Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

The sponsorship industry celebrated some of its finest campaigns at the Hollis Sponsorship Awards 2010 last night.  Romping home with two category wins – Brand Sponsorship and Continuity -  and the Grand Prix, the Hollis Sponsorship of the Year Trophy, was John Smith’s Grand National entered by SBI.  The Trophy was presented to the John Smith’s and SBI teams by the Rt Hon Richard Caborn, the Prime Minister’s World Cup Ambassador who urged the audience to put all efforts behind the 2010 World Cup bid.
Judges described the John Smith’s campaign as a “textbook sponsorship strategy”, one which ticked all the boxes and, with strong sales, positive PR, high-profile media exposure and excellent hospitality was a benchmark for the sports marketing industry.  During its five year partnership, the beer brand has consolidated its position as market leader through excellent consumer and business-to-business activations.
From the biggest budget to the smallest, from the most high-profile sports campaigns to fantastically creative and niche arts projects, the line-up at this year’s Awards demonstrated how this segment of the marketing business has taken on such strategic significance for brands.
The Awards recognise and reward the most creative and effective campaigns to have come out of the sponsorship industry during the last year.  To have made it to the shortlist was reason for celebration in itself, the campaigns having had to meet a strict set of commercial criteria.  Judges looked for clear objectives, evidence of innovation and proof of positive business results.
On show across all categories was evidence of how sponsorship can give a commercial edge even during downturns.  Its ability to drive sales, encourage purchase consideration and create brand engagement is tangible.  Click here to see full list of winning and shortlisted entries.  Photographs of the Gala Dinner will be posted on www.paulmellorphotography.co.uk later today.

John Smith's and the SBI team celebrate with the Rt Hon Richard Caborn, Prime Minister's World Cup Ambassador

The winners listed by category:
ARTS SPONSORSHIP (supported by Arts & Business)
Campaign: HSBC Indian Summer
Sponsor: HSBC
Entered by: HSBC

CHARITY & COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP (supported by the NCVO)
Campaign: BOOM! Nation
Sponsor: v
Entered by: TomTom nation

EDUCATION SPONSORSHIP
Campaign: PhoneBrain
Sponsor:  PhonepayPlus
Entered by TomTom nation

ENVIRONMENT SPONSORSHIP (supported by Groundwork)
Campaign: Sense and Simplicity Lighting Partnership at the National Theatre
Sponsor:  Philips
Entered by:  The National Theatre

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP (sponsored by Sky Media)
Campaign: Samsung UK Music Strategy 2009
Sponsor:  Samsung
Entered by: Octagon

SPORTS SPONSORSHIP (supported by Sport England)
Campaign: Extra 90+
Sponsor: Wrigley’s/Extra
Entered by: MEC Access

GRASS ROOTS SPORTS SPONSORSHIP (supported by the CCPR)
Campaign: Deloitte Parasport
Sponsor:  Deloitte
Entered by: Deloitte

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP
Campaign: HSBC Indian Summer
Sponsor: HSBC
Entered by: HSBC

BRAND SPONSORSHIP
Campaign: John Smith’s Grand National
Sponsor:  John Smith’s
Entered by:  SBI

FIRST TIME SPONSOR AWARD
Campaign: Alternative Fashion Week
Sponsor: Rescue Cream
Entered by: Nelsons

SPONSORSHIP CONTINUITY (Sponsored by Premier Print Group)
Campaign: John Smith’s Grand National
Sponsor:  John Smith’s
Entered by: SBI

THE ESA INTERNATIONAL SPONSORSHIP AWARD (Sponsored by the European Sponsorship Association)
Campaign: 2008/09 Volvo Ocean Race
Sponsor:  PUMA
Entered by:  Capitalize

BEST USE OF RESEARCH IN A SPONSORSHIP CAMPAIGN (Sponsored by Marketlink Research)
Campaign: Extra 90+
Sponsor: Wrigley’s/Extra
Entered by:  MEC Access

BEST USE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN A SPONSORSHIP CAMPAIGN (Supported by the Public Relations Consultants Association)
Campaign: Fan v Fan Ashes Cricket Campaign
Sponsor:  Betfair
Entered by: Betfair

BEST LOW BUDGET SPONSORSHIP (UNDER £50,000)
Campaign: Blooming Schools
Sponsor:  Southern Water
Entered by:  Southern Water

John Smith’s has announced that it will sponsor the Aintree Grand National for three more years. With its existing contract running until 2010, that means the UK’s leading bitter brand will now partner the race until at least 2013.

Aintree managing director Julian Thick said: “Securing John Smith’s support for another three years at a time when many rights holders are struggling to attract sponsors is great news for the Grand National and a massive vote of confidence for jump-racing as a whole. This agreement takes our successful partnership to 2013, with an option to renew the deal for a further three years beyond that date.”

In related news, integrated marketing agency Space has unveiled 2010’s campaign theme, a follow up to this year’s  John Smith’s People’s Race. The campaign, which will be linked to the Grand National and 90 other race meetings across the country, will give John Smith’s drinkers a chance to own a part-share in a racehorse called Smith The Horse, a three-year old gelding by 2003 Derby winner Kris Kin.

From January, John Smith’s stockists will take part in a Smithy the Horse promotion which will see a share distributed to anyone who purchases a pint of John Smith’s and then takes the time to register. All owners will be able to vote online on decisions on his progress - for example on the meets he should race at.  They will also receive regular updates on the horse’s progress and have a chance to meet Smithy at races and at his stables throughout the campaign.

Smithy will run his first race in January to coincide with the launch of the pub promotion. Gareth Turner, senior brand manager at John Smith’s, said: “Space has created much more than just an exciting campaign that engages with core John Smith’s drinkers. In Smithy we have a new ambassador for John Smith’s racing who will be followed by up to 250,000 share-owning consumers next year.”

David Atkinson, managing partner at Space, said: “To follow the success of the John Smith’s People’s Race we were looking to create a campaign that put John Smith’s at the heart of the conversation in horse racing. We believe that this is an innovation which will capture the hearts and minds of John Smith’s drinkers and horse racing fans.”

At times like these, it’s inevitable that sponsorship budgets are scrutinised closely. Marketing directors have less to spend on rights and agencies have tighter activation budgets.

But if the 2009 Hollis Sponsorship Awards are anything to go by, this medium is built to survive. Whether you judge the winning campaigns by their creativity, their effectiveness or their evaluation, there is plenty to commend sponsorship.

The big winner on the night was WPP-owned consultancy MEC Access - whose work on behalf of Evian, Nicotinell, Specsavers and Morrisons showcased a range of skills.

In the case of Evian’s sponsorship of Wimbledon, the key message was that brands can achieve cut-through even when they are operating within tightly-defined property parameters. As for the other campaigns, it was the creative thinking that went into sponsorship selection and activation that truly stood out. Whether identifying opportunities, leveraging content or building new franchises, MEC Access pressed every button. No surprise really that it also won Consultancy of the Year.

In times like these, there’s a temptation for brands to play it safe. But if there is a message in the 2009 Awards it is that innovation pays dividends. Arts sponsorship will experience falling revenues this year - but when you see the quality of the shortlist you have to ask whether brands are missing a trick. The category winner, Deloitte Ignite (in partnership with the Royal Opera House), was a clever fusion of traditional and contemporary art which won fans and wooed the media. When you also see that Becks, French Connection, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and Tennent’s were on the short-list, it’s clear that the arts have the potential to work across sectors.

In all likelihood, brands in 2009 will avoid showy displays of wealth, preferring to invest more time and effort in charity, community, education, environment and grass roots. Again, they could do worse than look at the Hollis 2009 category winners for some ideas as to how this might be achieved.

Brakes, the winner of the charity and community category, may not be the most high-profile of brands - but it delivered a thoughtful and well-executed campaign in partnership with The Royal Parks Foundation. The beauty of the project was that so many stakeholders came out on top. Not only did Brakes and The Foundation fulfil their pre-campaign objectives, but 160 small charities raised £1.5-£2 million. When you consider the kind of ripple effect that can have in terms of brand goodwill, it’s clearly a powerful mechanic.

Likewise with education, where Morrison’s decision to link up with UK schools via a voucher collection scheme called Let’s Grow was inspired. Or environment, where EON’s Carbonfootyprint.com was a really good example of how brands can build green credentials around major sporting properties like the FA Cup. In the long-run, this aspect of E.ON’s activities will probably prove as valuable to the brand as any amount of perimeter boards and PR column inches.

The Grass Roots nettle was grasped with just as much gusto by npower - whose Urban Cricket strategy has helped the brand forge strong links with local communities. With coaching sessions and kits delivered to thousands of young people, npower has found a powerful form of engagement.

The media, sport and brand categories are where you tend to find the biggest brands lining up to do battle. And it was gratifying to see a wide range of sectors and properties represented. In media, it was Specsaver’s through-the-line work with Gok Wan which caught the eye. But campaigns from Coral, Nintendo Wii, John Smith’s and Virgin Media showed that there is much more to this category than a few breaks and bumpers on TV. Anyone who imagines that media sponsorship is just TV advertising by another name really needs to look at the way campaigns like these are activated.

In sport, it was Powerade’s Inner Gear strategy which came out on top - by showing how an excellent idea, striking imagery and great strategic execution can deliver brand favourability and a huge spike in sales. As for brands, there were two winners - one for a budget of below £750,000 and another for a budget above that thresh-hold. In the former case, it was Vauxhall Tigra’s pursuit of women aged 20-35 that most impressed the judges. In the higher budget bracket, Evian’s association with Wimbledon won through (before also going on to pick up the best use of research award for a highly-cogent and articulate evaluation of the sponsorship).

As outlined above, the beauty of the Awards is the range of activities it covers. One the one hand, it was pleasing to see  Nicotinell’s first-ever sponsorship (The Football League’s Smoke Free Season) pick up the first-timer award - bearing in mind the industry’s historic links to tobacco. On the other, it was great to see muscular brands like Aviva, B&Q, Brains, RBS and SAP line up in the sponsorship continuity category. Here, it was Brains’ ability to grow sales though a highly-creative partnership with Welsh Rugby that took the plaudits.

The sense of contrast continued through other categories. While Castrol took the international award for its multi-market activation around UEFA Euro 2008, the Best Low Budget Sponsorship Award went to Oxford law firm Blake Lapthorn. In a similar vein, the corporate category went to Accenture’s sponsorship of the Skandia sailing team - a campaign which was mainly about employee engagement and b2b networking. Compare that with Sony Ericsson’s high-impact PR stunt to promote the start of the Sony Ericsson Tennis Championships in Doha (televised around the world).

The point is that the only real limit in sponsorship is your own imagination. Somewhere out there is a property to meet your objectives and fit your budget. It could be in arts, sport, media, community or education - you just have to find it.

As outlined above, MEC Access’ efforts won it Consultancy Of The Year - beating off impressive entries from Capitalize, Four Sports, Arts & Sponsorship and Octagon. There were also individual awards. Personality of the Year was London 2012 commercial chief Chris Townsend - a recognition of his achievement in securing so much funding for the upcoming Olympics. Looking to the future, the Barrie Gill Award for Most Promising Young Executive went to SBI’s Hamilton Lowe. Lowe beat off tough competition from both Fast Track’s Caroline Grenger and Synergy’s Lucie Bartlett.

Epsom Downs Racecourse is offering The Derby as a stand-alone sponsorship opportunity for the first time ever.

Until now, the only way brands could get their hands on British horse-racing’s most famous flat-race was to buy a sponsorship across the entire two-day Derby Festival. But after an unexpected lack of demand last year, Epsom found itself having to be rescued by previous event sponsor Vodafone - which signed a last minute extension in 2008.

 Now, with the economy in such upheaval, Epsom has decided to be more cautious – introducing greater flexibility into its sponsorship offering. As a result, one brand will be able to back the big race while other set-piece fixtures such as the Oaks will be offered as separate sponsorships.

The Derby’s inability to find a sponsor is something of a surprise given the success of Aintree and Ascot in finding blue-chip sponsors (John Smith’s and Betfair respectively). Not only is the race one of the sporting calendar’s great events, but April 2009 sees the opening of Epsom’s new Grandstand. This should provide an added incentive for a sponsor to get involved with the race - which is run in June.