directly into the cost paid by the sponsor. The price of entry to event-based sponsorship is dictated largely by the media coverage gained by that event. The higher the viewing figures the greater the potential audience and the higher the price of a sponsorship slot. The key stat for all sponsors or prospective sponsors remains the equivalent media value gained by the coverage. But the wisdom of this approach is questioned by Alastair Macdonald, of sponsorship consultants Connexus. “If sponsors are driven solely by the media value of an event they should probably look elsewhere because most generate very little. We also see that the event generates the coverage but the sponsors do not, even if they are in the title.” TITLE OR PARTNER?

This makes the decision to pay a premium for the title of an event a more complex issue. However, the ability to stand out from the crowd was the key driver for the sponsors of rugby union’s pan European club competition the Heineken Cup. The event has helped to reposition the Dutch beer brand in its push upmarket. Lizzie Younghusband,

Sally Gunnell

Games, the issue of waste becomes more important - at these prices it’s best avoided. So, a key question centres upon the degree by which the event resonates in the sponsor’s core markets. This is an issue that tests the relationship between global headquarters, which normally signs the deal and the company’s regional offices, who will ultimately use the property to drive business. Cameron Day, of sponsorship consultancy The Works, says that more money is being spent on messaging through sport than ever before, but that the majority of this is wasted because sponsors fail to make the relevant sales connections with consumers. “It is ironic that those who buy an association with the biggest property of all, the Olympics, are most likely to fail,” he says. “Such a global event is by its nature remote. And rarely do the global

“THE SPONSOR HAS TO WORK HARD TO LEVERAGE THE BRAND AROUND THE EVENT AND IT’S RARE THAT THE EVENT WORKS STRONGLY ENOUGH IN ITS OWN RIGHT” PETER WALSHE, MILLWARD BROWN

international sponsorship manager, says: “Having the title is absolutely essential. We wouldn’t look at any other form of relationship. If we didn’t have the title we would find something else to do.” So, what happens if the title is not available? “The partners tend to have to construct a more tightly defined dialogue, particularly at the event itself,” says Macdonald. “The positive side of this is that the sponsor is engaging in an active way rather than in through the media which is essentially a passive form of communication.” Macdonald likens the relationship to that of a soccer club’s official shirt sponsor with the fans compared to that of the official supplier category. “Most people know that Emirates have been the sponsor of Chelsea but few would make the link between Budweiser, who are the beer supplier, to the club. But the fans who go to the ground would definitely make the link and that can form a much stronger bond.” It also means that a one-to-one dialogue can be developed which is aimed at more concrete metrics such as sales volumes rather than the softer brand measurements. It can also help in developing customer databases or accessing those of the event rights holders. “It is more of a revenue-generating focus than a brand-building exercise,” says Macdonald. LOCAL ISSUES

With global events such as the Olympic

purchasers of Olympic sponsorship make provision for marketing departments at national level - the people who understand their customers best.” The level of autonomy given to local marketing departments is the one key factor in the success or failure of a major sport sponsorship agrees Nick Walford, managing director of WPP’s Performance SportEntertainment agency, who feels that creating a sense of ownership is the key to achieving a return on investment. “Problems arise when head office decides upon the sponsorship of a major property without the ‘buy-in’ of key markets,” says Walford. “Naturally this has a detrimental effect on local teams as they feel obliged to support a property for which they do not see a brand or business benefit, or they refuse to support the property with all the internal ill feeling that this can bring”. The issue of how to make its sponsorship fit with local needs is one which the UK marketing team of Visa, a TOP Olympic partner since 1986, confronts head on. The payment card company has a complex audience for its product based on regional boards representing the 21,000 member banks which together own Visa. Getting consensus from such a constituency is the key to making the sponsorship work, says Antonella Socci, head of sponsorship at Visa Europe. “If we don’t have member support it will not work effectively,” she says. “We cannot talk directly to card holders, so

our network of member banks is critical to the success of the sponsorship. “We don’t launch activities where we don’t get buy-in from the member banks,” says Socci, “because if they are not going to use it we will not get sufficient return on our investment to make it worthwhile”. The cost of the rights fee is divided between the company’s regional boards including Visa UK. Activation is paid for locally, a figure that amounts to around three times the value of the rights fee. Critically, this conversation takes place ahead of any cheque being sent to International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. “The contract is decided upon by Visa head office in San Francisco, but by the time we sign the agreement with the IOC we have sought the agreement of the regional boards. This means they have already acknowledged that this is something they want to be associated with on a commercial level.” Another long-term partner of the Games is Xerox, which has been a sponsor of every summer and winter Olympics since Innsbruck in 1964 - a 40-year relationship that ended in Athens. The organisation’s Olympic involvement is driven by its US headquarters, which has decided that the 2004 Games will be the final time the document company’s Digital X logo would appear alongside the five rings. In the UK, the company’s above-the-line activity was been limited to two national press advertisements - handled by Young and Rubicom agency Harrison, Trout and Wunderman - with much of the PR focused on the technical press. David Millican, head of corporate communications, says the company used the relationship with the Games as a basis for sales staff incentive schemes and motivational activity within Xerox UK. To ensure some local flavour the company employs Sally Gunnell, winner of the 400-metre hurdles in Barcelona ’92 and now a BBC athletics pundit. Gunnell acts as a keynote speaker at sales conferences and has contributed to recent product launches.“It’s easy to get a link from Sally to our sponsorship of the Olympic Games,” says Millican. “Both customers and our internal audience can see how our equipment supports the running of the event and the teams,” he says. “The Games needs documents and that is our business. Customers understand that the underlying message is if the IOC can depend on Xerox, they can too.” EVENT CREATION

The marketing strategy is in place and it is agreed that sponsorship of an event is the perfect tool with which to breathe new life into a tired brand. But the right event is not out there. What then? One solution is for the brand team to

SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 21

ACHIEVING VALUE

ACROSS THE BOARD

create its own, free from complicated rights-holder agreements on what it can and cannot do. No clutter as yours is the only brand attached to the event. “If what you want is not available in the market place then you have to go and create it,” says Steve Leonard of MediaCom’s sponsorship arm Sponsorcom Live, which worked with the Masterfoods’ brand Snickers to create the Snickers Game On international skate and BMX competition. “It is the only option unless you are prepared to compromise your objectives or brand in order to achieve a solution” says Leonard. “If its not there it doesn’t mean its not possible. It may mean that no other company has faced what you are facing and seen the solution as you have seen it.” The underlying strategy was to reengage teen and young males to the confectionary brand. Part of the research phase was focused on seeking common denominators linking that age group. “The planning phase is about getting excited by creating something that will matter to these people and make a difference to their lives,” says Leonard. The boardsports and BMX cycling were identified as having a strong appeal, one that had the potential to leave a considerable legacy for the brand. “Even if they are lapsed in terms of their consumption (of the sports) there will have been a stage when it was very, very important to them” says Leonard. “It’s a rites of passage thing. Most guys go through a skate phase in their early or late teens and they retain a feeling for the language or the fashion which goes with the whole scene to the next stage in their lives, regardless of whether or not they are still active participants.” Perhaps the biggest stumbling block to brand-created events is the level of risk attached to such a venture. Signing a cheque to stand in line as an event’s

22 : SPONSORSHIPWORKS

partner sponsor is one thing - owning and running the whole show is quite another. It is the flip side of 100 per cent ownership – the benefits of which include decisions on content, presentation and branding – that the sponsor also takes 100 per cent of the risk. “Those two forces work against each other at all times,” says Leonard, “the balance of risk versus ownership is a form of cost-benefit analysis”. “We could have gone to a different person within Masterfoods at a different time and could well have got a ‘no’. But you need a strong idea with some lucid thought attached to it that is an integrated plan.” RISKY BUSINESS

It also needs a culture of risk, both on an individual level and as a feature of an organisation. Brand managers are being asked to step into unknown territory, one that may have considerable implications for their own careers. “Those who are risk-averse by nature will not be tempted to divert their marketing spend out of the tried-andtrusted and into event creation,” says Leonard. “The company needs to have a set of seasoned marketers sitting at the top of the decision-making process,” he says, “who are wiling not just to take a risk but who encourage the people in the organisation to strike out of the ‘same old, same old’. The philosophy is that if you do what you did last year you know what will happen. But, ultimately, somebody has to make a stand and the client has to put their hand in their pocket - which is often where these ideas come apart. It is such an easy thing to say ‘no’ to.” The extreme sports sector allows brands some clear ground to create and own an event, an option less plausible within more established sports markets such as

soccer. “We had to look beyond the very obvious,” says Leonard. But the issue of credibility has been a thorn in the side of other brands attempting to break into this genre. “When coming into an arena which is addressing a young adult or teen audience you have to bring something fresh. Or you will be faced with a ‘so what?’ attitude,” he says.

It is clear that an effective event sponsorship is a complete solution, a platform upon which other marketing communications can be based. For this reason the risk can be spread across the whole marketing function and not focused on a discrete sponsorship department. This company-wide approach can help in justifying the cost and the risk, “rather than thinking of it as a dirty great big investment in one year which you are hoping will take the brand in a direction that works,” says Leonard. This is very much the view of CocaCola, one of the world’s biggest spenders in sports and music sponsorship. The soft drink giant is active at all levels of the sponsorship market, from official partnership with the World Cup and Euro 2004, to buying into the game’s heartland by sponsoring the English Football League and supporting a range of grassroots initiatives. “World Cups and Euro Championships give us the credibility amongst genuine football fans,” says Liz Lowe, head of brand PR, Coca-Cola GB. “We have weekly planning meetings with the integrated team, which includes brand managers, sponsorship specialists, PR, promotion and events people and our bottling partner.”

MUSIC EVENTS

DAY IN DAY OUT

This sort of response is also facing the companies moving their sponsorship spend into the music arena. However, there are brands who are committed to raising the bar in terms of the on-site experience of their clients. “The winnebagoes lined up backstage at V2 (Virgin’s music festival) this year are as much a part of ‘doing’ the festival as the yachts which form such a fundamental backdrop to Cannes or Monaco,” says Adrian Pettett, director of brand entertainment agency Cake. “How else do the uber-babes and boys from the catwalks and movie sets look so chic in the all-important press photo on the front page of the Times?” So what’s in it for a brand and why do they do it? In 1994 there were 17 brands actively sponsoring live music and festivals in the UK. In 2004 that figure has risen to over 60. “Because as anyone who has been will tell you, the festivals and live concerts are by their very nature exciting” says Pettett. “Brands that commit large pots of marketing budget to having a presence at them are increasingly looking at more sophisticated ways of entertaining key customers and guests. “The summer festival circuit, whilst not yet on the scale of the Grand Prix season, is certainly going that way with events such as Glastonbury now viewed in the media as a key part of the ‘summer season’ alongside Henley, Ascot and Wimbledon”.

It seems there is no easy route to success - just hard work and joined-up thinking. When it comes to event sponsors, all have to work significantly harder to lever the benefits of rights packages. “This is something most have been universally poor at, even at a basic level,” says Cameron Day of The Works. “Most sponsors have to learn that sponsorship works only when used to target consumers through the creative use of promotions, direct marketing, public relations and advertising.” “Cutting and pasting logos and strap lines into sporting arenas and onto merchandise does not make a compulsive connection as far consumers are concerned,” he says. “This has to be done through other media channels and, what is more, it must be through formats that consumers elect, not what is easiest given the sponsorship rights package. When consumers are bombarded with sports coverage in any given summer, only the best at utilising sponsorship will make significant sales from their investment.” Liz Lowe’s message to other sponsors looking for clues as to best practice is also more focused on perspiration than inspiration. And to be prepared for the long haul. She says that building an association with a major event is not a question of running some promotions a few weeks before and doing a mopping up exercise afterwards. “It’s day in, day out,” she says.

>> Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration DON’T SWEAT IT OUT Be inspired by the latest essential reports from the SportBusiness Group To view the latest SportBusiness Research reports, visit www.sportbusiness.com

"Maximising the Value of Hospitality’s exhaustive analysis and guidance demonstrate the significant commercial value of corporate hospitality and serve as a timely reminder that it’s human beings that are the target audience'" Nic Gault, Sponsorship

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As the world economy begins to emerge from its slowdown, global sponsorship is expected to hit an all time high of $26.2 billion in 2004 up 7.4% from $24.4 billion in 2003. Behind its appeal sports sponsorship is a relationship building tool that is not just concerned about brand awareness but engages with an audience on both rational and emotional levels. At its heart is a commercial proposition that provides a return on investment for both the brand owner and rights holder.

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SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY FORD UEFA Champions League Destination Football Agency: Performance

Agency Profile: Performance • A newly formed sponsorship company of 40 people in Europe • Developing, managing, activating and measuring sponsorship campaigns for clients; new integrated approach • Specialising in the arena of sports and entertainment • Created to guide and enable clients • Harnessing the strengths within the WPP Group • Absolutely no selling of rights Mike Rich Performance London 40 Strand London WC2N 5RF Great Britain Tel: 020 7969 4130 email: [email protected]

Above - Large inflatable banner outside Auf Schalke, the 2004 UCL Final Venue Opposite page - bottom right - Where traditional outdoor media sites did not exist, bespoke sites were created to take ‘ownership’ of the Auf Schalke, the 2004 UCL Final

CHAMPION STYLE How Ford harnessed a shared passion for the UEFA Champions League to drive cutomers to its showrooms

24 : SPONSORSHIPWORKS

INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES

There is sponsorship ‘badging’ and there are real integrated marketing programmes that actually meet business objectives. Well, actually, no there aren’t that many. We all hear a lot of talk about associative marketing, buzz marketing, and branded content – often, simply mutton dressed as lamb! Ford’s association with the UEFA Champions League is different. Ford has just entered its 13th season as a UEFA Champions League (UCL) partner, coming out of the back of it’s most successful season ever, in terms of direct business return from this relationship. A relationship that was initially driven by basic media value, it has proven to be the jewel in this European marketing giant’s crown. Despite being one of the most recognised brands in the world and manufacturing some of the most technically excellent cars in their class, Ford has been somewhat unfairly perceived as unexciting and a little bland. However, their long term partnership with what is the world’s most popular and exciting club football competition has enabled them to tackle this key business issue head on.

The objectives of the relationship were very clear. To drive more positive perceptions of the Ford brand by tapping into the passion & emotion that consumers have for football. Once this connection had been made Ford hoped to encourage customers into the dealerships and demonstrate that Ford shares their passion and commitment for the sport by providing exclusive access to ‘money can’t buy’ assets, that only Ford as a sponsor could source.

‘The greatest journey… Take it with Ford…’ All communications were to deliver a single message; Ford understands how important getting to football is and wherever you are we will do everything we can to get you there: Destination Football.

STRATEGY

To achieve these objectives, it was critical for Ford to take a real position within football. A position that they could legitimately own and that was credible both for the brand and the consumer. This would then form the backbone of all Ford football communications, delivering a consistent message across Europe and providing a platform from which to launch football based consumer promotions. The positioning: ‘Ford facilitates journeys and is helping to facilitate fans’ journeys to football, physically and emotionally’

The creative execution of this message needed to work across 44 European territories, in broadcast sponsorship, in tv spots, in press ads, through below the line promotions, online and in dealerships. On air, Ford took ownership of each televised match through broadcast sponsorship i-dents, commercial airtime spots, matchbumper creative (a new 8” contractual spot that airs within the programme) and perimeter boards. Online destinationfootball.net was created to provide a relevant and

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY FORD UEFA Champions League Destination Football Agency: Performance

Image Profile of Ford and UCL Germany (Chart 2)

Sponsor trend anaysis (%) (Chart 1) n Ford

n

n Sponsor A

25

n Sponsor B

25 23

n Sponsor C

n

Pre-Season Mid-Season

Interesting

23

22 19 18 14 13

14

10 10% = Excellent

18

9

Ford

17 15

10

UEFA Champions League

17

17 14

14

13

Unpopular

Popular

10 10

8 6

8 5% = Good Pan European awareness

1997

7

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Boring

2003

Source: Sport & Markt

Source: Sport & Markt

Ford Consideration - Would Consider (Chart 4)

Image Profile of Ford and UCL UK (Chart 3)

n Aware Ford sponsor UCL

n

n Not aware

n

Pre-Season Mid-Season

Modern

78

UEFA Champions League

74

72

67 66 62

65

69

66

Ford Substandard

Premium

44

Britain

Germany

France

Italy

Old fashioned

Spain

Source: Sport & Markt

Source: GCI/Millward Brown

credible site where fans could interact with Ford and UCL in a fun and involving way. The website provided useful football info, fun and interactive content and games where fans were given the opportunity to win tickets and merchandise. The website provided an arena to communicate product messages with a football theme, which led to data capture and an increase in sales leads. Below the line promotions ran throughout Europe, where fans were offered the chance to win or take part in real ‘money can’t buy opportunities’ like the centre circle kids promotion. Hundreds of kids were given the chance to appear on the pitch and wave the centre circle flag prior to the kick off of a UCL game. Lightshows, mascots, vehicle displays, and interactive promotions for data capture all contributed to the consumer and fan experience at the event. To specifically increase dealer traffic, a pan-European retail concept was created. A simple incentive mechanic was implemented; visit a Ford showroom now for your chance to win a trip to the Uefa Champions League Final and if you take a test drive you’ll walk away with a special edition UCL football.

STRONG BRAND RESULTS

Studies through Sport & Markt proved that the awareness of Ford as a sponsor of the UCL has risen to 25%, the highest of all sponsors (see chart 1). They also showed a positive impact on the perception of the Ford brand, becoming more interesting and popular, modern and premium for the German and UK markets. (see charts 2 and 3). Millward Brown data demonstrated that those aware of Ford’s sponsorship across Europe were also more likely to consider Ford as a brand, than those that were not aware. (see chart 4).

The Clientside View: Joanne Sheehan, European Media Manager, Ford of Europe “Destination Football has been very successful for Ford in football, and Performance has been pivotal in ensuring that Ford's football sponsorship programme is maximised to the full. They have directed the project, from the first positioning statement through to creative implementation, ensuring that our campaign continues to build brand image and return on investment.”

STRONG RETAIL RESULTS

• An increase of 8% in Italian car sales over the promotional period year-onyear. • Dealer traffic in Spain increased yearon-year by 12% during January and 24% during February. • 10,000 test drives were booked as a result of the call to action in Germany, and dealer traffic saw a 25% increase year-on-year. • In Denmark, the first weekend of the promotion saw 6,500 test drives booked. • A 28% increase in Swedish car sales over the promotional period.

SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 25

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY Sony Ericsson Empire Awards Agency: MEC:Sponsorship

Agency Profile: MEC:Sponsorship is part of global communications specialist Mediaedge:cia (MEC) and a WPP group company. A full service global sponsorship consultancy, MEC:Sponsorship offers clients a range of services from strategy, negotiation, activation and evaluation across all forms of sponsorship. Clients include: Sony Ericsson (Empire Awards), Norwich Union (UK Athletics), Visa (Olympics, Paralympics, Rugby World Cup and Disney), Schwarzkopf & Henkel (Sex & The City, This Morning), SeaFrance (Meridian Weather), Xerox (Olympics, Paralympics and World Superbike Championships), and Specsavers (Scottish Football Association and Celtic Rugby Referees). MEC:Sponsorship, 1 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8NU Contact: Jeremy Clark, managing director, Europe Karen Lunny, senior media sponsorship executive on Sony Ericsson account Tel +44 (0)20 7803 2020

EMPIRE STRIKES UP How Sony Ericsson achieved extensive high profile media coverage and enhanced its position in film in partnership with the Empire Awards

BACKGROUND

Empire is the UK’s premier film brand and next year will be celebrating their 10th anniversary of the Empire Film Awards. An event in which the best of British and American film meet for a star-studded night, cited as the best film awards there is. Previous attendees include: Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey, Cate Blanchett, Cameron Diaz, Hugh Grant, Sir Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee and Sigourney Weaver, who received a Career Achievement award in 2004. Sony Ericsson began their association with film through product placement in Tomb Raider and more recently Charlie’s Angels 2. In order to build on this and increase their presence with the film genre, a natural partnership with Empire was formed in 2002. The activity has continued to grow from strength to strength since, enabling the brand to communicate key product attributes, brand personality and build an emotional bond with core consumers.

• To communicate the latest technology behind the P900 handset in particular the ability to download complete film trailers on widescreen • To communicate the latest mobile technology from Sony Ericsson, with the ability to playback and record video, listen to MP3s, fully utilising an all in one mobile device. • To take the sponsorship to a wider audience, whilst aligning all exploitation to the core sponsorship STRATEGY

• Development of a cross-media partnership with the Empire brand, centring upon title sponsorship of the Empire Film awards • Creation of an activation and PR strategy generating awareness of the sponsorship and strengthening Sony Ericsson’s association with film • Broadcast TV sponsorship of the event live on Sky movies ACTIVATION

OBJECTIVES

• To align the Sony Ericsson brand with film • To promote the brand and the extensive product range and attributes

26 : SPONSORSHIPWORKS

• Sponsored features, advertorials and competitions within Empire magazine to promote specific Sony Ericsson product attributes • Creation of a bespoke microsite hosted

•

•

• •

on www.empireonline.co.uk with downloadable film trailers/scenes Competitions across press, radio and digital, to win VIP tickets to the first ever live screening of the awards at Vue cinema, Leicester Square. Sony Ericsson marketing team were in attendance promoting the handset range Solus branding at the awards ceremony and the creation of a unique branded award ‘Sony Ericsson Best Scene’ to tie in with the downloadable film trailers/scenes TV broadcast sponsorship of the live ceremony on Sky movies Extensive PR utilising press and radio to win tickets to the Aftershow party and post campaign coverage across numerous TV channels

RESULTS

Aftershow Party Ticket giveaways to Aftershow Party; media coverage secured: - Empire online - BBC London 94.9FM - T4 - Daily Star - Daily Express - Metro - Kiss FM

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY Sony Ericsson Empire Awards Agency: MEC:Sponsorship

The Clientside View: Ben Padley, Marketing director of sponsorship “The Empire film awards has proved to be a very strong vehicle for us over the past few years. The link between our handsets and films is growing through the convergence of multi-media devices, allowing video playback, video and still capture and MP3 playback.”

Opposite page - Sponsored 8 page post-awards feature within Empire magazine Above - And the career Achievement Award goes to... Top right - Branded promotional trails across all Sky channels, Right - solus event branding Bottom - TV Sponsorship of the live event broadcast on Sky Movies

Vue Cinema screening Over 100 people attended the VIP ‘Live’ screening. Competition giveaways received the following coverage: - Empire online - Time Out newsletter - GMTV online - BBC London 94.9FM - The Daily Express - The Daily Star - Metro - Kiss FM - Consumer Press Consumer Press Sony Ericsson Best Scene clips sold in to consumer technical press - Mobile - New Media Age - Brand Republic - Mobile Choice The combined print campaign reached an audience of 10,367,446 TV coverage Broadcast sponsorship of the live ceremony on Sky movies, which including all pre-promotion across various Sky TV and digital platforms, reached a total of 4.5 million 16-34 adults To maximise broadcast coverage a b-

roll was created to send to broadcast media - Liquid News - ITV Morning News - GMTV Entertainment Today - BBC1 Newsround - VH1 Girls Night In - MTV UK Screenplay Post campaign TV coverage reached an audience of 23,470,000

The Clientside View: Richard Dorman, Marketing manager “The Empire film awards gives Sony Ericsson a property that is very valuable, both in terms of the event itself, the PR that we gain and the overall brand exposure in print and on television.”

Online - Delivered 4.7m impressions - Celebrity photography was taken at the event and posted on www.empireonline.co.uk the next day, along with quotes and video footage from the night The Empire Awards sponsorship package gave Sony Ericsson a ROI of 5:1, and a TV broadcast sponsorship ROI of 3:1… Based on the successes of the 2003 and 2004 sponsorship, Sony Ericsson is repeating their sponsorship for a third year!

SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 27

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY MMC: Patron of The Open Championship Agency: Lighthouse

Agency Profile: Lighthouse is an independent partnership marketing company. We have international expertise and high-level relationships within the sports & entertainment worlds and specialise in bringing them together to drive business. In our opinion, if it doesn’t drive business it isn’t worth doing! Our strength rests in our ability to identify the right partner, negotiate the rights you want and to manage & deliver a programme of activity that generates business for you. Angus McGougan Lighthouse Communications River House 37 Point Pleasant London SW18 1NN Tel: +44 20 8812 3400 email: [email protected]

OPEN ALL HOURS How MMC’s partnership with The Open delivers promotional, relationship building and motivational opportunities amongst staff and clients BACKGROUND

STRATEGY

In 2001, Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), a global professional services firm with 60,000 employees and annual revenues exceeding $11 billion signed up as one of the Patron’s of The Open Championship. As the parent company of Marsh Inc., the world's leading risk and insurance services firm; Putnam Investments, one of the largest investment management companies in the United States; and Mercer Inc., a major global provider of consulting services, the main focus of the campaign is B2B.

• To create unforgettable and unique experiences for MMC and its guests • To enable MMC to activate the patronage in key territories • To negotiate rights that allow MMC to communicate itself as an integral part of The Open Championship

KEY OBJECTIVES

• To build an association with an event that reflects MMC’s heritage, expertise and position as a world leader • To provide MMC companies & its employees with a unique corporate entertainment platform to develop relationships with existing and potential clients • To use the patronage to motivate, reward and aid employees across MMC • To create a communications platform that generates awareness of MMC as an intrinsic part of The Open

28 : SPONSORSHIPWORKS

ACTION

• An exclusive Golf Day for 40 people is hosted annually by the R&A at the current Open Championship Course in the presence of a past Open Champion and the Claret Jug • Two four-balls on The Open Championship course on the Monday after The Open • Exclusive Double-decker Patrons’ Hospitality facility located in the heart of the action on one of the fairways of the closing holes • The Orient Express was chartered exclusively to take MMC and its guests from London Victoria to Sandwich in Kent every day during The Open 2003. • The creation of an MMC ‘Open Championship’ intranet site containing information about the event, including: ticket & hospitality booking systems, merchandise shop and

marketing communications manual. • Use of The Open patronage as a business development tool in Marsh’s digital broking programme. • Creation of Open-themed MMC breakbumpers for use by ABC and TNT during US coverage of the event • Creation of The ‘MMC Shot of the Day & Shot of the Championship’ where players vote for the best shot of the day / Championship. This was promoted on-line through opengolf.com and The Times throughout The Open • Exclusive branding & advertising of the ‘Strokesaver’ course guide and the Open ‘draw booklet’ detailing daily tee-off times every day during the event • MMC Strokesavers sent to clients on all 5 continents, prior to The Open • Peter Alliss, the well known golf commentator signed up as an MMC Golf ambassador to provide afterdinner speaking and articles for use by the media RESULTS

• Internal research has shown that the R&A hosted Golf Day has strengthened existing business relationships with key clients and has

SPONSORSHIP WORKS : CASE STUDY MMC: Patron of The Open Championship Agency: Lighthouse

Opposite page: 2003 - MMC becomes a Patron of the Open Championship Left: The Claret Jug at the R&A Golf Day. Top left: Guests board the Orient Express’s Northern Belle Above: Breakfast aboard the Northern Belle Below: Patron’s advert, Royal Troon 2004

The Clientside View: Richard Morgans, MMC Communications Director, Europe “In just two years, our patronage of The Open Championship has been a major success. The asscoiation has raised the profile of MMC both internally and externally and has added a new dimension to many of our business relationships.”

“Quite simply, the experience was immaculate. It would not have been possible to have shown MMC in a better light” MMC Client at The Open, Royal Troon

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lead to the creation of important new relationships The R&A hosted golf day is being replicated in other key MMC markets 99% of those surveyed rated the Patron’s hospitality and the Orient Express journey in 2003 as the best ever corporate hospitality experience The Open Championship was attended by employees and clients from 4 continents Open themed golf days have been run internationally 96% of MMC’s top clients are now aware of its patronage of The Open

Championship • The ‘MMC Shot of the Day & Shot of the Championship’ on-line video promotion and the ‘Strokesaver’ course guide attracted the most viewers on the official website, www.opengolf.com (60,000 MMC Shot of the Day / Championship video clips were watched) • Peter Alliss articles (branded MMC) have been used throughout the UK and Ireland in the build up to the four majors thus creating association with golf throughout the year

SPONSORSHIPWORKS : 29

ESA is committed to promoting professional standards and skills within the sponsorship market. In this respect, information and data is essential to help in the selection and implementation of a sponsorship and also to evaluate its return. Within this publication we see eight case studies reflecting a variety of different sponsorships to meet the unique needs of the brands. In line with the market situation the majority are sports-related, but sponsorship’s use in non-sport events and film is well demonstrated. The territories also vary, as well as the target markets – both consumer and business-to-business are documented. The case studies use research and evaluation to prove that Sponsorship Works. No sponsorship can be measured unless its objectives have been clearly outlined and understood. Much is quoted on return on investment, which implies a monetary measurement, but just as important is the return on objectives which is far more intangible. ESA congratulates those who have evaluated their sponsorship performance and we would also like to provide some additional areas that may be useful for the future of these case studies and for other sponsorships currently in place. The most important starting point for any sponsorship is to tell people about it, most

30 : SPONSORSHIPWORKS

SPONSORSHIP WORKS ASSESSMENT likely through the media. Dependent upon the scope of the event this can vary from local press through to global TV coverage. In most instances the brand exposure is measured and given a value. However, in the process of valuing the media, there is a wealth of information that can be used to link back to the more intangible objectives: • Martell in its media evaluation process for the Grand National would most likely be able to analyse the number of press cuttings by country to establish the level of exposure in, say, Hong Kong, or the words used to describe the Grand National in articles to link them with their communication as contemporary. • Similarly Sony Ericsson had good media coverage and, with the objective of showcasing and communicating its technology, could evaluate the number of mentions of these elements along with the profile of the press coverage to establish the audience communicated to. • The Land Rover G4 Challenge would be able to delve into the viewing data from

all of its global coverage to measure its reach amongst its target market. • Norwich Union, in its link with athletics, has clearly shown the reach of its media activation and has, therefore, been able to measure return on investment and take this further to establish the cost of individual contact within the target market. MMC has made great use of internal research to evaluate its business-to-business impact. It is now becoming far easier with email and internet access to get quick feedback. Gulf Air is able to monitor its corporate, business and political effects by engaging in discussions through key contacts to establish reaction to its Formula One involvement. Not just a good piece of research but also a great PR exercise. The length of time that a sponsor has been involved changes the priority of information requirements. Ford, with its high brand profile and its 13 seasons with UEFA Champions League, is not looking for brand awareness and has clearly defined its objectives as emotional and now at a stage

to drive sales. Often seen as the hardest aspect to value, Ford, through effective monitoring, has been able to link increased traffic to dealers through their sponsorship. NatWest, with its long involvement in cricket, has also moved on a stage to assess the sponsorship’s success in enhancing brand attributes and any propensity to use their financial services in the future. The integration of its grassroots schemes has not been lost in the research. ESA is committed to ensure that as much information as possible is available to the market and its members to help them learn from others and use data to its best effect in assessing sponsorship and its performance. A number of surveys will be conducted in 2005 by the association, one of which will provide an in-depth insight into the European Sponsorship Market. We look forward to working with SportBusiness on the next edition of Sponsorship Works to provide more background, information and case studies to help educate and inform the marketplace. ESA Information and Data Committee www.sponsorship.org

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