Archive for the ‘Sport’ Category

Generate’s Managing Director Rupert Pratt lends his thoughts to Frontiers to discuss the adidas Ice advertising campaign ahead of the Olympic Games

Interesting to see the adidas Ice advertising campaign this week using London 2012 hopeful Tom Daley. I wondered why adidas hadn’t badged it with the official London 2012 logos? Good use of personal endorsement in the creative and a good synergy with the product and brand (shower gels etc) so why no London 2012 badging? 

And there lies the answer, it’s a licenced adidas product by cosmetics company eCoty, so therefore not an official sponsor. Nothing fundamentally wrong here and why not, Tom Daley is even an adidas ambassador so some thought has gone into his selection.

But I wonder what hair and skin care company and IOC sponsor P&G think about it?

Category dilution/creep is not uncommon in the financial services sector (where banking, insurance and pensions are often offered by one business) and with technology convergence (televisions,  computers, mobile phones). I would be interested to know LOCOG’s and the IOC’s perspective on the adverts as unless adidas, eCoty or P&G have negotiated a ‘body care’ exclusivity carve out, it sets a dangerous precedent.

For example, Worldwide Olympic (audio/visual) partner Panasonic leads this morning with an advert for its televisions – what would happen if Samsung featured an Olympic themed advert (but with no reference to the Olympics or London 2012) for televisions?

So is the adidas campaign an official unofficial ambush? At this stage there are more questions than answers. It could just be the fine line between the ‘body care’ and ‘hair and skin care’ sponsorship categories or the definition of a contract. Interestingly adidas is an official London 2012 and therefore LOCOG partner, but will this encourage similar marketing campaigns?

Time will tell, but following on from last week’s article yet another brand has entered into the official and unofficial Olympic and London 2012 sponsorship clutter.

Rupert Pratt

Generate Sponsorship’s Director Andy Muggleton believes it’s still remarkable how the word that describes the sponsorship industry is also the word that appears to cause more uncertainty than any other part of the mix.

The mention of sponsorship appears to conjure thoughts of immeasurable activity, a nice to do whim or a budget line that sits separately and is therefore an isolated consideration. Despite this, the sponsorship industry is growing but at what cost?

We talk about partnerships but is that really how parties, particularly rights holders, genuinely approach sponsor relationships? Whilst there are some excellent examples of genuine partnerships, sponsorship is still largely transactional; a fee changing hands in return for a set of rights such as brand visibility, hospitality, logo usage and association. This only scratches the surface of what can be achieved through the medium.

If we look at what effective sponsorships can deliver, what business wouldn’t be interested in:

• Accessing targeted and engaged audiences
• Brand building; be it awareness, reflection, reinforcement, perception etc
• Product placement or service integration showcase  in an emotive environment
• Exclusive assets – access to tickets, tours, celebrities and priority offers to be used for unique experiences for customers and staff
• Content! Compelling, unique and exclusive that can be syndicated through your channels
• Commercial opportunities – direct or otherwise
• B2B relationship building opportunities through more traditional hospitality but also through behind the scenes / unique experiences

However, mention the word sponsorship and the dynamic alters? So what can we do to make this great business tool more interesting and appealing, without causing decision making impotence?

 As we move full speed into the digital era, we can’t ignore the increasing importance of content. What we do now is more about utilising and distributing content to engage with audiences through the most appropriate channels. Is it about creating more opportunities for audiences to find, engage and ‘like’ brands?

We live in a world of savvy consumers – a ‘what’s in it for me’ and ‘how does this enhance my experience’ generation? We need savvy sponsors and rights owners who understand their own strengths but most importantly their weaknesses and how partnerships can help them get where they want to go and importantly work together to deliver what ‘fans’ (consumers) want.

 The challenge for us as an industry is to continue to educate and highlight the many benefits of sponsorship as a business tool and to embrace it strategically, to eliminate the remaining perceptions that sponsorship sits in isolation from other parts of a business. 

What do you think?  Join the debate here…

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