Harnessing Opportunities in a New Era of Sport
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Harnessing Opportunities in a New Era last big multi-sport game in which UK athletes will compete before the Olympic Games in 2012. It will therefore be a key point in athletes’ training schedules. There’s quite a lot of evidence showing of Sport that athletes are much more likely to be successful at the Olympics if they’ve A conversation with Duncan Lewis attended a multi-sport event (such as the Commonwealth Games) and won. On the brink of what he calls a ‘new era of sport’, the After the Commonwealth Games there is London 2012, the Rugby League World Cup in Commonwealth Games’ England’s marketing the UK in 2013, and the Rugby Union World strategist, Duncan Lewis shares with Criticaleye what Cup in 2015. In between those, in 2014, the companies large and small, up and down the country Commonwealth Games are in Glasgow. can do to bolster their brands in this exciting and So, there are an awful lot of very high unprecedented time. Duncan describes how to ‘catch the profile sporting events, a number of them based in the UK, particularly London 2012, wave of enthusiasm’ that will come as a result of major which is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. international sporting events in the years to come. What opportunities do you think that these present for UK businesses? There will be a number of different opportunities. Clearly, there is the opportunity to build profile and brand recognition through sponsorship and association with sport. Marketers the length and breadth of the country will be looking into this. London 2012 presents, particularly, an opportunity to have an impact on the consciousness of the British public. It is going to be fairly all consuming for a while and peak over the next two or three years. So, how do you harness the wave of enthusiasm that’s coming? How do you catch and surf it? These questions will be on many minds. Marketers will need to decide whether it’s appropriate for their Criticaleye: You recently mentioned that a concentration of those taking place in the brands. As it is likely to become a crowded we are entering a ‘new era of sport’ – can UK. A couple of big upcoming events in 2010 space, one’s strategy for tapping into the you explain what you meant by that? are the Football World Cup in South Africa public interest must be markedly different. and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Duncan Lewis: We’re entering a period There are direct and immediate where major events are coming thick and The Commonwealth Games will have opportunities, such as for those who fast across the sporting calendar, and there’s increased significance because it is the provide sports equipment and sports www.criticaleye.net 01 Want to seize the opportunities presented by this neW era of athleticism? Here, Duncan offers Criticaleye his advice for taking home the gold! • Take a considered view Don’t jump on organisations will have sufficient marketing if you have limited objectives). If the bandwagon because everyone else budgets to become tier one Olympic your objectives are long-term then is. Be very clear about what involvement sponsors - but most could probably think legacy and think community. in or association with a sport or sporting afford a personal sponsorship deal with event will bring you. Are you looking an individual athlete who will compete in • Think carefully about brand fit to increase sales, raise awareness, the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, Individual sports have very different position your brand, motivate your or to sponsor a local sports club. sets of values, individual athletes and employees, or all of the above? different personalities, not all may be • Don’t forget to budget for activation appropriate for your organisation. • Think broadly The business opportunities Sponsorships without activation and economic benefits will be felt in programmes are highly unlikely • Be really clear about what you are sectors other than sport (travelling to deliver on your objectives. buying The sponsorship landscape is fans, for instance, bring with them increasingly complex and many athletes significant spending power). • Long-term benefits require long- term commitment Most large-scale will have commitments to multiple • Decide on a level of involvement sponsorships deliver best if they sponsors so if you want a weekly blog and appropriate to your organisation are long-term partnerships as well a set number of personal appearances In sponsorship terms, relatively few (although a tactical approach can work then make sure it’s in the contract. products. Sales figures in bicycles, for It’s important to understand one’s position. lower-level involvement, where the cost example, jumped after Team GB was so If you’re a direct provider of sports-related of entry to the dance is much lower. successful in the Velodrome in Beijing. services or infrastructure, than you’re probably clear on what actions to take. Where an Olympic sponsorship might In addition to these obvious opportunities, With these companies, the focus should suit a large international organisation, there will be major changes in be on traditional forecasting in terms of the Commonwealth Games provides infrastructure where businesses can the impact that these events will have on opportunities for medium-sized companies, invest or get involved with prior to demand for both the lead-up and legacy. and SMEs might go for individual athletes. the Games. This isn’t necessarily just about the competition venues, you’ve Marketing leaders should be looking at There are therefore multitude of sports got to remember that before London promotion, sponsorship and how to ‘surf the involved in the Olympics. Some are creating 2012, there will be many Olympic teams wave’ of public enthusiasm. Organisations alliances with the express purpose of from other countries coming over for and brands have to take a considered view, exploiting the marketing opportunities that training camps and acclimatisation. asking if they are ‘in or out’. If you’re in – will come with the Games in 2012. They what level of involvement do you want to are all looking for commercial sponsorship Will this era of sport prove to be London- have? You’ve got to structure campaigns as some of the funding that UK Sport had centric? Or do companies from other so they really benefit the business. hoped to provide by facilitating public sector parts of the UK stand to benefit as well? contributions, hasn’t come through. For There is a great danger, particularly where example, British Basketball recently did a I think a number of the big tournaments, sponsorship is concerned, in launching deal with Standard Life. Basketball is a big like the Rugby World Cups, will use venues projects on a whim where people are swept sport in North America, but not here in spite across the country. Different Olympic teams along by a tide of enthusiasm without fully of having high participation numbers. will also be training all over the country. thinking things through. A classic case is with As the events are spread throughout the budgets for sponsorship. Many would argue Standard Life has obviously looked at country, so too will the opportunities. you should spend as much on activating the marketplace and decided it doesn’t There will be facilities on the south coast, a sponsorship as you should on securing have tens of millions to get involved but and they will need to be exploited and run it – otherwise you’re just not going to get would still like a piece of the action. post-games. Don’t forget, legacy is a huge value for money for it in terms of impact. part of the games as well. For London 2012 They’ve signed a five-year deal to sponsor and Glasgow 2014, it will prove profitable This is all very well for the big British Basketball, and there are other to provide facilities with future usage. corporate organisations, but what sports out there, which will be competing about the ‘little guys’? Do you have at London 2012. Volleyball, for instance, Also, athletes competing in the London any advice for small caps and SMEs? will be in a similar position. Even smaller Games will come from many different parts companies might want to look at individual of the country, and everybody loves a local This era presents interesting opportunities athlete sponsorship, and whilst teams and hero. Lloyds TSB, for example, has a Local for those guys. When it comes to events will be based in big cities, athletes Heroes Campaign, which is one of the ways sponsorship, people tend to think huge come from and live all around the country. they’re activating their sponsorship. multi-million pound deals – but the reality is that if people believe that the Smaller businesses might also establish What actions do you think business interest and excitement pertaining to a partnership with an individual athlete. leaders should take now, in order to the games is relevant to their business, Lottery funding for the slightly less seize these future opportunities? there are significant opportunities for mainstream sports only goes so far. 02 www.criticaleye.net Team England athletes, Dame Kelly Holmes, Mark Foster and Laurence Dallaglio gear up for the Commonwealth Games What’s the scale of this? Is sponsoring It’s clear that Accenture thought this Think about when events like the Olympics an individual athlete going to get you through when selecting Tiger Woods and Commonwealth Games are taking significant amounts of brand exposure? No, to work within their campaigns... place, the chances are that if you’re slightly but if you’re looking to motivate and excite interested in sport and/or a bit patriotic, at your workforce why not have somebody Yes, absolutely, and whilst a company some stage during the two weeks or month come along and do a couple of public might get huge brand exposure from that that the tournament is going on, you appearances, talk about the experience of another sport, it wouldn’t get the whole will find yourself staying up ridiculously late, training and competition at the Games.