Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

The Football League has extended its partnership with Chevron Ltd, owner of the Texaco brand, the official Motor Fuel and Motor Oil Partner of the Championship until the end of the 2013/14 season.  The three-year renewal takes the relationship to six seasons and will see participating Championship clubs receive funding towards the cost of first team travel.

The multi-million pound ‘opt in’ deal also includes designation, club inventory – including perimeter boards – and programme advertising for all participating clubs. Texaco will remain as sponsors of the online Fantasy Football predictor game for the npower Championship and receive an online package across participating club websites and The Football League website.

Kieron Kilbride, Director of Business Development at The Football League, said: “We are delighted to have signed a new three-year agreement with the Texaco brand.  “This extension with one of our group of highly valued partners demonstrates the appeal of our partnership programme which offers brands unique access to both traditional and digital platforms.

“The Football League has a great track record of building long term partnerships and we are excited that we can now continue to work with the Texaco brand in engaging with millions of fans across England and Wales.”

Stuart McBride, Texaco Brand Specialist, said: “The Football League Championship remains a great fit for the values of our brand, and we are delighted to be continuing our relationship. A continuous programme of activity on forecourts, at the football grounds and in the media over the last three seasons has really helped to keep the Texaco brand profile high and ultimately drive customers to our forecourts. We are looking forward to building on the relationships we have developed with the clubs and their fans over the next three seasons.”

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Research and consultancy company SPORT+MARKT has appointed Barry Johnston to the position of international PR manager. His primary responsibility will be to enhance SPORT+MARKT’s media presence in key international markets and help strengthen communication across the company’s global offices and partnerships.

London Irish has secured Kinetica as its official sports nutrition provider and partner for the next three seasons.In addition to a sponsorship fee, Kinetica will supply the squad with a range of protein and nutrition products for power & strength, fat burn and recovery.  Its brand will appear on the back of the London Irish first team playing shorts.

Hugo Youngman Brand Manager at Kinetica said: “Our extensive experience, research and development using leading practitioners in Sports Nutrition means that we know exactly what today’s athletes need to supplement their training – both in terms of building lean muscle but also concentrating on recovery from high intensity training and maintaining a healthy outlook. We are looking forward to working closely with the Exiles over the next three seasons to maximise the benefits of the partnership. ”

Allan Ryan, Head of Strength and Conditioning at London Irish said: “With punishing training regimes and the ever increasing competitiveness of rugby, it is important that the modern day professional player has access to the first rate nutrition he needs to both optimise performance and aid recovery.”

Launched in the UK in January this year, Kinetica’s experts have developed a range of nutrition products for both serious amateur and professional athletes which is made with 100% natural protein and flavours.  The Ireland based company has a unique positioning and heritage producing both the raw material whey protein and the natural flavours which ensure the products are of the best quality and the ingredients are traceable from ‘cow to can’.

MasterCard and The R&A have announced a global partnership which will see the payments company become a Patron and the Official Card of The Open Championship for four years from 2012.  The announcement was made today at Royal St George’s Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, host of The Open Championship 2011.
With a history of over 15 years’ association with golf sponsorship, the agreement is a further opportunity for MasterCard to build on its sporting heritage.  The partnership complements MasterCard’s existing stable of sport and cultural sponsorship properties and player endorsements.
Alfredo Gangotena, Chief Marketing Officer at MasterCard, said: “We are immensely proud to become a global partner of The Open Championship and thrilled to have the chance to bring golf fans from across the world closer to the game.  Our association with The Open Championship is a unique opportunity to offer our cardholders priceless access and experiences around the most historic tournament in golf.”
Mike Tate, Director at The R&A, commented: “MasterCard’s expertise, commitment to heightening the fan experience and longstanding association with golf across the world make it a natural partner for The R&A and The Open Championship.”
Organised by The R&A, The Open Championship is the oldest and most prestigious Major golf championship in the world and the only Major hosted outside of the United States.  The annual tournament is attended by 200,000 spectators each year and has global media exposure in over 187 countries.
utside of Europe, MasterCard sponsors the PGA TOUR, the PGA Champions Tour and the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented By MasterCard in Orlando.
MasterCard currently enjoys relationships with Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Camilo Villegas, Boo Weekley, Brandt Snedeker, Natalie Gulbis and five-times Open Championship winner and golfing legend, Tom Watson.

Aberdeen Asset Management will continue to be Edinburgh Rugby’s main sponsor for at least another two years.
The extension will see the global asset manager continue to support the Murrayfield-based club until 2013, with the team continuing to sport the group’s logo on two of the biggest stages in the world of club rugby, the RaboDirect PRO12 and Heineken Cup.
The renewed deal is the latest milestone in a partnership that dates back to 2008.Edinburgh chief executive Craig Docherty today hailed the extension as a great coup that would give the club a real boost in both a rugby and commercial sense.
He said: “The sponsorship extension is fantastic news for everyone associated with Edinburgh Rugby and is a great endorsement of what we’re striving to achieve: giving the Edinburgh supporters a team of which they can be proud.
“Aberdeen will support the efforts being made by both ourselves and Scottish Rugby to develop the player pool and give us real credibility when we go into the marketplace to encourage other local and national businesses to get on board and invest.
“Aberdeen Asset Management want to work with us to grow the club both on and off the field and I’d like to put on record my thanks for the three seasons of valuable support they’ve already given and look forward to this partnership thriving in the years ahead.”