Sports Is the World's Common Language Giant Reaps Huge Pub
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Text: Daphne Chen he Athens Olympics have international image, and earn con- championship of the 2002 Tour de Tofficially begun! Six billion sumers’ recognition and France. Giant’s example shows people around the world have acceptance. However, sports that now that Taiwan’s cycle in- turned their gaze towards the marketing requires persistent in- dustry has achieved the highest spectacular athletic contests tak- vestment and effort before it can manufacturing standards, it can ing place at the Olympics. The be effective and successful. also sponsor winning riders in the world’s biggest corporations are Bicycle brands that are world’s most challenging cycling vying to display their advertise- good at sports marketing include events. It also demolishes the ments in the athletic venues in Mavic, Shimano, SRAM, myth that only a small number of and around Athens. Sports fields Campagnolo, Bianchi, and Trek. European brands will necessarily have unquestionable become are- Taiwan’s bicycle brands have also dominate cycling sponsorship. nas for the competition between done very well at sports This year Giant sponsored brands, and sports marketing has marketing. Germany’s T-Mobile team, become an important emerging which at the 2004 Tour de France area of the study of marketing. Giant Reaps Huge Pub- captured the team championship, licity from Tour Sponsor- second in total individual times, Sports is the World’s ship and fourth place individual Common Language performance. This achievement Giant has been one of Thanks to the flourishing Taiwan’s biggest pioneers when sports industry, plus the new ea- it comes to sponsoring athletic gerness of international corpo- events. Giant spent the huge sum rate sponsors to employ sports- of US$1 million 18 years ago – oriented strategies, there is no at a time when it was still a question that “sports” has be- smallish company with annual come the world’s common earnings of NT$3 billion language. Innumerable busi- (roughly US$85 million) - to spon- nesses and brands are flocking to sor the Dutch amateur team and sports marketing. These compa- hold the first Tour de Taiwan. Gi- nies hope that sponsoring inter- ant began sponsoring the top- The ONCE team won the overall national sporting events will flight Spanish team ONCE in team championship of the 2002 Tour de France riding Giant make fans their faithful 1998, and Giant’s backing even- carbon fiber bikes. (Source: customers, give their brand an tually helped ONCE win the team Giant) 24 BMU 2004 Autumn Edition www.biketaiwan.com Established in January 2001, the Giant Asia Racing Team was Asia’s Germany’s T-Mobile team sponsered by Giant won the team first professional essional cycling team. (Source:Giant Asia Racing Team) championship of this year’s Tour de France. (Source:Giant) once again put the Giant brand in The Merida Europe Team the international limelight. Long- was once again victorious in this term team sponsorship has not year’s MTB World Cup. The only displayed Giant’s constant Merida Europe team’s female enthusiasm for and commitment rider Gunn-Rita Dahle domi- to cycle, but also gives it the in- nated at the World Cup and has spiration to develop even better not let up her pace since that time. products. In addition, the suc- Dahle earned yet another world cesses of the sponsored teams championship with a dazzling have given Giant invaluable performance at the 2004 MTB publicity and brand recognition. Marathon race held in Austria on July 11. The top two riders in Merida-Sponsored Euro- the women’s section at the MTB pean Team Wins MTB World Cup were both members of the Merida Europe team, Gunn-Rita Dahle of the World Championship Merida Europe women’s which is currently first in the team won another world Unwilling to let Giant world on the basis of its World champion riding a Merida MTB. (Source:Merida) reap all the glory, Merida has also Cup point total. promoted its image in Europe via dedicated sponsorship of teams and riders. This company has used a generous budget to attract top European cyclists to the Merida Europe team, and Merida bi- cycles have won the MTB World Cup for two years in a row. Merida has thus successfully earned a fine image and touted The Merida Europe women’s team has its professional technology in the turned in some outstanding performances, including first and second place in the European market. The Merida Europe men’s team earned a Mountain Bike World Cup. (Source:Merida) creditable third place in the World Cup. www.biketaiwan.com 2004 Autumn Edition BMU 25 Maxxis has even been sponsoring the NBA a nd USA professional baseball in order to increase brand exposure. Maxxis has signed an alliance pact with the Brothers Kenda has sponsored the Taiwan Shinung Bulls professional baseball team, and hopes that this popular baseball team in hope that sports marketing will burnish baseball team will boost the appeal of its brand. its brand image. Maxxis Burnishes Image cycle challenge race, the Maxxis by Sponsoring Global US Open, the Tour of Georgia, and the Paris-Dakar Rally. In Sports Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (above) and Mary addition, Maxxis also plans to McConneloug (below) will ride on Kenda tires when they represent the US in the Olympics Tire manufacturers have hold the ASEAN Maxxis Cup cross-country race. (Source:Kenda) also joined the sports marketing cross-country race (through trend in an effort to increase their Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos to brand recognition. Maxxis Tires Kunming in China) in October of are a good example of how tire this year in conjunction with the companies are enhancing their opening of the Cheng Shin Rub- brand and trademark exposure by ber plant in Thailand. Maxxis’ sponsoring international sporting many sponsorships have given events. Maxxis has sponsored the the brand lavish exposure and a Indianapolis 500, France’s Paris- vigorous image. Dakar Rally, the Maxxis US Open, American professional Kenda Achieves Fame by baseball, and the NBA, etc. The Sponsoring Rising Golf company began sponsoring the Star The Kenda-sponsored rider Jimena Florit Houston Rockets basketball will represent Argentina in the Olympics. (Source:Kenda) team and Taiwan’s Brothers Kenda has sponsored baseball team this year. More of golfers, cyclists, and F1 racers. As Curtis’ sole sponsor, Kenda this year’s spons orships went Branching out from its annual has earned tremendous brand to the Hamburg pr of essional sponsorship of the Giant ART recognition from this star’s soccer team, the champion racing team, Kenda recently success. There are many people player Kung Yi-ping of the achieved a measure of fame by who admire Kenda Vice Presi- women’s international amateur shrewdly sponsoring the rising dent Jimmy Yang’s ability to golf tour, the Europe Cup motor- professional golfer Ben Curtis. spot a winner. 26 BMU 2004 Autumn Edition www.biketaiwan.com In the wake of its success- four stages of the 2003 Tour de ful sponsorship of Ben Curtis, France, and ultimately had an ex- Kenda has also set its eyes on the cellent six-place finish. Simon’s Olympics. Kenda will be sponsor- success in the Tour gave FSA its ing the US cyclists Jeremy share of attention. Horgan-Kobelski and Mary FSA also signed a parts McConneloug, as well as the sponsorship contract with the Argentinean women riders prominent Danish team CSC in Jimena Florit. Thanks to this 2003 (CSC was ranked as the sponsorship, at least three cy- world’s top team as of June 27), The Saeco team uses FSA’s finest handlebars clists at the Olympics will be and this team won a stage in the and stems. (Source:FSA) riding Kenda’s K917 Karma 2003 Tour de France. CSC has seat posts at the Olympics. FSA tubeless tires. The presence of done even better this year, which is thus earning brand awareness the K917 Karma tires at the has given FSA even more on the world sports stage. Olympics will deal another blow recognition. FSA has increased Sports marketing isn’t to the longstanding dominance of its level of sponsorship this year, something that can deliver instant European and American brands at and is sponsoring the Italian team success. Instead, it is best used international sports events. Saeco – currently ranked as the as merely part of a company’s world’s second best team. FSA’s overall marketing plan. Sports Dark Horse FSA Shows handlebars and stems received marketing achieves the best re- Its Colors in Tour plenty of exposure when Saeco sults when it is paired with an rider Cunego won this year’s outstanding product R&D The FSA brand has been Giro de Italia. FSA has also been capability. The ultimate goal of earning a growing reputation actively sponsoring MTB riders sports marketing is to find a place over the last few years from its in the US, and many riders on the in sports fans’ hearts, earn their plentiful exposure at international US team will be using FSA respect, and get them to open cycle shows and races. While a handlebars, stems, cranks, and their wallets. fair share of credit must go to the company’s R&D expertise and high technological standards, Seaco rider Cunego won this year’s Giro skill at sports marketing has given de Italia riding a bike FSA a key edge. FSA signed a equipped with FSA handlebar and stem. parts sponsorship contract with the French team Bonjour in 2002. Apart from FSA carbon fi- ber chainwheels and Orbit inte- grated threadless headsets, the team’s bikes are also equipped with Ultimax Xtreme titanium alloy and chromoly ISIS axle sys- tem bottom brackets.