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.
The Australian-American company Repucom International and Sport+Markt AG, headquartered in Cologne, have formed a strategic alliance with the assistance of GF Capital, an investment group from New York. Both Repucom and Sport+Markt will continue to operate under their respective brands, as will other companies that may join the group.
“This cooperation really is about bringing a truly consolidated offering to the global sports market”, said Repucom CEO Paul Smith. Founded in Australia in 2004, Repucom has offices in ten countries around the world with its major office in the United States.
Hartmut Zastrow, one of the founders of Sport+Markt summed up the mood of both companies by stating that “We felt it was time to explore a truly global offering. Repucom was the perfect fit for us; between the two businesses we now have offices in 14 markets globally and our philosophies are completely aligned.”
The deal was funded by the GF Capital Private Equity Fund, LP, a New York-based private equity firm
focused on investments in the media and branded consumer products sectors.
Jersey sponsorship across the top European leagues has never been quite so lucrative. Sponsors spent 470.7 million Euros in the football Sport+Markt. The Barclays Premier League leads the way in Europe with 128 million euros. “The Premier League is the standard-bearer for jersey sponsorship in Europe and represents the major platform for international companies wishing to invest in football”, underlines Gareth Moore, Director UK Sport + Markt. “Fifteen clubs have improved their revenue from improved jersey sponsorship deals, and three of the five clubs with the most lucrative deals in Europe come from the Premier League.”
More than 70 million Euros are generated from new sponsors in football, with Manchester United and Liverpool FC’s new respective deals with AON and Standard Chartered the clear leaders in Europe, each worth 23.6 million Euro. In addition, FxPro chose the Barclays Premier League to make its debut in football sponsorship with two top clubs, whilst Autonomy has agreed to sponsor Tottenham Hotspur FC’s shirt for Premier League matches only, with the club having secured an alternative partner, Investec, for cup and European matches.
Gareth Moore again: “It is plain to see that when a new company chooses to invest significant amounts of money in sport sponsorship, the Premier League is the top destination”. The Premier League has overtaken the Bundesliga in the total amount of revenue from jersey sponsorship, with an increase of 45 million Euros compared to last year.
Agency Sport + Markt has launched a new product, Football Scout which aims to offer analysis of the commercial performance parameters and positioning of brands in British football – its objective to provide a market standard currency for measuring success and opportunity.
Football Scout will survey a sample of UK population between the ages of 16 and 59 on a weekly basis for 50 weeks of the year.
Recent innovations in cricket such as the Twenty20 format have created a more broad-based appeal for the sport. It has caught the imagination of women, the young and old alike according to results from the Sponsoring 21+ study conducted by Sport+Markt in the four key cricket markets of India, United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia. It is evident that cricket is beginning to draw a much younger and wider demographic base on TV.
“Cricket is finally attracting the attention of non-traditional cricket audiences – the more hard to reach demographic groups of women and youth”, states Ravi Chavan, cricket expert at Sport+Markt. There has been a significant increase in women following cricket on TV in
the United Kingdom (+12%) and South Africa (+6%) between 2008 and 2009.
Similarly, during the same period, cricket has also experienced an increase amongst the target audience of 16-29 year olds in countries such as Australia (+5%) and South Africa (+4%), whereas there was a marginal decrease of one percentage point in India and the United Kingdom. However, given the fact that there has been an overall increase in the following of cricket on TV in India (+ 5 %) and the United Kingdom (+1%),the total number of 16-29 year olds following cricket on TV has nevertheless increased in 2009 as compared to 2008. This trend is further expected to continue, as the Twenty20 cricket format matures and attracts a greater number of viewers.
“Twenty20 format is primarily designed for television and with its high octane contests appeals to women and young people, whose attention is much craved by sponsors and advertisers alike”, the Sport+Markt project manager emphasised.
Interesting to note is the considerable decline in the 30-44 years old age category in all the countries. This can be partly attributed to the fact that this category represents the traditional cricketing audience, which are more inclined towards the longer version of the game and have a cynical view towards the new format. On the other hand there has been a considerable increase in the 45 plus age category in all the countries.
However, from a long term perspective, according to Ravi Chavan, the challenge for cricket’s governing bodies will be to sustain the spectator appeal of these valuable new found audiences, and more importantly to find a way to resurrect the declining interest in Test cricket.
Adidas, Nike and Puma are the best-known football sponsors in the five largest European football markets, according to a survey by sports marketing analysis and evaluation company Sport+Markt among 3,000 European football fans.
Unsurprisingly, “Jersey sponsors and kit suppliers dominate European communication in football”, says Hartmut Zastrow, Sport+Markt’s executive director. Adidas is the top football brand, according to Zastrow who expressed surprise at seeing Audi in number eight position and commented: “Audi pursues a decentralised football strategy, with partnerships with many European clubs and is even outstripping rival automobile supplier Ford, as a sponsor.” Another reason, however, for its position could be the press coverage following the company’s purchase of shares in FC Bayern Munich.
The top twenty sponsorships are an illustration of the variance in sponsorship strategy that European companies can use to gain the attention of European football fans. A global group such as Coca-Cola is ranked fourth and is omnipresent as a sponsor in football and sport in general, although it has no shirt sponsorships, whereas Emirates (ranked fifth) do have shirt sponsorships and the naming rights of Arsenal FC. Moreover, it is a FIFA World Cup Partner.
The UK is the only market where shirt sponsors, namely AIG and Carlsberg, score higher than the actual kit suppliers or technical partners; only Barclays as the league title sponsor is able to compete at such a high level. Internationally, the popularity of the Premier League and the success these clubs enjoy in the UEFA Champions League has enabled these sponsors to reach overseas fans. For more information on the report, visit www.sportundmarkt.com
Germany-based sponsorship research consultancy Sport+Markt joined the European Sponsorship Association (ESA) this week. The news is a coup for the trade body which is keen to enhance its international credentials.
ESA chair Karen Earl was delighted with the development: “Sport+Markt is a top player on the German sponsorship landscape which means ESA now has stronger ties with one of the key European sponsorship markets. We look forward to working with them to further ESA’s committed aim of raising standards across the sponsorship industry.”
ESA represents sponsors, consultants, rights holders, suppliers and advisors – a fact which appealed to Sport+Markt. Marcel Cordes, executive director of Sport+Markt said: “ESA and Sport+Markt both follow the same goal of further professionalisation of European sponsorship.”
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