Sponsorship Awareness

[Matthew Ronke]

Sponsors plug gamely on

Julian Lee, Marketing Reporter - SMH
November 19, 2007

SOME of Australia's leading brands are failing to make themselves heard in the increasingly cluttered $1.1 billion sports sponsorship market. Not that they admit it.

Awareness of Ford, Uncle Toby's, Kellogg's and Vodafone as sponsors has fallen dramatically, according to the latest survey into whether people recall the brands behind the sport.

Link

Not a nice article for 888 that it has been identified that their two major funders have had a reduction in sposorship awarness.

Good news is both Vodafone and Ford are happy with the results.

[GTRMagic]

I know the Sweeney survey system is treated like a bible to people trying to pitch sponsorship proposals... in looking at increases in awareness and the like.

Where it seems to get difficult to understand is the impact of a change in branding. If you see the same thing all the time, do you become immune to it, so it doesnt become "different" and stand out to you?

Its usually the reason why companies float in and out of sports... they achieve their saturation level, pull out while its high... have it drift a little.. and potentially come back in...

Which is kind of why its dangerous to have motor manufacturers owning racing teams.. ala F1 and the like...

[Just Do It!]

Hi Matthew,

Interesting you bring this up. I was sent a copy of the link and it got me to wondering.

With all the tin Vodie are biffing at 888, you have to wonder what the spin-off is - perceived/hoped for/sought...and how it is tracking?

Lowndes is hardly low profile....but maybe the spin-off is in mobile subscriptions.

I know in NZ the uptake of Sky TV to Vodie mobiles has been breath-taking....though reality may bite in Month 3 when the punter has to pay for it.

Do big brands really need the exposure and if not, then why be there?

I need to lie down....

[GTRMagic]

The boys and girls at Sony Ericsson have their hearts set on a HUGE jump in volume when they join the 888/Vodafone package... is it sustainable, or a one off?

Pump and dump is the ethos of most marketing programs it seems....

[Just Do It!]

Is a saturated mobile phone market really the ideal benchmark to focus on?

Over here, the fight to pinch connections off the rival is huge - 3 calls last week inviting a return to the previous mobile phone provider, with offers to buy me out of my existing contract that isn't even 4 months old.

Scary that they actually seem to miss my frugal revenue enough to offer me a brand spanky new phone, contract buy-out, possibly even a blonde foot masseuse if I pushed them......we did the sums on our account of 2 phones and discovered that the current provider spent nearly $2000 to lure us over. 4 months into it, the old provider wants us back.

Anyone want a near-new mobile....to save us some account fees on TradeMe

[db120176]

Why did Caltex drop their sponsorship of SBR? Is it an exposure thing?

[D.R.T.]

I thought they mentioned that v8 racing in 2008 didnt match the company profile any longer.

[Used Car]

Originally Posted by db120176

Why did Caltex drop their sponsorship of SBR? Is it an exposure thing?

Everybody already knew Caltex was in motorsport. So spending a couple of million a year to confirm it is silly.

They will be back.. It was 6 seasons between Bondy's awful Corollas and the SBR/Longhurst/180 partnership.. so 2013 will see them back, brighter than ever

[Pro Racer]

maybe on a Toyota again .

[Raglanparade]

Interesting that over the years the likes of Mobil, Caltex, and Shell have left/reduced there involvement in V8's.....

Yet there profit levels keep getting bigger and bigger.....

On the other hand....... Ford and Holden... Are doing the opposite!!!!!

I am seeing a correlation between a company making profits and not sponsoring V8's here...

[Used Car]

Betta Electrical did great out of the V8's

A Bathurst win, then bankruptcy

[Wood-duck]

interesting thread this one.. will spotted matthew on that article, an interesting if not somewhat depressing read for most v8 Supercar team commercial managers..

Vodafone is an easy one to poke at and presume that their V8 sponsorship has been a dud. In terms of overall sponsorship spend, their V8 program would form a part of a much larger mix that includes AFL Football jersey sponsorship, NRL, and even oddities such as beach volleyball. They didnt renew their wallabies title sponsorship, which could explain the falling back off their overall ranking. And then take into account their global spend... big $$$$

The Vodafone V8 program is one of the best kicking around, and in terms of results, Triple 8 have hardly been dissapointing in 2007... Vodafone are very active with their 'Mobisodes' and their VMag updates as well as countless corporate events for CL and Winky.

In terms of the sponsorship market, V8's certainly need to curtail their spend in order to stay competitive in the market. If i was a young driver without a rich daddy trying to get into Fujitsu V8's, $500k for a drive, i would have absolute buckly's trying to land a sponsor cold for that amount for that series....same can be said of Carrera cup...

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Wood-duck

In terms of the sponsorship market, V8's certainly need to curtail their spend in order to stay competitive in the market. If i was a young driver without a rich daddy trying to get into Fujitsu V8's, $500k for a drive, i would have absolute buckly's trying to land a sponsor cold for that amount for that series....same can be said of Carrera cup...

Having watched the NZV8's in person this past weekend, I didn't feel short changed from a spectator point of view when comparing it to V8 Supercars. Yes the cars are a little slower, but the racing is good and teams are spending couple of hundred thousands for a seven round season? I wonder for how long in the Australian/NZ market sponsors can foot bills for $6 million dollar budgets a car in V8 Supercars? It's like people spending 200K a season in formula ford trying to reinvent the wheel. Stupid.

[xrystl]

I often wonder if the advertising is paying off for the advertising$$$ spent - I wouldn't use "Vodaphone" even with all the hoopla that they offer , much the same as Optus - I don't buy Mobil products just because they are advertised on the HRT cars ; everything I have bought from Supercheap over the years I have had to return because the products were faulty /didn't work so I will never go into those stores again - I can't think of any sponsors products that I would buy because they are sponsoring participants in V8 Supercars;

Be interesting to see what the future holds .

[bazil]

Originally Posted by xrystl

I often wonder if the advertising is paying off for the advertising$$$ spent - I wouldn't use "Vodaphone" even with all the hoopla that they offer , much the same as Optus - I don't buy Mobil products just because they are advertised on the HRT cars ; everything I have bought from Supercheap over the years I have had to return because the products were faulty /didn't work so I will never go into those stores again - I can't think of any sponsors products that I would buy because they are sponsoring participants in V8 Supercars;

Be interesting to see what the future holds .

It is unfortunate that you have had unhappy experiences with products and brands associated with race teams. However your suggestion that brand loyalty is not there is probably wide of the mark. Certainly not everyone goes out and buys Mobil products because they are with HRT, but plenty do.

I think the big difference between sponsorship here in OZ compared to say the US is the amount of money applied to leverage the sponsorship. Sometimes here I think there is not enough money allocated (because the team wants the bucks) too off track brand awareness and leveraging which plays a huge role in overall customer satisfaction.

Sponsors do have a life span, the only question is will it be a season or 2 because they get burnt or possibly 5 or more years because they have been managed properly, enjoyed their involvement and benefited commercially

[Matthew Ronke]

Possible sponsorship job to bring the big more oney for motor sport. Our freinds at SponsorshipHQ are listing this as V8 Supercars????

Link

[db120176]

Originally Posted by xrystl

I don't buy Mobil products just because they are advertised on the HRT cars.

As a boy, I used to protest if my parents went to buy Mobil fuel since they were with Brock and not Dick Johnson.

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by db120176

As a boy, I used to protest if my parents went to buy Mobil fuel since they were with Brock and not Dick Johnson.

Sorry I think I worded that statement badly ; I do use some Mobil products (Motorcycle related) but I don't buy them because they (Mobil) sponsor a participant in V8 Supercars , I buy the product because it's the best of its type that is readily available.

[MRJUCY]

I had a call from Telstra trying to get me to swap my mobile to them, before they got to far in to it I said no thanks you guys don't sponsor Craig Lowndes. Not the real reason of course but it got them off the phone quick.

[Matthew Ronke]

Another who is very happy with their motorsport sponsirship all be not related to V8's


Link

Financial service group ING says its first year as the main sponsor of the Renault Formula One motor racing team, has exceeded all expectations.



ING said its Renault title sponsorship and trackside advertising - including naming rights in Australia and Belgium - "increased ING's global brand awareness and created a clear and positive perception of the firm".

'The affiliation between ING and Formula One has already proven its worth. Our research shows that the programme has improved ING's global brand awareness and image,' ING said in a statement.

"Heading into 2008, the ING F1 strategy will build upon the increase in awareness of ING to drive revenue returns," executive board chairman Michel Tilmant said.

The Amsterdam based company said it had commissioned independent research company Research International to determine the value of its F1 involvement this year, with positive results.

The international sports research agency IFM also showed that ING was the second most visible F1 sponsor in 2007.
"In 2008 our goal is to fully activate the F1 sponsorship in all ING markets, in order to make use best use of our increased awareness," director of sponsorship Isabelle Conner revealed

[db120176]

Originally Posted by xrystl

Sorry I think I worded that statement badly ; I do use some Mobil products (Motorcycle related) but I don't buy them because they (Mobil) sponsor a participant in V8 Supercars , I buy the product because it's the best of its type that is readily available.

Understood, just added that as a potential negative effect of sponsorship. These days, I shop for price really.

[fomoco]

Just recieved an email from CALTEX, thanks for the support and memories, yada yada, at the bottom,

Caltex supports AFL and State of Origion in 2008.

Looks like some coporates will have to change sporting codes

[Neil Hart]

Do consumers retain memory for certain brands for time after the sponsorship has stopped?

To me, it will always be Caltex Chase at Bathurst. Dont know what an Autobytel actually is, but it didnt ever stick with me when watching the telecast

[Ross Cadell]

It's funny how people's perception of "naming rights" can be.

When I was at the Newcastle Knights we extended the "Energy Australia Stadium" deal as home ground naming rights. I actually got a call complaining that as a public asset we had no right to sell the name and it will always be "Marathon Stadium".

The problem is that Marathon was a tyre wholesaling brand that was the first rights sponsor after the original name was the International Sports Centre

[RotorFan]

When I see a car with a Sutton's branded number plate holder I always think of Oran Park

When I see the corner I always think of how muddled the commentator used to get with one of its other names: "I.C. Strong Ice Coffee Dip for the Day"