By Daniel Anwar

London is to host the start and finish of the 2013-14 Clipper Round the World Race, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Clipper Race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston announced today.

The ninth Clipper Race will leave the River Thames from St. Katherine’s Dock, central London’s only marina, on 1 September 2013. The competitors will travel 40,000 miles across six continents, before returning to the capital in July 2014. It is the world’s largest ocean race and 650 people in 12 fleets will take part. 

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Boris Johnson said: “We calculate the boost to the London economy at about £50 million, maybe more. That will come from tourism impact and all sorts of spending that we think this kind of sporting event will bring to our city.

“I think the public will be thrilled to see the River Thames at the heart of a great sporting event. We saw in the Diamond Jubilee how brilliant the River can look and perform as an aquatic venue and I think we’ll see that again with the Clipper Round the World Race. It is a very tough thing to do, like the Everest of the sea, and they will come back and have a tumultuous reception in London.”

The Mayor also spoke of the range of global sporting events that London now attracts, adding: “Have you been to one of those Japanese restaurants where the food just keeps coming round on a conveyor belt? That’s what the sporting events are like in London. Even if you try to stop them you couldn’t.”

The Clipper Race was launched in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who became the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69. 

Sir Robin told iSportconnect: “Britain, as a trading nation, really started in London. It was the River Thames that made London great. For years of prosperity in the United Kingdom, London was the biggest port in the world. When I went to sea as a youngster, this River was packed. This is a fabulous River and I’d love to see other people use it, not just for commercial reasons, but for leisure. So to come back to my River, if you like, and to St. Katherine’s, which I developed as a marina 40 years ago is great. It’s like coming home.”

The race features amateur sailors, offering “ordinary people to chance to do something extraordinary.” The sailors are provided with full training, boats, food, clothing and professional skippers.

Sir Robin added: “Out of the 650 international crew participating in the race more than 80 live in the Greater London area, so it will be especially exciting for them. Our crew come from all walks of life, are aged from 18 into their early seventies, and over a third are women.”

Sometimes we’re selling, and sometimes we’re buying, but like them or loathe them, presentations are a part of business life. But, when was the last time you were presented to in such a way that the details really stayed with you? 

Whilst changing job last month I had the opportunity to attend a seminar about the ‘reptile’ brain. The theory is that there are three parts to the brain, and the reptile brain is the most instinctive. The example given to illustrate the reptile brain is when you walk past a stick that looks like a snake and automatically step back without thinking about it. This kind of automatic response is triggered by the reptile brain. The seminar was about trying to engage with people at this level.

The session was full of business people from all manner of industries, and the common theme was how do you make ‘your’ presentation stand out?

The reptile brain was from an American concept (www.neuromarketing.com) but the presenter was French. At one stage he took out a rubber frog to illustrate his nationality. His message was that few people use ‘props’ in presentations – but they should. People remember when something engages with them – and one of the best ways to engage with people is with ‘props’. His frog example to signify his French-ness was a good one, and created an image that lasted.

The more you think about this, the more logical it is. In particular, people are used to being bored in presentations, so a little bit of theatre goes a long way.

Hours are spent honing presentations, images and video, but how many of us take something tangible into a presentation? 

In sport we are able to access much better ‘props’ than say a local estate agent. Imagine a lifelong fan of football being allowed to handle an FA Cup winners’ medal, even only for a couple of minutes, how memorable would that be in his/her day? This ‘touching’ of a prop is what connects with the reptile brain.

Grand Final winners rings, caps awarded for playing for one’s country, trophies (or mini replica’s), a match ball, these props are all around us, but rarely used.

Props won’t convert people into customers in isolation, but as a way of making a pitch more memorable, and keeping peoples interest they can be just the job. 

About Paul Kimberley:

Paul Kimberley is Sales and Marketing Director at the PPL Group who provide publishing and signage solutions to major events such as the Six Nations, Wimbledon Tennis Championships and The Open. 

Before joining PPL Group, Paul served as the Commercial Director of the Rugby Football League.

With around 20 years of experience in the sports industry, Paul specialises in the fields of Marketing, Sponsorship, Commercial, Broadcasting and People Management.

Prior to his 8 year stint at the RFL, Paul served as Sponsorship Manager at Leeds United Football Club (2003-2004). Prior to that, he served as the Commercial Director of Rotherham Titans (2202-2003). Paul has also held positions as Manager at PGA European Tour Courses (1996-2001) and as Marketing Manager at the Broadgate Club (1992-1996).

He studied Business at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Visit: www.thepplgroup.com

Paul Kimberley’s 

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There is no mistaking that the sponsorship sector and more specifically sports sponsorship have become more professional since the advent of the communications discipline in the 1970s. The increasing improvement in quality is reflected in the more comprehensive assessment of feedback. For successful sponsorship, simple media feedback analysis (measuring how many contacts were made via the media) is now insufficient. Individual approaches are demanded by sponsors and supplied by rights holders through respective media analysis institutes. Below an overview of the historical development, current trends, sponsors’ targets and how motorsport sponsorship differs from football sponsorship.

In practice, the rating of sponsorship measures is often restricted to the acquisition of media coverage. One assumes that it is sufficient if the target group notices the sponsor as such. The reality is, however, by far more complex: Sponsors pursue various objectives like, for example, image transfer from the sponsored to the sponsor, the development of a positive reputation or the emotional value of a brand. These targets must be considered in the rating, meaning the comparison of plus and minus, for and against.

According to Marcel Cordes, Director of SPORT+MARKT, the classical targets for the majority of sponsors are to increase brand awareness and image development, as well as the creation of an emotional communicative platform for sport involvement: »Of an equally high priority for many companies is customer contact via hospitality measures, employee motivation and especially sales aligned business models.« Ulrich Lacher, Managing Director of IFM International Sportanalysen GmbH adds: »For the large consumer brands, sponsorship plays a major role in improving image, increasing brand awareness and charging the brand with emotion. However, sponsorship is also an accepted form of communication, because it is not immediately recognisable as advertising.«

To be able to evaluate the individual objectives of sponsors just as individually, the trend in market and media analysis moves »to comprehensive research and consultancy services from a single source« continues Marcel Cordes. »Sponsors know what they want. Accordingly, strategy development and rating are more refined and precisely aligned. There is hardly any run-of-the-mill analysis anymore. The same can be said for the organiser and rights-holder: They know how to present their partners and sponsors with viable and transparent offers where the partnerships added value is clearly visible to them.«

Ulrich Lacher views neuromarketing supported research as an absolute trend. For this subject field IFM Sports employed, in 2010, the expert Oliver Frenzel who switched from the Nymphenburg-Gruppe to the IFM Gruppe to systematically develop this business area. »It simply isn’t enough anymore to show consumers a logo. With our neuromarketing approach we help our customers to better understand how sponsorship affects image and purchasing behaviour. With knowledge from neurosciences we are capable of advising our customers in such a way that they can deploy their sponsorship budgets more effectively, minimise waste coverage and thus organise their sponsorship more effectively as a whole.«

The target of neuromarketing is to attain, on the basis of neuroscientific findings, a comprehensive understanding of the emotional and cognitive processes in the human brain in order to make reliable conclusions about the secret desires, needs and motives of people and to make valid forecasts about the future purchasing and decision-making behaviour of consumers. The findings of neuromarketing are of significant importance for sponsorship, since sponsored events live from emotions. Sponsorship messages can thus only first release their full effect if they address the emotional personality traits of their recipients.

SPORT+MARKT has also adopted neural research and already carried out several studies with the Hamburg based institute »implicit diagnostics and solutions« specialised in implicit research. Another important development in sponsorship research is eye tracking, which measures exactly which elements of a sports broadcast within the test subject’s field of vision arouse attention and how long the retention period is on such an element. SPORT+MARKT supplies its customers in this way today with valuable findings to help with the correct choice and design of advertising material. It goes without saying that an increasing amount of social media activities analysis is in trend. According to the latest survey results released by the international institute »Sports Marketing Surveys«, an IFM Gruppe subsidiary, 73 % of the marketing managers participating in the survey are of the opinion that social media activities must be an integral component of every sponsoring concept.

Ulrich Lacher explains: »In view of the measurement of social media activities a great deal of insecurity still dominates the market. However, there are already models today that measure the effect of these activities. These models are of course just as unique as every other market and media analysis as well. It always depends on which targets a sponsor pursues. Again here the trend is away from standardised products and turns to specially developed evaluation models, particularly in the qualitative field.« While the IFM Gruppe confronts these trends with the IFM Sponsoring Scorecard, an analysis tool, which like a balanced scorecard, reconciles the targets and data considered important by the sponsor, SPORT+MARKT relies on a comprehensive pool of worldwide basic data as well as the world’s largest database covering the subjects of sport, sponsoring brands and events. »Thanks to our continuous basic research of more than 25 years our planning and strategies are based on long-standing and international benchmarks.«

Motorsport plays a special role in the sponsorship market from the view of media analysis experts. »Apart from a few exceptions like DTM or NASCAR national motorsport sponsorship achieves hardly any significant media presence,« says Ulrich Lacher. »In reality the national series’ live from the national and regional fan base and the activation potential or specific B2B opportunities. On the other hand the international ones have enormous media potential.«

For Marcel Cordes of SPORT+MARKT the differences are primarily in the events themselves: »Activation on location is even more important for sponsors involved in motorsport than in football. The target groups are complementary in many areas, even though motorsport is predominantly more masculine, younger and has more purchasing power. Also team sponsorship in motorsport is only to a limited extent comparable with club sponsorship in football. As a rule motorsport teams do not have the independent identity of a football club because the racing series stands to the fore.« The race weekend itself is an important component of the sponsorship involvement for Ulrich Lacher of the IFM Gruppe: »A motorsport weekend differs greatly from a football match day or tournament. Spectators are tied for longer periods of time. There is much more of significance going on in the background, which is reflected in the coverage. There are considerably more background reports and features in the focus of the media. There are, however, disadvantages: Football is the safe option for many sponsors as the pressure of justification is less.«

From market experiences and media analysis institutes every participant in the motorsport market can draw corresponding conclusions. As in general in the sponsorship industry, it is also particularly important in motorsport sponsorship to supply partners and sponsors precise data confirming the sense of an involvement. At the acquisition stage every potential sponsor requires information about how large the target group or fan base is and by which demographic properties the fan base is distinguished. The media penetration is of course also important even if this is, as explained above, not the only crucial point for the success or failure of a sponsorship commitment. If a sponsor is gained it is recommended that an inventory is made to start the partnership in order to be able to identify afterwards the results of the sponsorship tailored to the individual goals. Valid here: individuality trumps. Since every sponsor follows different targets individual analysis methods must also be applied.

For the successful acquisition of sponsors and also the optimum and mutually satisfying development of partnerships the correct data are therefore important prerequisites. It is not only the sponsor that wins through optimization possibilities but also the rights holder learns where there are initiatives for improvement.

Sonja Kreye, Sponsorship and PR Consultant, Sonja Kreye Consultancy

Sonja Kreye is a Sponsorship and PR Consultant and is working with customers that include tolimit Sport & Marketing, Publicis Kommunikationsagentur, Motorsport-Guide.com and Joest Racing Team. She is consulting her customers with regards to sponsorship concepts, sponsorship development and activation as well as with regards to public relations and communications. In her career, Sonja consulted and managed sponsorship concepts for brands such as DHL, Krombacher, Veltins, Sigma, Procter & Gamble and many more. Prior to her current role, Sonja was Business Relations Manager at Porsche and furthermore consulted Formula One race tracks such as Hockenheim, Shanghai and Magny Cours. She is furthermore an editor to various German motor sport and motor sport business magazines.

Sonja holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Media & Marketing from Steinbeis University Berlin, School of Management & Innovation

Sonja Kreye’s

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Italian Serie A outfit Genoa have announced that gas and electricity supplier have become their main shirt sponsor.

The deal, which runs initially until the end of the 2016-17 season, will see Eviva branding feature on the front of Genoa shirts.

The new shirts will be premiered on January 18, when the side take on Lazio in Italy’s premier domestic cup competition, Coppa Italia.

Location: Monaco

Closing Date: January 25, 2017

Overview:

The Head of the Athletics Integrity Unit will have had several years’ experience in the management of multi-disciplinary executive teams in an international environment in the field of sport and/or integrity-related programmes.

Role The Head of the Athletics Integrity Unit is in charge of the day to day activity of the Unit at an operational level and is responsible for implementing the strategy, policies and plans determined by the Integrity Unit Board. In the first few months in the role, the Head of the Unit will be responsible for deciding on the optimum structure for the Unit, defining all internal processes and deploying sufficient resources to ensure that the Unit is operational with immediate effect. The Head of Unit will ensure that the Athletics Integrity Unit performs to the highest possible standards, is innovative and operates in strict compliance with all relevant requirements.

Key relationships Internal  Chair Integrity Board  Legal Counsel  Deputy Head External  World Anti-Doping Agency  National Anti-Doping Agencies  Law enforcement organizations  IAAF Member Federations  Representatives of Athletics community  Other International Sports Federations  The International Olympic Committee  Other Major Event Organizations  Court of Arbitration for Sport

Responsibilities The Head of the Unit will have the following responsibilities:

Strategies, policies & plans  To propose an overall strategy, policies and plans for the Athletics Integrity Unit for the approval of the Integrity Unit Board  To consult regularly with stakeholders in the sport in developing new or improved strategies, policies and plans for the Athletics Integrity Unit

Implementation/operations  To implement the overall strategy, policies and plans for the Athletics Integrity Unit as approved by the Integrity Unit Board  To supervise the Integrity Unit’s operations on a day-to-day basis in accordance with the agreed strategy, policies and plans, including supervising: o implementation of the yearly Test Distribution Plan; o implementation of the yearly Communications & Education plan  To oversee the selection and engagement of service providers, business partners, consultants etc. as required

Performance/development  To ensure an efficient management and organizational structure for the Integrity Unit and a responsible use of resources at all times  To propose, design, review and assess the feasibility of new projects and innovations for improvement of the Integrity Unit’s performance for approval by the Integrity Unit Board  To seek new partners and develop new partnerships  To explore new revenue streams and opportunities for development

Reporting  To report on the Integrity Unit’s activities to the Integrity Unit Board on a regular basis, as required by the Board  To supervise and approve all reporting to external bodies as necessary (e.g., WADA)  To prepare and assist in the conduct of external audits of the Integrity Unit (e.g., ISO, Financial)

Personal attributes  A person of impeccable integrity  Outstanding management and leadership skills  A team-builder with shrewd judgment of character. Capable of motivating people to work for a common goal in a harmonious and positive environment  An influential, effective individual; articulate, tactful and open in communicating with others, across multi-cultural boundaries  A committed and loyal individual, prepared to work the necessary hours and at weekends. Someone who leads in terms of commitment and work ethic by example. Prepared to travel extensively abroad.  An analytical, numerate and disciplined thinker who has the ability to think through complex issues and develop effective solutions in a timely manner  Ability to understand the ‘big picture’ and effectively communicate this to employees and stakeholders  Politically astute and with an open style to build trust and effective relationships with all stakeholders in Athletics  A strong track record of delivering against demanding targets  Ability to work under serious pressure and media exposure  Ability to speak and communicate in fluent English, with command of French an asset

Remuneration Six figure basic salary, location Monaco Selection Process The Athletics Integrity Unit Board will be responsible for appointing the preferred candidate following completion of the search and selection process.

Date of commencement: please provide some indication of the earliest date that you could commence in the role. The IAAF is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from a full diverse range of candidates, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

How to Apply: 

Applications to the email address applications.iuhead@iaaf.org must include the following:  A full Curriculum Vitae  Confidential contact details including address (work and home), telephone numbers (including mobile) and confidential email address  Current Remuneration: full salary package and breakdown of its components  A letter of application highlighting your motivation for the role and addressing the key selection criteria  Referees: full contact details of three referees. Please note that referees will only be contacted after prior consultation with you. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that referees are willing to provide a reference when contacted by any member of the selection team

PGA TOUR Deputy Commissioner and COO Jay Monahan have announced that LACOSTE, asthma | the French brand known for its polo shirts and sport-inspired casual wear, here has signed on as the official apparel provider of the Presidents Cup, generic | starting with the 2017 event in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

LACOSTE will sponsor the biennial event through 2025, and this marks the first time in Presidents Cup history that one brand has provided apparel for both teams. LACOSTE’s partnership with this global golf event is part of the brand’s strategy to highlight its sporting heritage.

“We’re thrilled to partner with such an iconic brand as LACOSTE,” said Monahan.  “This is a new day for the Presidents Cup, in the fact that we’ve never before had one brand provide apparel for both teams, caddies, VIPs and other committee members, and I can’t think of a more fitting partner than LACOSTE, as its style, sports heritage and global appeal match perfectly with that of the Presidents Cup.  Today’s announcement is one of the many reasons we are extremely excited about the 2017 event, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership with LACOSTE for many years to come.”

“LACOSTE has an authentic sports history, and our Presidents Cup sponsorship will position us as an authority in the golf world, especially in the United States market,” said Grünberg. “LACOSTE is excited to partner with this prestigious tournament taking place so close to one of our key markets, New York City.”

Additionally, LACOSTE will be featured prominently in the 20,000-square-foot official Presidents Cup Merchandise Shop. LACOSTE also will host an invite-only, VIP concept shop inside the Liberty National Clubhouse, which will be open exclusively to athletes, VIP guests and Liberty National members. Both retail locations will offer LACOSTE’s co-branded Presidents Cup collection and a selection of LACOSTE apparel.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Channel 4 have signed a letter of intent for the broadcaster to remain as Great Britain’s Paralympic rights holder until 2020, medical covering the next two editions of the Paralympic Games and the London 2017 Para Athletics World Championships.

The announcement for Channel 4 to continue promoting Para sport for the next four years aligns with the broadcaster’s unique public service remit and comes just days after the conclusion of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

During Rio 2016, sale Channel 4 broadcast over 700 hours of Paralympics coverage to strong audiences – with coverage watched by 28 million viewers, pills nearly half of all UK TV viewers. The broadcaster made a ground-breaking commitment to on and off-screen diversity, assembling the largest ever team of disabled presenters on UK television and training 20 disabled production staff who worked on coverage of the Games.

The letter of intent outlines the principles of a new agreement between the IPC, the Paralympic Movement’s global governing body, and Channel 4 with negotiations over the detail of the contract set to continue over the coming weeks.

Sir Philip Craven, IPC President, said: “As shown with its outstanding coverage of Rio 2016, Channel 4 continues to set the international benchmark for how Paralympic sport should be covered by a broadcaster. They lead the way both on and off the screen and we look forward to working with them for a further four years through to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

“Whether it is producing international award winning TV advertisements promoting Paralympic sport, recruiting on and off screen talent with an impairment or delivering BAFTA award winning coverage, Channel 4 fully understands that its coverage is not only enthralling audiences but changing attitudes towards people with an impairment.

“Channel 4 has built a reputation on innovating and bringing a new approach to Para sport coverage which many other broadcasters around the world are now following. By extending our long-term partnership for a further four years covering London 2017, PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020 we can work together to build on the great work and achievements of the last four years.”

Channel 4 Chief Executive David Abraham said: “Over the last two weeks, Channel 4 has engaged millions of British viewers with the awe-inspiring feats of elite athletes from the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

“The Paralympics speaks to Channel 4’s public service remit on many levels and I’m incredibly proud that our coverage and marketing of the Games has both helped change public perceptions of people with impairments and encouraged broadcasters around the world to show Paralympic sport.

“I’m delighted to be extending our partnership with the IPC and the worldwide Paralympic movement and I know everyone at Channel 4 will be thrilled at the prospect of raising the bar even higher than before inPyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020.”