Team Austalia lands big sponsor

[Dov]

From crash.net:

Team Australia have become the latest Champ Car team to add a big name sponsor to their arsenal with news that VISA have singed as an associate backer to drivers Alex Tagliani and Marcus Marshall.

Friday's VISA announcement, which has been signed with VISA Australia, is the beginning of a major partnership with the Team Australia organisation which will incorporate six different categories, racing in eight different countries on four different continents next year.

First FED EX joins PKV and now VISA joins Team Australia - this is great news for the CCWS.

[Liz]

We're on our way!

Now, how fast will we be told that this means nothing and Champ Car is dying?

[Kicking-back]

Good to see more household names on the cars - excellent news.

Consumer brands always seem better sponsors than business-to-business stuff.

[Razor]

I think that the main reason that VISA jumped aboard is, here in Australia, one of the main sponsors, WPS Financial Group, has made a V8 Supercar VISA card up for the V8 Supercars. If any non- Aussie or Kiwi watches the V8 Supercars, and they see on the headlights on cars #8 and #48, they have the word VISA. Because this team is WPS Racing. And WPS is the backbone of Team Australia. Besides that, good step VISA.

[Russfeld]

Because its VISA Australia...

[Snrub]

This is very good news. The big name companies are comming back. So far it's been small steps, but it's definately in the right direction.

Pound for pound no one has out fought Team Australia this year. The other teams have to be warry of additional money comming into Team Australia. Walker has always been a championship capable team, they just haven't had the money.

Great info Greg.

[N I Tram]

If it's only the Australian branch of Visa, it's not as good as it could be for the series as a whole. Congratulations to Craig Gore, Derrick Walker and the rest of the team all the same.

[Dov]

Originally Posted by Liz

Now, how fast will we be told that this means nothing and Champ Car is dying?

Thirty five minutes to be exact, Liz.

[marcus]

Now lets all take our brand new VISA cards down to Aussie Vineyards and celebrate

good news even if there is a tie in with an existing sponsor.

didnt VISA sponsor Mark Blundell a few years ago ?

[Snrub]

I don't know if they sponsored Blundell, but I seem to recall Sulliven driving a VISA sponsored car.

[marcus]

yeah that could be it Snrub , definately a Pacwest car anyway

[Kicking-back]

They did sponsor Blundell and Gugelmin at PacWest

[William Dale Jr]

Visa came in as a sponsor on PacWest's car in mid-1995 on Danny's car, then on Mark Blundell's car for 1996 before Motorola came on board for 1997.

[Xpunk75]

It's great to see another big name sponsor in Champ Car and Visa weather it be Australia Visa or Visa 3rd world country its still Visa. Things are really looking good for us Champ Car fans. Lets hope tomrrows San Jose Race is as successful as the last in Canada. If it is maybe it will silence some of these guys who seem to like to pick on are series so much.

[BootsOntheSide]

Of coruse it makes a difference. The series needs to be appealing to American sponsors above all, and there's still not enough evidence of that. I'm sure if the team wans't called Team Australia they wouldn't be on board either.

[marcus]

I find that odd Boots ??

yes its VISA Australia but to the general public they wont know who it is all they will see is VISA and perhaps move to that credit card or whatever other service the company provides.

at least thats what the marketers would like to see

if it was Coca Cola would it really matter because Coke is available everywhere , the same goes for VISA , the general public dont know and dont care where the funding comes from and neither would VISA USA if they got 2000 customers of this sponsorship deal

thats my view anyway.

[Amar7605]

In this global economy now, there is such name recognition with many brands that I doubt that it matters what division of the company is sponsoring.

I am sure that VISA Australia is not marketing themselves in Australia as VISA Australia to the general public - only as VISA. Like here in the US, my Nissan is sold by Nissan North America, but my car doesn't say that anywhere - just Nissan.

[F1_KING]

great news for ccws and team straya

[Electrocuted]

Originally Posted by general statement not poster

yes its VISA Australia but to the general public they wont know who it is all they will see is VISA <<<snip>>> the general public dont know and dont care where the funding comes from

Since it's been a few days,,,,, now I'll suggest a view point.

Viza OZ is good for the team. Decent for the series for people to see the more common brand name of VISA, compared to,, I dont know, how about,, Wellbox...

But,,,, VISA OZ will offer none, zip, zero, nada support to the series or promoters (which is CC at the USA events) or to the cities, in the way of ad's in programs, track signs, buying blocks of tickets, bringing in guests, putting guests up in hotels, feeding and watering guest at the local buisnesses, and all that.
Same goes with any "foreign" corporate sponsorship or family money. Good for the team, however it still holds back the series, which needs the support of partner-sponsors to be succesful.

Good to see a sale was made,, but,, it isnt "very" helpful overall.

[D.R.T.]

Means 2 cars on the track, a more competitive race team. No its not perfect but if this sponosrship is successful then maybe Visa US will also jump on board.

[macdaddy]

Electrocuted:

VISA OZ will offer none, zip, zero, nada support to the series or promoters...

Fielding a 2-car team offers much more than "none zip zero nada" support to the series and the promoters. ChampCar is becoming increasingly international, and the sponsors are obviously going to be following suit. It's the way things are, the way things are going to be.

[Electrocuted]

macdaddy, you may be right, but I really dont think it will work.

Take a look at the numbers of attendance per country and tv viewers per country. It's spread out, with low hundred thousands per country. There are much better ways for the corporate divisions around the globe to receive a better ROI.

BTW,,,,,
Just my opinion based upon the big picture. Others mileage may vary.
And, I hope the posts are discussing the topic in a rational manner. I am.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Electrocuted

But,,,, VISA OZ will offer none, zip, zero, nada support to the series or promoters (which is CC at the USA events) or to the cities, in the way of ad's in programs, track signs, buying blocks of tickets, bringing in guests, putting guests up in hotels, feeding and watering guest at the local buisnesses, and all that.

And you were there when Craig Gore signed the deal and having examined the contract in detail, you can say with all certainty that none of this is going to happen?

Here again please do your homework. If you COULD see the big picture, it involves much more than sponsorship but an EXISTING b2b deal involving Bendigo Bank, WPS and VISA and will likely expand beyond that.

[mountainstar]

Well lookie here!

http://www.v8supercard.com.au/

[BootsOntheSide]

That's great marketing for V8 Supercars, undoubtedly, but how does it help ChampCars when another series is getting a marketing boost like this? It doesn't change the fact that big North American sponsors are not coming on board. And anything which makes marcus Marshall more liekly to keep his ride a tthe expense of more capable guys liek haberfeld is certianly not unequivocably good.

Do you think TV viewers who switched a F3000 race on in 2001 thought to themselves "hey, that car says Coca-Cola, this must be an exciting and worthwhile thing to watch and put money into?". I doubt it (just for those who are unaware, that deal was form the Czech distributor and bottler of Coca Cola, who sponsored Tomas Enge).