Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

Sheffield United FC has signed international brewer Molson Coors as a new partner of the Blades. Molson Coors, whose brand portfolio includes beer brands Carling, Coors Light, Grolsch and Worthington’s, has agreed a three-year, six-figure deal with the club, starting in June 2010.

As part of the deal, Molson Coors has been installed as the official beer supplier of Sheffield United. The agreement will also deliver prominent stadium branding with both the Molson Coors and Carling logo featured at Bramall Lane. The partnership with Sheffield United has been agreed with a view to Molson Coors extending its links with the Blades’ international network of clubs across Europe, Australasia and Asia.

Molson Coors brands have long been avid supporters of football. Carling currently sponsors Old Firm clubs Celtic and Rangers, while the company’s Carling Cup sponsorship has been extended through to 2012.

Mike Farnan, Executive Director at Sheffield United said: “We are delighted to work with a company that has so many brands synonymous with football. This three-year deal adds weight to Sheffield United’s growing portfolio of business partnerships.”

Ryder Cup Europe has secured HP, the world’s largest technology company, as Official Networking Sponsor of the 2010 Ryder Cup to be played at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales from October 1-3.

HP will provide The 2010 Ryder Cup with a unified wired and wireless network infrastructure to ensure internet access to all areas of The Ryder Cup complex, including the Tented Village, Hospitality Pavilions, Business Centre, Media Centre and the Team Rooms of both Europe and the United States.

The 2010 Ryder Cup will attract more than 200,000 golf fans to the City of Newport, as well as a global television audience of millions, and HP will service the needs of the corporate guests and media operation during the week.

Brewer Shepherd Neame is extending its sponsorship agreement with Essex County Cricket Club, supporting the Essex Eagles in their Clydesdale Bank 40 campaign.

Under the two-year deal, Essex Eagles will wear shirts sponsored by Shepherd Neame and Oranjeboom, the Dutch lager brewed under licence by Shepherd Neame.

Graeme Craig, Shepherd Neame’s Sales and Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted to continue our sponsorship of Essex Cricket, building on the fruitful and successful partnership which has developed over the last decade. Shepherd Neame now has 18 pubs in Essex – one renamed the Essex Cricketers in 2004 to mark our association with the county side. We also support the game at grassroots level in the county with our sponsorship of the Shepherd Neame Essex Cricket League.”

Specialist business insurer QBE is putting its support behind the President’s XV Awards - an RFU initiative which seeks to identify and reward initiatives that promote the development of rugby at grassroots level. The four-year deal complements QBE’s status as Official Insurance Partner of the Guinness Premiership and England Rugby.

Now in its fourth year, the President’s XV Awards, supported by QBE, celebrate projects that have been run in a voluntary capacity at rugby organisations within the last 12 months. The winning project in each of the 15 award categories receives £500, with two highly commended projects in each category receiving £100 for their club.

QBE will be involved in the announcement of the winning schemes and having already been involved in judging the winners, QBE will also receive branding rights and presence at each presentation.

Supporting the awards also forms part of QBE’s Developing Talent programme, which will see the insurer encourage development of the game at a grassroots level, and engage QBE employees in activity that contributes towards this goal.

The activity will be supported by an internal communications campaign within QBE, which will encourage employees to get involved in the winning schemes. In the next year, QBE will escalate its involvement to further integrate the awards into the business, starting with the 2010/11 nominations in November.

Helena Christopher, Head of Corporate Communications at QBE European Operations, said: “Having launched our partnership with the RFU last month, we are delighted to be supporting the President’s XV Awards. QBE strongly believes in rewarding entrepreneurialism and strategic thinking, and the President’s XV Awards embody these values. In addition, the scheme enables us to engage QBE employees in our sponsorship of rugby; something that is incredibly important to us.”

Steven Burns, CEO of QBE European Operations, commented: “QBE has made a commitment to the sport of rugby at all levels, from the RFU itself to the grassroots volunteers. This partnership is another step towards expanding our business across the UK, through aligning ourselves with elite properties that represent our brand values as a leading specialist business insurer.” More information on the President’s XV Awards can be found at www.qbeeurope.com/rugby

Express delivery company City Link has signed a three-year club sponsorship deal with Coventry City Football Club. The agreement with the Championship club, whose home is the Ricoh Arena, is for an initial three year term commencing from the new 2010/2011 football season in August, with an option to extend the arrangement in the future.

City Link will become the Sky Blues official club and shirt sponsor. The financial details of the sponsorship agreement are confidential but include incentives if the club is promoted to the Premiership within the three year initial term.

City Link succeeds the Cassidy Group as club sponsors. The sponsorship deal with the Coventry-based international property developers ends after the final home game of the season against Watford on May 2nd.

The decision by City Link to sponsor Coventry City is in line with the premium express delivery company’s strategy to expand its brand presence in the Coventry area in the future. The Rentokil Initial plc subsidiary opened a new Depot in Coventry 18 months ago. More recently City Link has announced it is consolidating its national hub operations into Coventry which will become the company’s hub for its UK activities.

Over the past 12 months City Link has been building its relationship with Coventry City FC investing in advertising boards and match/player sponsorship.

Stuart Godman Managing Director of City Link commented: “Over the past 12 months we have been building a very close relationship with the club and this sponsorship agreement has evolved from our growing partnership. This sponsorship is very much a natural fit between our two organisations.
“Our future strategy is underpinned with an increasing presence for our national operation in Coventry so a sponsorship link with the club is obviously an important part of our plan to focus our future in Coventry.

“Sponsorship of Coventry City will undoubtedly play an integral part in our objective of building the brand presence not only locally in the Coventry area but nationally across our wide depot network.”

Private Investment in Culture, a recently-published report from Arts & Business, reveals that the number of full-time fundraisers within the arts sector has decreased. In 2007/08, arts organisations surveyed reported that on average they employed five full-time fundraisers and this figure has fallen to an average of only two (2008/09).

Evidence suggest that whilst there are fewer full time fundraisers a greater emphasis is put on the importance of fundraising, as more fundraisers are currently re-numerated than previously and more members of staff from other departments are expected to contribute to fundraising targets (Market Trends Summer/Autumn 09).

Given the importance of revenue raised from the private sector in the current economic climate, the role of the fundraiser is of increasing importance. With businesses and individuals investing less in culture during the recession (hopefully only for the short term) it is vital that the arts have appropriate staff to maintain and build relationships with partners. Recent research suggests “friend raising” is currently the way forward with arts organisations increasingly trying to create relationships with more businesses and offering more for less (Market Trends Summer/Autumn 09). As exemplified by the research, appetite for investment from private sources is still strong, even if levels of investment are currently being challenged. An imminent upturn in the economy will translate to an eventual increase in giving (expected from 2011 onwards), so arts must ensure they have the right mechanisms and resources in place to harness the potential this offers – friend-raising and skilled fundraisers will be instrumental here.
Colin Tweedy, Chief Executive of Arts & Business says: “Even during this current recession, fundraisers in the arts have done a fantastic job as the figure of £654.9 million raised from the private sector in 2008/09 testifies. We need to ensure that we are still able to employ a skilled, talented and dedicated workforce to raise the necessary funds and ensure that the sector continues to flourish.”

Squash brand Dunlop has signed a five year deal to become a key sponsorship partner of national governing body England Squash & Racketball (ESR).  The deal, worth in excess of £500,000, sees Dunlop become the Official Development Partner to ESR and lead sponsor of several high profile events including the Mini Squash Programme, Premier Squash League and the National Racketball Championships.

Dunlop, which sponsors elite athletes such as England’s World No.2 Nick Matthew, has enjoyed a long standing association with professional squash and is now expanding its links to focus on supporting both squash and racketball at grass roots and development level.

Nick Rider, chief executive of England Squash and Racketball, said: “Squash is one of the few sports where England has genuine world class talent with four men and three women ranked in the top 10 in the World. We want to continue this tradition which is why the partnership will help increase resources at a grass roots level to make the sport more accessible to all.

“One of our strategic aims over the next five years is to introduce 122,000 children to squash and racketball and this partnership will help us achieve that. The announcement of the partnership is an important milestone for us as we have been working with Oaks Consultancy in restructuring our sponsorship offering in order to create more value to sponsors and revenues for the sport.”

The European Sponsorship Association’s Insights Forum: ‘Sponsorship in a New Era’, the second in the series, on April 29th will look at the swift pace of change within the digital landscape and explore the implications for the sponsorship industry and what can be done to maximise the opportunities.

Speakers Trevor Johnson, Head of Strategy and Planning (EMEA) at Facebook and a senior director for Digital Marketing at RIM/Blackberry, will provide an overview of the latest trends for social media and digital marketing.

Johnson will talk about the growing reach of Facebook, how the brand is being developed and the opportunities it presents. He will focus on social media’s unique role in being able to target consumers based on their self-declared passions and interests.

The RIM/Blackberry director will cover what the proliferation in social media and apps means for brands and how this impacts on sponsorship while also giving examples of how Blackberry is using and maximising sponsorship within its marketing activity.

Thomas Godfrey, Commercial Director of Sport England will join Johnson to add some details about a partnership the community sports governing body has entered in to with Facebook and how the ‘Sport Hub’ initiative is succeeding in reaching the public through social media.

A panel discussion will follow focusing on the opportunities and challenges facing sponsorship professionals as they incorporate digital marketing into their campaigns to add further value. The discussion and debate will be moderated by Matt Rogan, Commercial Director of Lane4, who heads ESA’s Educational and Training programme.

Rogan said: “Sponsorship works when a brand engages in a very active way with its key audiences. Increasingly this involves deeply personalised communication. Our delegates will hear about the latest advancements within digital media which enable this - be it via social networking or through a mobile device.”

ESA Insights forums are designed specifically for senior sponsorship professionals to expand knowledge and understanding across key issues at the heart of the industry. 
The morning forum will be held at the offices of The Football League, 30 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8FL.  It starts with a networking breakfast from 8.30am and closes at 11.30am. Prices start at £100 (plus VAT). ESA members receive a special rate and there is a discount for group bookings. To reserve a place contact ESA on +44 (0) 208 390 3311.

Clothing chain Next has been appointed as Official Clothing and Homeware Supplier to London 2012 and has become LOCOG’s  27th domestic sponsor in a tier three deal.
Next will be designing outfits for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and formal suits for Team GB and ParalympicsGB for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012. In addition, Next will be producing formal uniforms for the 4,500 technical officials required for the Games, as well as suits for LOCOG’s reception staff.
London 2012 Commercial Director Chris Townsend commented:  “Next is a great brand and I’m confident Next will create a great look for the athletes, officials and staff as well as helping us to make  London 2012 product available across the country.“

The Private Sector Policy for the Arts launched today by Arts & Business, the national voice for private sector engagement in the arts, calls for urgent new initiatives that will quickly boost the fundraising performance of the whole sector, ensuring a greater return on public spend and see a target of £1 billion in private sector investment reached.
Colin Tweedy, Chief Executive of Arts & Business, said: “Our priority recommendations will encourage greater innovation, enterprise and creativity in fundraising and donor-relations.  They will yield a decisive return on investment for public funds over one parliamentary term.  Time is not on our side. The overriding aim for cultural policy must be to impact more quickly on the ability of the whole arts sector to transform their capacity to generate and sustain private funds.”
“The artistic successes of the last decade have been driven by the deeply interdependent nature of the arts economy. The healthy levels of public funding secured quality for the sector, allowing arts organisations to attract increasing visitor numbers (and earned income), which in turn has encouraged further private investment (sponsorship and philanthropy) thus enabling further growth and consolidation.  This three-legged tripod mixed economy model is under threat.  This policy is designed to reboot and rewire it.”
The five priority recommendations of Arts & Business’ Private Sector Policy for the Arts are:
 
1.      A new Challenge Fund Scheme to stimulate individual philanthropy for the Arts
2.      A Legacy Campaign for the Arts
3.      A Campaign to increase Cultural Philanthropy from the financial sector and wider business community
4.      A Matching Grant Programme to stimulate business sponsorship of the Arts
5.      Tax reforms to underpin a vibrant arts mixed economy.
 
Tweedy continues: “This private sector policy is also a call to action for businesses, their employees and individuals alike – for sponsorship and philanthropy to work hand-in-hand for the benefit of the arts and wider society.  We all need their skills and finance, but also their hearts and minds.”
 
To read the full document, please visit:
http://www.artsandbusiness.org.uk/News/2010/private-sector-policy-for-the-arts/index.aspx