What happened

To promote its sponsorship of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Sainsbury’s created a short video of David Beckham being put through his paces by David Clarke, team GB’s Blind Football legend. Widely seeded online, on TV and in cinemas, the video raises awareness of the Sainsbury’s 1 Million Kids Challenge, which aims to get a million children to try a Paralympic sport, and its sponsorship of the Paralympic Games overall.

Why we love it

Sainsbury’s ‘Paralympic Games-only’ sponsorship is an exciting innovation in itself.  This is the first time that the rights for the Paralympic Games have been carved out and sold separately to those for the Olympics (although Olympic sponsorship still includes the Paralympic Games as well). Sainsbury’s can use this differentiated position to derive some key benefits.

Firstly, unlike Olympic venues, the London 2012 Paralympic Games’ venues and athletes can be branded.  With 150 hours of Paralympic Games footage to be broadcast on Channel 4, it will deliver plenty of ‘natural’ brand exposure for Sainsbury’s. In addition, the Paralympic Games provide some truly emotive stories of excellence, inspiration and dedication that resonate with the consumers and, critically, are different to the Olympic stories that will be told by the other sponsors. As Sainsbury’s Head of Sponsorship, Jat Sahota, said: “There are amazing individual stories, but it is important not to overplay the adversity angle – they are ordinary people doing extraordinary things; they are elite athletes. There is a richness to those stories that I think the British public will respond to more than some of the Olympian stories.”

Using David Beckham as a Paralympic Games Ambassador is an interesting choice. Whilst it is unusual to have an ambassador for an event who has never participated in it, Beckham’s involvement is a good way to deliver its messages to the widest possible audience.  It is obvious, though perhaps slightly regrettable, that a star of mainstream sport is a great candidate to help convey the Paralympic Games’ message.

Signing up the much-loved Beckham is unlikely to be a step in the wrong direction for any brand, but it’s what Sainsbury’s did with him that made this use of an ambassador so successful. The ABCDE model tells us that content is a vital part of excellent sponsorship, and the combination of a fascinating insight into blind football, combined with the allure of Beckham’s talent and good looks (sorry!) makes for compelling viewing. Football is the best loved sport in the UK, and so provides a good route into the discovery of Paralympic activities for those with little prior knowledge.

The last time blind football caught the public’s attention to such an extent was probably when Paddy Power released this controversial advert in 2010 and Sainsbury’s approach to blind football, naturally, could not be more different. It evokes the skill required for the sport, provoking exactly those feelings of inspiration and patriotism that the best sponsorships should.

The 1 Million Kids challenge is an ambitious programme to promote Paralympic sport to the mainstream, and using Beckham as its Paralympic Games ambassador shows that Sainsbury’s is serious about trying to make this happen.

Sainsbury’s core asset might be the London 2012 Paralympic Games, but by creating content that combines this sponsorship with a superstar ambassador from outside the Paralympic world, they are truly maximising its impact.

By Jessica Enoch on January 25th, 2012

Tags: Celebrity, Content, David Beckham, Default, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympics, Synergy Loves

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As I write this we are only three days away from Christmas Day and, in our industry anyway, many thoughts beyond that are inevitably turning to the New Year and London 2012. So it seemed entirely appropriate, for my last post of the year, to write about my belief that the Olympic Games – Summer and Winter – are a lot like Christmas.

That might sound strange to some of you, but having experienced numerous Games first hand, I can tell you that this ‘Christmas feeling’ has always been one of my overriding impressions.

There have been others of course: great sporting moments, inspiring human stories, the sheer scale of the Games, the very different experiences each host nation and city creates (good and not so good), and many more. London will give us all of these – hopefully some of the best ever.

And if you’re lucky enough to be here at Games-time, I hope you’ll get that Christmas feeling too.

A feeling of optimism and celebration; of being part of something precious and intense, very big but at the same time very personal. A feeling that, for a time at least, the world and the people in it are united and at their very best. And, once the moment has passed, the wonderful memories tinged with the sadness of knowing that you can’t get it back.

Sound familiar?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours from myself and all at Synergy. See you in (London) 2012.

By Tim Crow on December 22nd, 2011

Tags: Default, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, Synergy, Winter Olympics

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Last Friday, The Times published an article by Olympics Correspondent Ashling O’Connor with major implications for how London 2012 will come to be viewed and, going forward, for the value to brands of grassroots sports sponsorship and marketing in the UK.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Photograph Tim Ireland/PA.

Headlined ’2012 legacy plan for a fitter Britain is quietly scrapped’ and substantiated by an exclusive interview with Olympics Secretary Jeremy Hunt, it began:

One of the key promises that helped London to win the right to host the 2012 Olympics is being quietly scrapped by ministers because Britons are stubbornly resisting efforts to get them playing more sport. When Lord Coe gave his inspirational speech to persuade IOC members to being the Games to Britain, he spoke of the events legacy in inspiring people to play sport. But the numbers taking part in grassroots sport have slipped back and ministers now admit that there is no chance of hitting the target of getting two million more people active by 2013. The target will now be axed in favour of a “payment by results” system that will penalise sports that fail to engage with young people.

Neither the Olympics failing to inspire the inactive to take up sport, nor the targets being scrapped, should come as any surprise.

In the case of the latter, this has been widely expected, based on the decline in sports participation in the last five years, which has seen only four sports gain new participants and 17 lose ground, and on the extensive briefings (with very different motives) given recently by Messrs Robertson and Jowell.

In the case of the former, it is a fact that no modern Olympics has driven an increase in sports participation in a host country, with evidence pointing to the fact that the Games simply inspires people who are already active to become even more active, and that the biggest contributory factor worldwide to the failure to engage the inactive is flawed strategy at state and sport governing body level.

On which point, expect all this to become a seriously political hot potato as we move through and beyond the Games, when the analysis of whether London 2012 has delivered on its legacy promises – already generating its fair share of media attention – moves firmly centre-stage, with sports participation in a starring role.

But beyond the Games, in the same Times article Jeremy Hunt signalled a shift in Government policy, to be announced next month, that has important consequences for brands investing in grassroots sport. Again, I quote from the piece:

The success of UK Sport…has shaped the shift. After its “no compromise” model, 46 sports governing bodies will receive money based only on their ability to attract and retain 14 to 25-year-olds. From 2013, more than half their funding will depend on their success, reviewed annually at three stages: 16, 18 and 25-year-olds. Sports that fail will have their money deducted…[Hunt said] “We are learning from the success of UK Sport…and moving to a payment-by-results system…[sports] shouldn’t expect funding unless they are delivering on targets.”

This is good news for brands investing in grassroots sport sponsorship, whether directly or as a component of a wider investment in a sport asset. In order to maintain and increase their state funding, sports governing bodies will have to be much more focused on creating and delivering grassroots programmes that demonstrably engage and recruit new young players.

That will need both more effective marketing, and more results-focused marketing. And with the greatest respect to most sports governing bodies, federations and teams, that’s something that brands – who already live and die by their ability to acquire and retain new customers – are much better at.

So I’m hoping this ushers in a new era where sports governing bodies become more focused on tapping into the marketing expertise of brands – especially youth-oriented brands – and much less focused on treating brands as banks to fund grass roots programmes that, plainly, aren’t working.

By Tim Crow on December 7th, 2011

Tags: Brand marketing, Default, grass roots sport, London 2012, Olympics, Politics, Sponsorship

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I was in Auckland with the British and Irish Lions when London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games. Very excited, my first thought was ‘how can I get involved’?

Roll on two years and my excitement grew when I filled in my volunteer form. After working at Synergy for nearly 30 years and with an employment history of running media offices in a number of different sports, I assumed – wrongly as it turned out – that I would be an ideal volunteer to work in one of the many media centres.

Over the next nine months I continued to receive emails from the LOCOG Games Maker programme saying I hadn’t been forgotten but on the other hand I hadn’t been chosen…

Suddenly, three weeks ago, I received an email saying my application had been reconsidered and could I come in for an interview – not for the media centre but instead the Spectator Entry Team!  Still keen to be involved, I rang up and booked my interview time.

So it was that last Friday I found myself heading towards LOCOG’s offices in Canary Wharf to attend my interview.  A group of us sat waiting – about 12 in total – representing a cross-section of London society.

Escorted to the office, the group was full of questions and we were given an outline of the role for which we were being interviewed – in short, we would be ambassadors outside the venues helping spectators with information and also ‘providing entertainment’ if the security queues got too long.  Not quite sure what he meant by that, but it certainly was a worry when we were told that it might take an hour and half to get through security into the venue…it might need a little bit more than us entertaining them with that wait!

We moved on to have our ID checked and our photo taken – in case we are chosen – and were then taken into a holding area full of information about 2012.

Next stop a cinema to watch a short film on the programme – with sweets provided by a nice man from Cadbury and clear mention of our training was being provided by McDonald’s – which constituted a very funny to camera piece from Eddie Izzard. Then the interview…

The interviewer assured us that this would be very informal, asking us the following questions: what is your favourite Olympic memory (I chose Steve Redgrave winning his fifth Gold medal); why do you think you can do the role (given that we had only been told what it was 10 minutes earlier, there was a need to think quickly); how many days can you commit to, etc.

My favourite Olympic memory

With the interview over, we headed down towards the Tube, and I discovered that I was not the only person that hadn’t been selected when their experience might be best-suited…there was a doctor (who had ticked the ‘Medical’ box) and two other media officers (who had ticked the ‘Media’ box).  Most interestingly there was the guy who had researched Boris Johnson’s background for ‘Who do you think you are?’ – I am not sure which box he’d ticked though!

So I am now waiting to see whether I have been chosen and if so to which venue…perhaps it will be Lord’s which is only five minutes from my house and I know like the back of my hand having worked there for various sponsors over the past 20 years – just please don’t  give me Wembley!

Stay tuned for the next update…

By Fiona Foster on November 18th, 2011

Tags: Default, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympics, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Team GB

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What Happened?

On Tuesday September 13, Westfield Stratford City opened its doors to the public. Against the background of a day-long blaze of publicity, Mayor of London Boris Johnson cut the opening ribbon whilst invoking Chaucer, followed by pop diva Nicole Scherzinger strutting her stuff before a (slightly bemused) VIP audience. But by far the most important feature of the day was the 100,000 consumers who visited what is now Europe’s largest urban shopping and leisure destination – all 1.9 million square feet of it, the equivalent of 25 football pitches - spending a combined £4m. Recession – what recession? Good news for Westfield’s retailers, many of whom mounted major marketing campaigns to attempt to grab the lion’s share of the Opening Day buzz and bounty.

Our favourite? The M&S ’On Your Marks’ campaign, with creative shot by fashion photographer John Akehurst, featuring a model wearing heels from the M&S Autograph sub-brand in starting blocks.

Why We Like It

M&S brilliantly leverages Westfield Stratford’s Olympic DNA: Westfield is of course the gateway to the London 2012 Olympic Park.

First, there’s the skilful navigation of the legislation preventing brands from using Olympic IP. You absolutely get the connection, but there isn’t an offending piece of Olympic IP to be seen.

Second, it fulfils one of our litmus tests for great work - anchored around the use of ‘Marks’ – it wouldn’t work for any other brand.

Third, the Olympic connection isn’t forced. It’s entirely natural and drives both the consumer insight and the call to action.

And last but absolutly not least, it’s a stunning image in every way.

Beautifully done.

By Tim Crow on October 13th, 2011

Tags: Advertising, Ambush campaign, Default, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympics

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Here at Synergy towers we’re always looking for fun, quirky ideas that have genuine media traction while fitting with our clients’ target audiences and business objectives. So with the London 2012 test events rolling into town the Betfair team put our thinking hats on and looked at how Betfair could get involved. We focused specifically on the beach volleyball tournament at Horse Guards Parade - an event with high media and consumer interest that would engage the brand’s target audience and deliver a tactical campaign within budget.

Further to a recent Ofcom report highlighting that one third of British adults now owns a smart phone, Betfair developed a concept to promote their mobile offering.

Synergy negotiated a deal with Team Mullin-Dampney, the number one British beach volleyball duo, to position Quick Response technology, known as QR codes, on the players’ kit. When photographed, the QR code would drive people to  Betfair’s free-bet and registration page.

Given the limited space available on a beach volleyball kit, the signature ‘hands on knees’ stance, and likely viewpoint of media and spectator cameras, the QR codes were placed on the players’ bikini bottoms to maximise exposure, whilst their arm bands carried the Betfair Mobile logo.

Working with Betfair’s consumer PR agency and new members of the Engine family - Mischief - we held a photoshoot with Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney and distributed the images before the test event on 9^th August.

Capturing the imagination of both the front and back pages the story featured in four national newspapers (Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Star and Daily Record), two regional titles (Metro and The Evening Standard) and seven national online sites as well as over 200 online outlets, thousands of tweets and in the international media.

By Caroline Ayling on September 1st, 2011

Tags: Advertising, Ambush campaign, Beach Volleyball, Brand marketing, London 2012, Mobile, Olympics, PR, Product placement, Public relations, Sponsorship, Sport, Synergy, Team GB

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We don’t need reminding that the 27^th July 2011 was not just another day in our calendars. With one year to go until the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, celebrations spread across the UK far and wide.

To celebrate this milestone and engage staff in BMW’s London 2012 Partnership, Synergy were tasked with organising an interactive sports day.  In addition to giving employees the chance to experience an Olympic Sport, BMW used the day to promote the BMW London 2012 Performance Team, launch the Olympic Torch Relay nomination programme and provide inspiration for BMW’s role in the Games.

Starting with an empty car park (a rarity at BMW HQ), astro turf was installed to set the foundation for the main arena hosting basketball, football, high jump and gymnastics.  Just like the preparations for the Games themselves, BMW’s year-to-go celebrations were on time and on budget!

Inside, employees were give the chance to show off their lightning-fast reflexes as the showroom had been transformed into a table tennis hall.  Staff could also get their photo taken with the London 1948 Olympic Torch – truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Steve Cram and Mark Lewis-Francis, both part of BMW’s London 2012 Performance Team, were in attendance to celebrate the milestone with BMW, give employees some inside tips and encourage them at the various activities.

As the countdown clock edged closer to 365 days to go, new sports had been mastered and the leaderboards were looking very competitive. All that remained was the Closing Ceremony, where the winners of the prizes were announced and the celebrations were started.

By Olivia on September 1st, 2011

Tags: Athletics, Celebrity, Default, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympic Torch Relay, Olympics, Sponsorship, Sport

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We all know the Olympic Games is coming to town. It’s getting closer and the clock is ticking, will we cope? Will the London Tube system handle all the extra people? How many medals will Team GB win? Anyone fancy a legacy? Will it make kids thin again? All those words are echoing around the UK media. I don’t have the answers.

But what I can explore is a new view, certainly to me anyway, as I’ve only had it about 5 minutes. London 2012 represents many things and has many hot topics, not least the L-word: Legacy. Defined as anything you want it to be, depending upon who you’re talking to, so I may as well chuck my own legacy-hat in the Olympic Ring…

Welcome to the world of collaboration

In marketing, we often discuss new platforms, will it be Facebook, Twitter, an app or something more traditional? But whilst all these platforms (and many more) have a huge role to play in the future for sponsorship, it’s finding better and more interesting ways to work together that will define the next generation of our industry. How will we combine the creativity and know-how across the marketing industry and beyond, to create truer forms of engagement and understanding?

What does this all mean for the Games?

For me, this is indeed the opportunity that smacks us in the face. I’m privileged to work for Engine, a place designed to create, embrace and accelerate the fast-changing collaboration process, which we leverage across all kinds of brands and all kinds of projects and campaigns. But London 2012 will, and is, enabling all types of cross-functional working, taking down barriers to make the best of British talent. Look at the architectural brilliance of the venues, the undeniably efficient construction projects, or how government and other public bodies are finding ways to work together towards a single goal.

We have the world’s biggest sporting event, in one of the most creative, digitally-savvy and energetic cities on the planet; I’m pretty sure an opportunity like this is rare. True, lots of us realise it’s coming and are grinding away to try and deliver something of marketing genius. Some of us certainly will.

But the opportunity to create truly integrated working — when we merge brains, disciplines or even industries — will have by far and away the biggest impact and lasting legacy on our industry. At least it certainly should do.

I believe we do ‘forced change’ particularly well in the UK. Take the recent and awful riots across London and other UK cities. It was something that no one anticipated or wanted to see, and yet, we’re already seeing huge change programmes implemented, from the top of government to tiny communities projects. Knee-jerk probably, but very much needed too. Change is vital to ensure these challenges are addressed, to give young people the opportunities they deserve to take a grip of their own futures.

In a very different way, the Games provides a similar vehicle to force change, the immovable deadline of London 2012 creates the pressure and dynamic environment to really make things happen. Decisions, teamwork, integration — none of these are optional and they have to happen, and quickly, to make certain the Games can be deserving of its title — the greatest show on earth. I say, embrace change, collaboration, integration — all of it.

Collaboration is a wonderful thing but, much like the old legacy word, it’s a very easy thing to say, much more difficult to put in practice. Our ongoing challenge is to continually challenge ourselves, to work together to make the cleverest, most creative and most integrated campaigns ever. Then afterwards? Keep on doing it, of course.

Not reading anything new? I completely agree, this thinking has been around for a long time. But — and it’s a big but — there’s a massive difference between thinking and doing. In the words of the most famous Olympic ambusher…

By Ben Wilkinson on August 26th, 2011

Tags: London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Olympic sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship consultants, Olympics, Sponsorship, Sponsorship consultancy, Synergy

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May 10th 2011. As the rest of the nation settled down to the new series of The Apprentice, switched on SKY Sports to watch Manchester City destroy Tottenham’s season, or celebrated the anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as President of South Africa, over fourty of INSEAD’s finest alumni gathered at Engine to discuss another momentous moment in our lifetime – the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Hosted by our very own INSEAD graduate and Direct of Consulting – Carsten Thode – the Synergy ‘Get Ready for 2012’ seminar garnered insight from a selection London 2012 partners.

The premise of the event was simple – the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London are going to be transformative for many UK businesses, with unprecedented impact on their industries, sectors, customers and staff. With just over a year to go before the Games, what can we learn from the people who have been planning and preparing for that moment for as long as Boris?

Representing the sponsors – Richard Hudson, Marketing Director, BMW UK, a Tier 1 sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Jat Sahota, Head of Sponsorship at Sainsburys, which negotiated a ground-breaking deal to become the first ever Paralympics-only sponsor. For the broadcasting community – Edouard Benroubi Business Manager at the BBC and the man responsible for the technical implementation of BBC’s London 2012 Olympic Games coverage, and tasked with delivering this aspiration – to broadcast every minute of every sport live via every platform. No pressure there then.

So what did we learn? Well, Chatham House rules applied but in case anyone was wondering about the enormity of the opportunity, and challenge, that hosting the Olympics presents, consider the following:

So, feeling ready for 2012?

By Tom Gladstone on May 18th, 2011

Tags: London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship consultants, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, Sponsorship, Sponsorship consultancy, Sponsorship consultants, Synergy, Synopsis

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BMW challenged Synergy to develop a PR stunt that would combine their sponsorship of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and the London 2012 Games.

So we challenged former world number one golfer Martin Kaymer and three time Olympic medallist Steve Backley to go head-to-head in a multisport play-off from Wentworth’s first tee. With wedge and javelin in hand, Kaymer and Backley put their accuracy to the test in an attempt to land their shot nearest the pin at the venue for the BMW PGA Championship from May 26 – 29.

Both athletes were given three attempts to hit the pin which, at 60 metres, was comfortably within their reach. Despite Kaymer’s drives averaging over 260m and Backley having a world record breaking throw of 91.46m to his name, precision rather than distance was the aim for the BMW Nearest the Pin challenge. With all shots taken, Kaymer was announced the overall winner, beating Backley with a comprehensive score of 3-0.

Check out the video of the guys in action, below:

By Caroline Ayling on May 18th, 2011

Tags: BMW, Golf, London 2012, London 2012 sponsorship, Olympic sponsorship, Olympics, PGA Tour, PR, Public relations, Sponsorship, Sponsorship consultancy, Sport, Team GB

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