Following the success of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, marketing opportunities have continued to rise for many of the worlds top companies in the sport of Rugby. As the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England is fast approaching, twenty teams are set to play 48 games across the country, with a predicted 2.9 million spectators, including 400,000 overseas visitors and 4.2 billion fans expected to tune in on television. Hoping to seize the attention of this large, and continuously growing fan base, MasterCard, Land Rover, Heineken, and Emirates have all invested large sums of money into becoming partners of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Having had previous success in other major world sporting events, these major corporations are hoping to profit from next years Rugby World Cup. Will this move pay off? it is too early to tell. However, if the numbers of predicted viewers is relatively accurate, it is likely that these companies will have great brand exposure.
Sources
RFU, "Rugby World Cup 2015", http://www.rfu.com/thegame/competitions/rugbyworldcup
Rugby World Cup 2015, "Worldwide Partners", http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/partners/partner=HEINEKEN.html
How do jersey sponsors compensate for the fact that a rugby game is half the time of a soccer match?
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the goal of these sponsorships is to compete with soccer in anyway, but rather to increase exposure. Many of these companies already have an influence in the commercialization of soccer, so the RWC and other major world sporting events are just other avenues for increased advertising. While the game time's may vary, the people who choose to tune-in or attend the game will still have exposure to the brand.
ReplyDeleteI think Heineken is a good sponsor for Rugby. They are an internationally recognized beer, and they have the reputation of being good and enjoyable, but not the first thing we think of, just like Rugby is a good sport but not the first that springs to mind.
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