01732 759725
34
SPONSORSHIP
What sponsorship activities have you
been/are you currently involved in?
Andrew Jones,
Sales Director,
1st Office
Equipment
:
“Currently 1st Office is a
main sponsor of Bristol Academy Women
Football Club (BAWFC), who play in the
Women Super League (WSL) 1.”
Julietta Khoshaba,
Group Marketing
Manager,
Xeretec
:
“Xeretec sponsors
British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)
Racing driver Dave Newsham. We have
supported him for three seasons.”
Gary Downey,
Group Marketing Director,
Balreed
:
“Balreed is the shirt sponsor of
the Kent County Cricket (KCC) team for
the 2015 season, and this is something we
have done for the last two years. Our logo
is displayed across the chest of the white
county shirt. As part of our sponsorship
arrangements we also have perimeter
pitch advertising signage and branding
on all literature and communications that
KCC produces in print and digital form,
including its website, emails, match day
programmes and so on. We also have
match day hospitality and use of KCC
facilities outside the season.”
Darrell Minards,
Head of Marketing
Communications,
Xerox Europe
:
“Xerox
currently has two main sponsorships, Cirque
du Soleil and the Women’s Tennis Association
(WTA), along with a smaller sponsorship of
Expo 2015 in Milan. The Cirque du Soleil
sponsorship involves activation at the various
Big Top and Touring shows across Europe,
and the WTA involves activation at key
tournaments across Europe.”
Jeremy Spencer,
Marketing Director,
Toshiba TEC UK
:
“As one of the official
sponsors of the Commonwealth Games
last year, Toshiba TEC UK provided
Glasgow 2014 with a comprehensive, fully
supported office automation solution in
the run up to and during the Games. Six
hundred of our MFPs and desktop printers
were provided and supported, producing
11 million prints. Following on from this
extremely successful execution of the
games, we are pleased to be involved in
Toshiba Corporation’s sponsorship of the
Rugby World Cup.
“Toshiba has a long affiliation of
working with sporting bodies and rugby is
a particular favourite with our colleagues
in Japan. Toshiba Corporation previously
sponsored the Rugby World Cup in 2007
and 2011 and this year has extended that
sponsorship to include the Japanese team
and will support them throughout the
tournament.”
What were the reasons behind
your decision to sponsor?
Andrew Jones:
“We first got involved
with BAWFC after being approached by a
director of the club who was also one of
our clients, asking if we could assist with
a small sponsorship package. Initially this
took the form of a pitch board, sponsoring
a player and a match.
The sponsorship of events, individuals or teams raises brand profile and
visibility, but what are the added benefits to the channel?
Here
PrintIT Reseller
asks some of the print and imaging industry’s leading
lights to share their experiences and views.
The value of
sponsorship
“As we got more involved with the club
and were impressed with the professional
quality of the play and determination
of the team, we decided to increase our
investment for the 2014 season and renew
our sponsorship as a shirt sponsor. This
has given us two pitch boards by each
goal, a sponsored player and a sponsored
match. With the rapid growth of media
coverage in women’s football, broadcasts
on BBC, BT Sport, ESPN and Eurosport, this
has given us an immeasurable level of TV
exposure.”
Julietta Khoshaba:
“The BTCC is one
of the most thrilling motorsport events to
watch. It’s ultra-competitive, the tension
is gripping and the closeness of the racing
is knuckle-bitingly dramatic; at times,
it’s just like a day in the office! After all,
success is about team work, preparation,
determination, focus, discipline, having the
right people and sharing a burning desire
to win, so it is an appropriate investment.”
Gary Downey:
“Proximity to our HQ,
relevance to our target market, affordable
price, opportunity to raise our profile and
generate new business, interest in the
sport from the staff… there are lots of
reasons to sponsor KCC.
“The major factors are Kent County
Cricket’s ground in Canterbury is very close
to our head office in Maidstone; supporting
the county’s team when our main
operations are based there makes a lot of
sense; and our staff find it very convenient
when hosting events or generating
attendance from local businesses around
the county. Plus, not only is cricket our
MD’s favourite sport, it is also a great sport
in terms of the fans it attracts and the
atmosphere at the ground on match day.
The sort of people we want to do business
with are often cricket fans.”
Darrell Minards:
“Xerox’s sponsorship
strategy is designed to demonstrate the
Xerox brand story through product/service
showcase with each sponsorship partner;
develop client and partner relationships
through attendance at events; and utilise
partners’ intellectual property in marketing
activity.
“The Xerox approach to sponsorship
With the
rapid growth
of media
coverage
in women’s
football,
broadcasts on
BBC, BT Sport,
ESPN and
Eurosport,
this has
given us an
immeasurable
level of TV
exposure
1st Office: Main sponsor of Bristol
Academy Women Football Club
