Does sponsorship work?
After the (very) promising news of the past week or so with Saxo Bank, Columbia and Garmin investing in the sport I was just wondering whether sponsorship within cycling actually works? How many of you buy products from companies linked to the sport.
Personally if I have a choice in which product to buy I will almost always buy the one from the company linked to the sport (for example I have a T-Mobile phone contract from when they sponsered). However I was just wondering how widespread this opinion was.
Personally if I have a choice in which product to buy I will almost always buy the one from the company linked to the sport (for example I have a T-Mobile phone contract from when they sponsered). However I was just wondering how widespread this opinion was.
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I'm sure the simple answer is yes or no-one would do it!
I think cycling sponsorship is supposed to be one of the best value ways of getting your name mentioned repestedly across Europe
Obviously unlike spending a fortune for a 1cm squared area of Lewis Hamilton's baseball cap to put your sponsor on, you actually get the team named after you
I know ONCE pulled out as they found 98% of Spaniards recognised the brand.
On a personal level I had to open a Spanish bank account a while ago and naturally I chose Banesto 8)0 -
Well it certainly must work for bike manufacturers. How many Cervelos did you see on the roads five years ago?
Not so sure about the likes of Fasso Bortolo, Barloworld, etc. Most of these are more ego driven, ie the owner of said company is a big cycling fan and likes to see his name in lights as it were. Nowt wrong with that, of course.0 -
I think it's the same as with any sport. It's putting your company's name to the forefront of the customers (you and I) minds for whenever they may need flooring, or hiking gear, or quality swiss pens (remember Prodir, co-sponsor of Saunier Duval?)0
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I'd never heard of Gerolsteiner water before they joined pro cycling. Not only did I drink it (it's actually great sparkling water with light carbonation) but I got three other people to start drinking it. The sponsorship works.
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Marlboro Classics on the back of the 2007 CSC shirt, anyone? As much as I like the team, I really don't think I'll take up smoking.
I did see a Barloworld truck on the Motorway a couple of weeks ago. I have to say I thought it was pretty cool!Giant TCR Advanced II - Reviewed on my homepage
Giant TCR Alliance Zero
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Some other junk...0 -
Evidently not.
But now that you mention it, I do remember seeing a Marlboro shop when I was in Sweden. It all becomes clear now!
How about MAN then? I think I'll go out and buy myself a nice new 48 seater bus. Sweet...Giant TCR Advanced II - Reviewed on my homepage
Giant TCR Alliance Zero
BMC teammachineSLR03
The Departed
Giant SCR2
Canyon Roadlite
Specialized Allez
Some other junk...0 -
I have some Quickstep flooring in the kitchen and also have a Saeco coffee machine0
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Yeah we have Quickstep flooring too !0
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I actually haver a Saunier Duval boiler in my central heating system. It's sh¡t – it came with the flat I bought.0
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(rummiging through back of wardrobe)... didn't Procycling or Cycle Sport have an article about a year ago where they tried to live their lives on using pro cycling sponsors...I can't find it so I may have dreamt it!0
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Its really as case of brand awareness - yes many cyclists will buy associated products it give a feel good factor that you are buying in to the sport but it also gives subliminal brand recognition when pictures are on non cycling mags/tv etc it just helps promote the brand to non cyclists as well
Thats why sponsoring cycling with a smaller press audience is cheaper than the olympics/ world cup0 -
[the view from the academic chair]
It works very well for execs who think that visibility = sales. And who can then coincidentally swan around Europe getting treated like royalty rather than sitting behind a big desk in Cologne or Houston.
All the anecdotes in the world from cycling fans mean nothing unless you can prove the $10m per annum you spend on High Horse gets you more sales than $10m on TV adverts, product placement in the next Bond, improving training of sales staff etc etc.
[/lecture ends]___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
Diesel_engine wrote:Well it certainly must work for bike manufacturers. How many Cervelos did you see on the roads five years ago?
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There's a long article about just that here:
http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080611.wsb-sbmag_cervelo0612/BNStory/robSmallBizMag/home
Essentially their revenues went from $800K to $11m in the first 5 years with CSC.
I can't find a link, but sales of Festina watches went up 25% after the 1998 Tour.Twitter: @RichN950 -
I've got a Tchibo watch 0
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When Vitalico Segras left the bike world some yearsback it was because they had achieved the level of brand awareness they set out to get and so they changed their advertising budget to do something else. fassa Bortolo were a little known Italian cement company that achieved something like 20% of the market share by the time they left cyclingM.Rushton0
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I got a T Mobile phone when I moved to Germany because it was the only 'phone company I had heard of (through TdF). Gerolsteiner is big in the Land of the Sausage, but there are lots of cheaper brands. Tchibo is a very odd concern - they seem to sell everything from underwear to cigars to coffee and lamps - a bit like an upmarket Argos..
I've still got Discovery Channel on the TV.
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