Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

Generate invited media down to Surrey Sports Park on October 13th to put them through their paces with some top GB athletes from Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball, Fencing and Synchronised Swimming.

The event offered regional and national media to get involved and not only get a taste of an array of Olympic sports, but to experience firsthand the elite facilities based at the park. The aim of the day was to raise the profile of Surrey Sports Park as an elite training venue and showcase what the venue can provide.

The willing media tested out their skills and sporting technique alongside GB basketball players Julie Page and Sarah McKay, Paralympian Helen Turner, Fencer Liz Ng, and Junior Synchro champion Abi Lawrence. Fitness levels were then pushed to the limit when they took on a series of strenuous sports assessment tests in the Human Performance Institute.  Media left with a real insight into what it takes to be an Olympic athlete and a few surprise visits by Harlequins rugby player Ugo Monye and the Nigerian Olympic Committee made for a great event. 

PM

Team sponsors are having to focus on activation in their domestic markets during the tournament because of IRB restrictions on promotion at the tournament.  Other companies involved in rugby union are capitalising on the opportunity to push their credentials in the sport.

The IRB is very tough on the whole area of national team sponsors activation, much more so than Fifa and Uefa [in soccer]. They have tried to impose draconian restrictions, which have now lessened slightly.

To effectively promote their association with rugby, team sponsors must focus on classic domestic activation. Effective team sponsorship relies heavily on rugby unions offering their key partners opportunities for better cut-through, particularly around media interviews and partnerships.

Losing the shirt branding [national team jerseys must be free of their usual sponsorship logos during the Rugby World Cup] does impact TV ROI but there is a huge opportunity to be really creative and focus around the fans to create emotional engagement and cut-through, as opposed to some of the more generic above-the-line campaigns the worldwide sponsors have rolled out. The O2 breakfast campaign is a great example of an effective England sponsorship activity.

DHL, the express and logistics company which is an official Rugby World Cup sponsor, has benefited from prominent branding at pitchside at Rugby World Cup matches but, in Europe, is having to fight for space with competitor FedEx, which is pushing its sponsorship of the Heineken Cup, the continent’s top clubs competition, at the same time.

Other companies such as McCoys, who are not currently involved in rugby union, have activated around the Rugby World Cup running on pack promotions. This is a more traditional ambush but very short-lived and one-dimensional and therefore doesn’t create any longevity or emotive engagement. They’d be better picking up some domestic rights and building those in too.

Europe is a key commercial market for global rugby and France, England and Ireland are commercial powerhouses. 2015 is happening on their doorstep and it’s going to be competitive with industry sectors competing to sponsor.

The quicker you get involved the more benefit from first-mover advantage – price of rights and timeline to exploit. 2011 would have been a fallow tournament commercially, 2015 is when the IRB makes hay.

Rupert Pratt

In a World Cup filled with controversy, last week England found themselves at the centre of yet another scandal as two England officials – kicking coach Dave Alred and fitness coach Paul Stridgeon were suspended after being found guilty of switching the ball during England’s 67-3 win over Romania without permission. Thus far the tournament has been marred by sustained criticism of the new Gilbert ball following a string of below par performances from kickers, including the usually impeccable Jonny Wilkinson as evidenced this weekend against Scotland.

Thus Gilbert, synonymous with rugby, find themselves caught up in yet another ball scandal in a leading global sporting tournament. Remember the 2010 Football World Cup and the infamous Adidas ball? Unquestionably ball suppliers must evolve their products year on year and keep pace with technological advancements otherwise in the case of Gilbert, they may well find themselves booted out of future World Cup’s altogether.

Surely in rugby, tries are the name of the game and if they continue then that is all that matters….? But what happens if, like 2003, it is a kick that decides the destiny of the World Cup…. A kicking tussle….. a missed attempt? Then the ball firmly comes under the microscope?

As yet Gilbert have refrained from commenting presumably to avoid a storm in a tea cup and let the rugby do the talking. Sensible but if there is a backlash, Gilbert’s PR team better be ready to get on the front foot and kick the debacle into touch.

Ben Green

The big news today coming out of Russia is that the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee for the Winter Olympic Games has claimed they have recently raised a record US$1.2 billion in sponsorship revenues; surpassing LOCOG’s recent US$1.1 billion announcement (£700 million). Impressive, yes. Surprising, no.

We all know Russia and its economy are growing behemoths. With a population just shy of 150 million including an incredibly rich upper class and massively growing middle class, global brands and companies understandably want a piece of the action as well as Russian companies wanting to announce themselves on the world stage. Sponsorship of the Sochi Winter Olympics is the perfect platform.

Include in the mix incredible governmental support and pressure, this trend of massive sponsorship deals for global sporting events is set to continue. Russian F1 race or FIFA 2018 World Cup anyone?

Ben Bradley

A year today the London 2012 Olympic Games will have finished 10 days prior, with the Paralympic Games commencing soon after. A key difference from a sponsor point of view is the ability to brand all venues at the Paralympics; a benefit not granted for the Olympics (the exception to the rule being Omega as the official timekeeper). However, as Olympic venues currently undergo testing as part of the London Prepares series, not only are we seeing branding at Olympic venues, but also branding from companies not related to the Games.

Some of the test events that have occurred to date at Olympic venues: Basketball (Olympic Park), BMX (Olympic Park), Beach Volleyball (Horse Guards Parade), Equestrian (Greenwich Park) and Marathon Swimming (Serpentine, Hyde Park).

Some of these events have been sponsored and branded by Olympic sponsors – Visa and Beach Volleyball – and some have been sponsored by brands related with the sport, but no Olympic link. Take the recent BMX test event….. branded heavily by Red Bull and Swatch in particular who are UCI BMX Supercross World Championship sponsors.

Even though we are a still a significant time away from July 2012, how happy do you think Coca-Cola and Omega were with the BMX branding?? Is this a LOCOG oversight, or due to the size and nature of the event, not an issue? Interesting questions to be debated….. especially with further Olympic test events taking place.

 BB