4 - FIFA/CIES International University Network

SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR
sPonsorshiP
BUCKING
SPONSORSHIP
TRENDS
It’s not hard to see why the WTA is such an attractive sponsorship property for blue-chip
international brands such as Sony Ericsson, Peak, Dubai Duty Free and Oriflame.
FOR A START, there’s the
WTA’s global spread. With 52
tournaments a season held in 32
countries (the itinerary for the
2011 season), the WTA reaches a
huge audience via TV, online and
attendance at its events.
Not only that, but because
the Tour is played in multiple
locations it means there are
numerous opportunities to
activate and engage locally with
fans. From the Americas to
Asia-Pacific via Europe, there’s a
high-profile WTA event in almost
every major city.
Not to be overlooked either is
the massive appeal of the players
themselves - who are inspirational
icons to many young people. While
the Williams sisters and Maria
Sharapova have been grabbing
the headlines in recent years, the
likes of Jelena Jankovic, Caroline
Wozniacki, Samantha Stosur, Kim
Clijsters, Francesca Schiavone and
Li Na provide fans in numerous
territories with a focal point for
their enthusiasm.
Factors like these explain why
lead global partner Sony Ericsson
has just signed up with the WTA
for another two years - despite the
financial pressures caused by the
recession. In doing so, it means the
WTA and Sony Ericsson will have
been working together for eight
years by the end of the contract
(from 2005 to 2012).
Of course, the big difference
this time is that the WTA will not
be branded with Sony Ericsson
in its title. But this should not
be regarded as a dilution of the
partnership, says Aldo Liguori,
Corporate Vice President and
Head of Global Communications
& PR at Sony Ericsson.
“The new structure makes
sense for both sides,” he explains.
“For the WTA it is an opportunity
to focus more on their own brand.
For Sony Ericsson, it’s a sign the
company has moved on.”
So what has changed? “One
thing is that we have made a lot
of progress in building brand
awareness - so don’t need the same
kind of association,” adds Liguori.
“There have also been internal
changes which have seen us fall
in behind Sony’s new marketing
strap line - ‘make.believe’ - which is
about interactivity, playfulness and
innovation. As far as the WTA is
concerned, that means our focus is
more on how we can work with the
WTA and its top players to engage
with their fans.”
Reaching young women
Since starting work with the WTA
in 2005, Sony Ericsson has gained
access to properties such as the
FIFA World Cup - thanks to a deal
done by parent Sony.
However the unique profile of
the WTA continues to make sense
for the Sony Ericsson brand, says
Liguori: “The WTA is a great way
of reaching young affluent women
- whereas most sports properties
have a strong male bias.
“Not only that, but fans are
interested in what the players
do when they are away from the
tennis court - in terms of fashion,
food and health choices. That’s an
added social dimension we are also
able to tap into.”
While Sony Ericsson remains
the WTA’s top-tier partner, the fact
that it is no longer a title sponsor
is helping the WTA win over new
partners - since there is less of a
perception that the mobile company
is overshadowing the entire
property. Timing-wise, for example,
it’s no accident the WTA has been
able to sign-up two important
new sponsors since Sony Ericsson
elected to change its approach.
One of these is Swedish beauty
brand Oriflame, which has just
signed a two-year deal with the
WTA. Like Sony Ericsson, it is
attracted by both the on-and-off
court activities of the players,
according to Magnus Brännström,
CEO of Oriflame.
“Women’s tennis combines the
perfect balance of athleticism and
glamour, and through this new
partnership Oriflame wants to help
inspire women around the world to
look great, have fun and be the best
that they can be,” Brännström says.
Oriflame, which will become
an official partner of the Tour from
the start of 2011, has done a deal
which covers Europe, Russia, the
Commonwealth of Independent
States (a group of former Soviet
Republics), the Middle East and
Africa. This is typical of the WTA’s
approach, which is generally
awards of regional partnership
rights (with the exception of Sony
Ericsson’s global deal).
The other big new partnership,
for example, is an Asia-Pacific
sponsorship deal with Chinese
sports shoe and apparel firm Peak.
This seven-figure annual deal,
which lasts for five years, will see
Peak receive a rich package of
entitlements.
Aside from being the official
shoe and apparel partner at a series
of WTA events in Asia-Pacific, it
will become a partner of the Tour’s
mainland China Tennis Festivals.
In addition, it has secured
licensing and merchandising rights
to develop a co-branded WTA-Peak
line of apparel.
Learning from Nike
From Peak’s perspective, the deal
is an opportunity to hold off the
mounting challenge of foreign
sportswear brands, at a time when
the Chinese middle-class is earning
enough money to start pursuing
more leisure activities.
“Right now we’re learning from
Nike,” says Peak’s entrepreneurial
young chief executive Jim Xu. “But
we’re different because we have
products that are better suited to
the Chinese market…We can give
consumers another choice.”
At the same time, the deal is
also of massive importance to the
WTA - which wants to increase its
exposure in the world’s fastestgrowing
economy (see story pp.
44-45) - so there’s no question that
the deal with Peak is a key element
of the WTA’s strategy.
The WTA’s regional
sponsorship structure also
encompasses a deal with airport
retailer Dubai Duty Free, another
partner with a focus on the fastgrowing
Asia-Pacific region.
52 SportBusiness International • No. 160 • 09.10