Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

ZUGO’S Deli Café Paninis are the new sponsors of Friends on Comedy Central. The five month deal sees ZUGO’s Panini range become exclusive broadcast and online sponsor. The six figure sponsorship is ZUGO’S first significant push into the UK market promoting their range of paninis and pasta pots. The deal was negotiated between MediaCom Beyond Advertising and Sky Media.
The weekly reach for

Friends on Comedy Central is over 3.6m individuals with 16-34s accounting for 54% of adults (Total TV 16-34s 27%). 2012 is Comedy Central’s best year ever; ratings for 16-34 adults are up 52%. And since the launch of Friends Comedy Central is the now the highest rated channel in the daytime for 16-34 adults.

Sail Training International, the global charity that creates sailing experiences to educate young people has appointed Capitalize – The BrandFan® Agency to help launch a sponsorship procurement programme to help empower more people around the world.
Sail Training International has a focus on the development and education of young people and for over 50 years has created sail training experiences to inspire self-confidence, instil a teamwork ethic and encourage personal responsibility in participants.
The charity works alongside the world’s sail training Tall Ships, national sail training organisations and host ports to

impact positively on the lives of over 7,000 young people a year, regardless of nationality, culture, religion, gender or social background.
Capitalize will advise Sail Training International on its rights packages and devise a global commercial procurement strategy. The agency has a heritage in both sailing and the third sector, with clients ranging from Puma Ocean Racing and the Alpari World Match Racing Tour to Skandia Team GBR and leading youth sports and disability charity, The Lord’s Taverners.

Three new directors have been appointed to the Board of the European Sponsorship Association (ESA). Eelco Van der Noll of AB InBev, Fredda Hurwitz of Havas Sports and Entertainment and Sandra Greer of Repucom International were newly appointed while existing Directors, Toby Hester, Castrol and Nick Johnson, Osborne Clarke, were re-elected to the Board.

ESA Chairman Karen Earl said: “We have had tremendous interest in the Board Director positions this year, as well as a record attendance at the AGM. This bodes well for the industry as ESA continues to raise standards, and protect and promote the business of sponsorship. Our new Directors bring a wealth of sponsorship knowledge and experience to ESA and they help to make up a very strong Board”.

Eelco joins with 20 years’ experience, currently as Global Director, AB InBev, overseeing the company’s sponsorship portfolio. He has also worked as Director, Marketing at FIFA and held senior positions at MasterCard and Canon.
Fredda’s expertise in sponsorship covers many years, having worked client-side at Disney, NHL and NFL International before turning to agency life, working at a number of key agencies before moving to Havas Sports and Entertainment as Global VP Strategic Planning, Marketing & Communications.

Sandra’s work in the sports and sponsorship industry is extensive and she specialises in the area of evaluation and strategy. She has been a member of ESA since its inception, a member of the Board previously and currently heads up ESA’s Information group, providing the European market sponsorship size and other data for members.

Karen Earl added: “It is always good to have new Directors on the

Board to inject different ideas and initiatives. ESA has enjoyed a strong past 12 months with the launch of the ESA Diploma – the first professional qualification for the industry as well as a number of key achievements within it policy and governance work at EU and national levels.”

Gym equipment company Technogym has reached an agreement with the Football Association to be the official fitness equipment supplier for the England football squad during their participation in the UEFA European Championships 2012. The deal marks an on-going business relationship with the FA which included the supply during the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Technogym has supplied equipment to numerous national teams

for European Championships and the FIFA World Cup tournament in South Africa in 2010. Overall, Technogym supplied the equipment used by 16 of the 32 squads taking part in the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa.

Sports marketing agency Fast Track has been appointed by the RFL and Rugby League World Cup 2013 (RLWC2013) to promote the sport over the next two years.

Fast Track’s role will involve senior sports media relations, feature generation and a programme of events to raise awareness of Rugby League nationally, with particular focus on London and the south east of England media.

RLWC2013 will be the first world event staged in the UK, in the 12 months after the London Olympic and Paralympic Games and Fast Track will work with the RFL and RLWC2013 to promote the sport and raise

awareness.

Steve Chisholm, Director of Communications at Fast Track, said: “Rugby League is one of Britain’s key sports and has great stories to tell. Our role will be to work with the RFL to help them generate coverage for the sport.”

RFL Acting Director of Communications Niel Wood said: “After a thorough process, Fast Track were the outstanding choice of agency for the RFL to work with.

“Their creativity and connections within the UK sports media were first class and we look forward to working with them over the next two years.”

RLWC2013 will be staged over five weeks in October and November next year and hosted jointly by England and Wales. Upwards of half a million people are expected to watch the 28 matches live with a further 20 million viewers from 120 countries tuning in around the world.

RLWC2013 Communications Manager Martin Johnston said: “Fast Track has unparalleled knowledge of the national media and a proven track record of high-quality delivery for a range of sports and major events.

“This is only the eighth time that any World Cup has come to the UK and we know we have a great story to tell. We look forward to working closely with Fast Track on the promotion of RLWC2013.”

Enterprise Insurance has extended its sponsorship agreement with Leeds United for a further period of two years and will continue as the Main Club Sponsor until the end of the 2013/14 Season.

Leeds United Chief Executive Shaun Harvey said: “We have developed an excellent working relationship with Enterprise Insurance during the course of this season and have launched a number of Leeds United branded insurance products through the partnership, including the increasingly popular Leeds United Insurance Compare website. We look forward to developing our relationship further with Enterprise and helping them to promote their business to a worldwide audience.”

Commenting on the extension of the sponsorship agreement, Enterprise Insurance Managing Director, Andrew Flowers, said “It’s a terrific Club and over the course of this season we have seen the real benefits of a marketing partnership with a globally recognised brand such as Leeds United. The Enterprise brand has been featured in 11 live games on television this season, generating significant exposure for our company not only in the UK but Internationally where we have growing business interests. ”

The relationship has seen the launch of the Leeds United Insurance services compare website (www.luiscompare.com), allowing fans to save money on their insurance through comparing insurance quotes on their car, motorbike, van or home insurance policies. The Club has also launched a branded mechanical breakdown insurance policy.

Endurance brand Maxifuel is to become the official sports nutrition partner to the UK’s biggest cycling event, The Tour of Britain, which also includes The Halfords Tour Series and The Tour Rides.
The company will provide amateur riders with tailored nutritional support to complement their lifestyle, training and racing schedules as well as support professional participants and race enthusiasts through sampling opportunities at the various events.
The Tour of Britain, taking place from 9-16 September, is the country’s largest free-to-spectate live sporting event attracting over a million spectators to the roadside annually, while over 10,000 amateur cyclists take part in the mass participation Tour Rides based on Tour of Britain stage routes.
The Halfords Tour Series is a city centre cycling race series, taking place throughout May and June.

Specialist bank and asset manager Investec and Epsom Downs Racecourse have announced a 10 year extension to the Derby Festival sponsorship until 2021. The new agreement represents the biggest sponsorship agreement in British racing history. The extension, agreed in the fourth year of the original five year contract, will see the Investec Derby reinstated as the richest race in the UK offering a prize fund of £1,325,000 in 2012.

Rupert Trevelyan, Managing Director of Epsom Downs Racecourse commented, “We are delighted that Investec have agreed to extend their sponsorship for a further 10 years. They are a fantastic brand to work with, very forward thinking and proactive, and we will continue to work in collaboration with them to develop the Investec Derby Festival. It is only fitting for such a prestigious event like the Derby to have such a high profile, committed and long term partner.”

Raymond van Niekerk, Global Head of Marketing at Investec added, “‘The Derby Festival is Investec’s grandest single spectacle in sponsorship. The event has a magnificent profile in the social arena as well as in the racing and sports industry. Since we started in 2009 the sponsorship has been very rewarding for us as a brand, and it will continue to grow in stature as we work with Epsom to cement the Investec Derby Festival as one of the key events in the British social and sport calendar. The last three years have been very special and we look forward to working with Epsom for at least the next 10 years!’

The new agreement will also see Investec continue its sponsorship of the Investec Spring Meeting across the term of the agreement. Epsom’s season opener being six weeks out from the two-day Festival was seen as a platform via which to launch the Road to the Derby. In addition to an extra £20,000 in prize money, today’s first Derby trial race, the Investec Derby Trial, will offer a wild-card entry into the greatest flat race in the world, the Investec Derby.

With the domestic Twenty20 cricket competition set to begin on 1 June, Friends Life has enlisted the services of Generate Sponsorship to help raise its profile as the leading sponsor of the tournament.
The competition will run throughout June and July with a total of 97 matches being played including the season highlights of the quarter, semi-final and final fixtures set for 25 August in Cardiff.
Peter Foster, Director Corporate Affairs and Brand, Friends Life said:
“I am delighted to have the team at Generate working with us. I have long admired their work and their reputation within the field of sports sponsorship speaks for itself. I am confident they will do a terrific job in helping promote Friends Life’s association with cricket.”
Andy Muggleton, Managing Partner, Generate Sponsorship added:
“We are very pleased to be working with Friends Life to activate its sponsorship of Twenty20 cricket. It’s a very exciting time for the brand and there is a great team in place committed to delivering business benefits through sponsorship. We have a real passion for the sport and look forward to developing a long-term partnership with Friends Life.”

Gaydar, gay dating website, has been secured as the headline sponsor of The Bingham Cup, the world championship of gay and inclusive rugby teams. The event, which will be taking place in Manchester between 1st and 3rd June 2012, will be hosted at Broughton Park RUFC, one of the largest and best-known clubs in the North West of England.
Having grown from six teams in 2002 to 33 teams competing in 2012, the Bingham Cup is now the largest 15-a-side rugby union tournament outside of the IRB Rugby World Cup, and this year is being backed by ex-England rugby player, and gay icon, Ben Cohen. The tournament is named after Mark Bingham, a gay rugby player who was killed on Flight 93 (United 93) after challenging the hijackers on the plane which tragically came down in Pennsylvania on 9/11.
Simon Johnson, product manager at Gaydar, comments: “The Bingham Cup is a hugely important and influential sporting event which is helping to drive homophobia out of sport. Rugby is known as a tough and masculine sport, and the tournament broadcasts a strong message to everyone that gay guys are no different to their straight counterparts, and every bit as much up to the challenge.