Papa John’s Marketing Head On EFL Partnership And Evolving Sponsorship Dynamics

The English Football League recently agreed a three-year deal with pizza takeaway firm Papa John’s to sponsor the EFL Trophy. iSPORTCONNECT spoke with Giles Codd, Head of Marketing, Papa John’s about the strategy behind the partnership, brand’s ambitions among other things.

Tell us about your latest partnership with EFL.

This has been an incredibly tough year for many people and businesses, and without fans in stadiums, football clubs have taken a real hit too. Football is incredibly important to the nation and even more so to the communities in which it is played. It’s important that this strong community link is preserved. 

We  see the partnership with the EFL as a great opportunity to support the clubs and their fans, not just at the league level but at the heart of the communities they belong to. Local community football teams and sports clubs have also been hit incredibly hard and we see this partnership as a foothold to help make a real difference to these community clubs. 

What is the current marketing and branding strategy of your brand?

The food delivery market is extremely crowded and competitive, but we all have a great platform to be able to do more. Our ‘Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.’ statement runs deeper than serving freshly made, hot tasty pizzas, “Better” lives in everything we do. 

We want to connect with our customers, understand what’s important to them and ensure we are supporting those less fortunate wherever we can. Our main focus for the last couple of years has been very much about connecting with the 18-30 yr. old audience by creating fun, compelling campaigns and products that are relevant and drive consideration and ultimately purchase. Partnerships have played a big role in helping us achieve this. 

Tell us about your latest campaigns .

Our current marketing campaign is one that we are all very proud of and very excited to see go live. Last January, when chatting with a colleague, I was discussing the huge budgets spent on Christmas advert production and wondered why no one had ever just said “what if we didn’t spend all that money on production and just gave the money we saved to charity?”. This sparked the idea behind our “Giving more this Christmas” campaign. We got our teams across all functions to design and create the assets internally, saving thousands of pounds on designers and agencies. We then used all of these elements to create the campaign and give the savings to our charity partners – Trussell Trust and Crisis. 

Trussell Trust has been a charity partner of Papa John’s all year and we partnered with Crisis last Christmas – both charities remain vital to help fight hunger and homelessness in the UK, two issues that have been further accelerated during the pandemic. We have already raised in excess of £600,000 for charity this year with the help of our customers, franchisees and the business, but it feels right to do even more at this time of year to help those that need it most. In the first 3 weeks of the campaign we have raised over £150,000 and hope to raise much more in the run up to Christmas. 

We’ve also just finished a big national campaign partnering with video game publisher, Activision, and its latest game release Call of Duty Cold War. This was our first game partnership and it was incredibly well received. Around 1 in 4 households in the UK play COD so the partnership allowed us to reach many people with a very relevant product, and as with any sport, there is a big affinity between gaming and pizza.  

Why is sports an attractive category for a food brand like yours?

We are already a very proud partner of GB Paralympics so we know how much, under normal conditions, sport and pizza go hand in hand. They both bring people together, and we know that we are all Better together. Sport is a great leveller and transcends all demographics, to bring people together with a shared love. 

As soon as our discussions around the partnership started, we became aware of how happy the athletes would be about the collaboration due to the fact they always talk about pizza as their go-to food of choice on treat days when training. 

I believe life is about balance. Sport can be extremely important for some, whether it’s going for a run, playing for your local football club or founding your career on it. 

How do you think the sponsorship dynamics have changed amidst COVID-19?

Many sports sponsorships are attractive due to the ability to get your brand in front of thousands of fans and being able to connect with them directly. Obviously with no one in the stadiums until after the 2nd December, and even then in limited numbers, this removes a very basic part of the sponsorship. It therefore makes the relationship with the rights’ owner ever more important than it already is. 

There has to be a trust between the two parties that you will both find new and innovative ways to support the partnership and connect with the sport and its fans. It’s about finding ways to help where you can, and the partnership with the Rugby Super League was a perfect example of this. 

The Super League needed to feed their players and officials, and we had the ability to do this in a safe and timely fashion to ensure the league could continue and get the season completed. Rugby League had a need and we had a solution and it has worked perfectly, which has also formed a great relationship between the two brands and has again underscored the connection between sport and pizza.

Many big global brands have had no choice but to pull out of sponsorship deals, so we feel privileged that we are in the fortunate position to be able to step in and support through sponsorship where we can.

AC Milan Collaborates With Fashion House Paper Planes

AC Milan has collaborated with fashion house Paper Planes to launch an exclusive collection which includes a short sleeved t-shirt, hoodie, bomber jacket, socks, zip-up tracksuit jacket, tracksuit bottoms and snapback cap.

The collection drops exclusively to store.acmilan.com (INT) and paperplane.shop (US) on December 11th, 2020, as well as AC Milan retail stores Casa Milan and San Babila. The collection is available for pre-order for those subscribed to the AC Milan newsletter on December 8th.

“This partnership with Paper Planes, a dynamic brand which sits at the intersection of fashion and culture, is another important step on our journey to position AC Milan as a diverse and relevant lifestyle brand that excites and inspires”, commented Casper Stylsvig, Chief Revenue Officer AC Milan. “Our brands are linked to two cities in Milan and New York that are global symbols of progress and style, and by our commitment to sharing the values of inclusiveness, creativity and innovation with future generations around the world.”

Paper Planes Emory Jones said, “‘The Paper Plane Teaches You To Imagine’ isn’t just a mantra, it’s a way of life, and our partnership with AC Milan embodies just that. Whether you grew up with the Milan Cathedral as your backdrop or riding bikes across the Brooklyn Bridge… We’re all connected by that wish to be spiritually airborne. To let our dreams take us to the places we can’t walk to. This collection merges the AC Milan & Paper Planes worlds on the strength of that message, and we can’t wait for it to take flight.”

“A pivotal part of Global brand growth is capturing the lifestyle audience and Paper Planes are the perfect vehicle for AC Milan to introduce themselves to these new consumer”, said Michael Yormark, co-CEO of Roc Nation Unified. “A lot of hard work has gone into the design to capture the essence and spirit of both New York City and Milan, and the entire company is thrilled with the outcome.”

Discovery Partners Radio France To Expand The Reach Of Olympics

Discovery re-affirmed its commitment to reaching more people and making the Olympic Games more accessible than ever with Radio France announced as the Official Radio Partner in France for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The agreement between Discovery, Home of the Olympics in Europe* and Radio France, sees the French public service broadcaster assume non-exclusive radio rights, covering all aspects of its home Olympic Games at Paris 2024 from its preparations right through to competition-time for millions of listeners across the country. Radio France has also secured Official Radio Partner status for Beijing 2022, underlining its commitment to the Olympic movement.

Antonio Ruiz, Senior Vice President, General Manager Discovery France and Iberia said: “Our partnership with Radio France is another example of Discovery’s commitment to the implementation of extensive and innovative agreements around the Olympic Games. With more than 40 partnerships signed or underway for the broadcasting of the next Olympic Games across Europe, Discovery is continuing its commitment to the IOC to reaching as many people as possible.

“Discovery’s unrivalled experience in developing commercial agreements with major players in the European market, and in particular with major public broadcasters, reflects the strategic value and commercial success of the Group’s acquisition of the Olympic Games.”

Sibyle Veil, President and CEO of Radio France, said: “By becoming the official radio for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Radio France is committed to ensuring that this historic event and its preparations can be experienced by all French people, free of charge, throughout the country. Like culture, sport plays an essential role in our society and the public service will support, through its coverage of the Olympic Games, everyone in sport, whether professional or amateur, female or male, able-bodied or disabled.”

Vincent Rodriguez, Director of Sports for Radio France, added: “The Olympic Games calendar for the next few years has never been so rich! After Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 next year, Radio France listeners will be able to experience the highlights of the preparation and the events of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and of course those of Paris 2024. Our teams will be mobilized as closely as possible to follow athletes and all those involved in the Olympic Games, allowing all of our audiences to experience this exceptional adventure at the heart of the event.”

A Third Of Football Fans Happy To Return To Attending Live Matches In A Stadium, Says Study

With UK clubs now opening doors to fans (clubs in tier one of the new restrictions can have up to 4,000 fans attend matches, with up to 2,000 allowed at games in tier-two areas) , Nielsen Sports Fans Insights has shown that whilst attitudes and behaviours of football fans have changed due the COVID-19 outbreak, in a boost to the hospitality and events industry, 1 in 5 expressed an interest in watching as part of a public viewing in a pub/bar or on outdoor big screens.

Elsewhere the data also revealed that for football fans to feel comfortable inside stadiums and consuming live sport again, there are several key services seen as essential. 72% of fans are expecting updated cleaning polices, 70% want to see increased hand sanitizer stations and 69% would still feel more comfortable with social distancing measures and limited crowds in operation for the foreseeable future.

There is a growing recognition in the UK of the role club partners have to play in rebuilding the live experience for fans, both in stadiums and at home. 61% of people believed that the role of club partners is very important in helping live sport return to some form of normality.

A similar consensus has also grown around the interest people have in brands that have behaved in a socially responsible way during the pandemic. Younger fans have been the drivers in this new way of viewing sponsors and brands, with 48% of 16-29-year olds in the UK showing an increased interest in brands that have appeared socially responsible during pandemic.

Spencer Nolan, Nielsen Sports’ Managing Director, UK & Ireland, commented: “Fans returning to stadiums this weekend is a welcome boost to the industry and a clear indication that we are finally moving in the right direction. In truth though, half of the Premier League clubs will have no fans in the grounds and others will have just 2,000 so there will be very little impact on broadcasters during this early phase of fans returning to stadiums. If anything, it could actually reduce impact and distract viewers at home.

“Our Nielsen Sports Fan Insights data shows that it will take time for fans to feel comfortable again about returning to stadiums to watch live events, It’s clear that attitudes and behaviours amongst football fans have changed and, in a post-COVID world, fans will continue to adopt new ways of experiencing live sport.”

Nolan continued: “There will continue to be a strong emphasis on ensuring the remote fan is engaged with the club and its partners through social media platforms and short form content. As the data suggests, especially amongst the younger demographic, social causes are extremely important to the consumer when they consider engaging with a brand. The interaction therefore with both fans returning to stadiums and remote fans at homes must be authentic otherwise this can easily turn the fan off from the experience.”

Dhaval Ponda, Global Head, Media and Entertainment Services, Tata Communications said : “Fans and broadcasters alike will be breathing a sigh of relief as live sport venues gradually open their doors in various parts of the UK following the end of the second lockdown. The media and entertainment sector has suffered greatly due to the pandemic and organisations have had to reimagine how they bring live sports and entertainment to the comfort of people’s homes. And while this still has its own set of challenges, the question now is how broadcasters can bridge the gap between those watching in the stands and those watching at home.

“Matches and tournaments require multiple cameras, cutaways, reactions and commentary that need to be captured and edited in real time. Live events have become more resource intensive than ever before and need to be properly equipped with the right digital broadcast infrastructure and connectivity capabilities to deliver high quality experiences. Thankfully, with the right technology and infrastructure in place they can make a considerable stride to delivering live-equivalent experiences at home. As broadcasters embark on this new hybrid model for live sports, we can expect the majority of broadcasters to look at adopting remote production capabilities and continue investment in their digital transformation journey. For this new way of working to be future proof, technology will play a huge role in building resilience into the sector.”

British Canoeing Inks Record Teamwear Partnership With Hummel

British Canoeing has signed a new long-term kit deal with hummel, who will become the Official Teamwear Partner to the sport.

The new partnership will see hummel’s world class technical and sportswear garments supplied to the British Canoeing international teams. The garments include leisurewear, base layers and on water technical clothing for paracanoe and canoe sprint.

It means once again that athletes and team staff across all disciplines within British Canoeing will wear the same kit for international competitions.

Founded in 1923, hummel is one of the oldest team sport brands in the world, and recently entered into teamwear partnerships with a number of high profile football teams. This will be the company’s first foray into paddlesports and the partnership will be a record teamwear deal for British Canoeing.

Neil Burke, Commercial Director of hummel UK, said: “We are extremely proud to enter the world of paddlesport in partnership with British Canoeing. Since we first met, we recognised their impressive vision, combining this to our bespoke offering, makes this an exciting collaboration.

“The global development of paddlesport apparel is a great opportunity and hummel will be in excellent shape to deliver. More than anything, it will introduce hummel to new markets and new consumers.”

David Joy, CEO of British Canoeing, said: “This announcement marks the start of an exciting new commercial relationship as we welcome hummel as a partner of British Canoeing. It is important we work with brands that share our ambition and values, and we have all been impressed with hummel’s originality, vision and commitment to quality.

“We look forward to working with hummel to deliver an exciting range of high quality products for our athletes in all disciplines, coaches, volunteers and the wider community over the coming years.”

This new multi-year deal, will replace the existing partnership that expires on 31 March 2021.

LaLiga North America Partners Stage Front For Ticketing Strategies

LaLiga North America and Stage Front announced a new multi-year partnership focused on driving new customer-centric ticketing strategies using data from both organizations.

The brands are committed to positive customer experiences and will use their extensive digital and market analytics to drive a revamped approach to ticketing and fan engagement focused on customer behavior and satisfaction.

“LaLiga has a highly engaged and coveted fan base in the U.S. that interacts with our properties across multiple touch points including content, events, and grassroots activations,” said LaLiga North America CEO Boris Gartner.

“Using our deep understanding of soccer fans in the U.S, we will work together with Stage Front to help develop an innovative approach to ticketing that improves the customer experience as fans finally return to stadiums.”

The agreement was announced during an international digital press conference featuring LaLiga North America CEO Boris Gartner, Karl Roes, CEO at Stage Front and LaLiga legend Robert Pires. The partners described key features of the partnership including LaLiga North America producing weekly co-branded Facebook and social media posts, in-app impressions and banners to continue to grow brand awareness for their retail presence, www.stagefronttickets.com. In addition, ticket and hospitality customers will be eligible to win awards though digital sweepstakes and contests such as meet and greets with ambassadors, merchandise, and hospitality for when fans return to stadiums.

“We are thrilled to be working with one of the top brands in the world, not only for soccer but for their efforts in the community. LaLiga North America is the perfect partner as we continue to strategize unique partnerships,” said Karl Roes, CEO of Stage Front.

“We are reimagining the mindset with a goal that goes beyond sales and focuses on the global customer journey. With LaLiga North America and their experience, fan base, and innovation, this partnership will enhance the customer experience”.

Brett Gosper Joins NFL As Head Of Europe And UK

Brett Gosper who has served as Chief Executive of World Rugby since 2012, is to join the National Football League as Head of Europe and UK.

Gosper’s role will see him drive the next stage of the league’s growth in Europe. Reporting to Christopher Halpin, NFL Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, he will have overarching responsibility for the successful execution of NFL business strategy across the UK and Europe, including fan growth, live games and commercial success.

As CEO of World Rugby, Gosper, a former Australia Under-21 international who spent a decade playing club rugby in France, oversaw record-breaking Rugby World Cups in England in 2015 and Japan in 2019.

Welcoming Gosper to the NFL, Halpin said: “We are tremendously excited to have Brett joining the NFL in such an important role. The UK has been a core market of investment and growth for the NFL over the last decade, and we believe broader Europe presents a number of similar attractive opportunities to expand the game and our fan base. Brett’s exceptional skills and experience make him the ideal leader to build on our momentum and grow the NFL.”

Under Gosper’s leadership, the 2015 Rugby World Cup saw 2.47 million tickets sold and commercial and ticketing revenues in excess of £650 million, generating more than £260 million in profit for reinvestment in the global game. Further records were set at Asia’s first Rugby World Cup in 2019, with commercial and ticketing revenues reaching £750 million, leading to a profit of £240 million, and digital engagement totaling 1.7 billion video views,

Gosper said: “I feel very privileged to have led a great organisation like World Rugby for the best part of a decade, but I am now ready for a new challenge. I am incredibly excited to be joining the very impressive and ambitious team at the NFL and helping the most valuable and watched sports league in the US win even more hearts in Europe and the UK.”

Previously Chief Executive of McCann Europe, Middle East and Africa and President of McCann USA, Gosper also oversaw progressive change in rugby in the areas of governance, inclusiveness and player welfare management.

Gosper, who lives in London, will begin his new role in 2021, with exact date to be confirmed.

IMG Arena Renews Livestreaming Partnership With Ekstraklasa

IMG ARENA, a leading sports betting service and content hub, has secured an extension to its global live streaming partnership with Poland’s premier football league, the Ekstraklasa.

The multi-year renewal will see IMG ARENA package live footage from the competition for betting and gaming operators to offer to their customers.

Following a period of commercial growth, Ekstraklasa paid record revenues to its clubs in 2019-20, and the league is set to grow from 16 to 18 teams from 2021-22, providing a greater volume of matches and further increasing the live streaming coverage.

Freddie Longe, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of IMG ARENA, said: “The Ekstraklasa is an ambitious organisation with an entertaining product. We are delighted to be extending our partnership and to stream a growing number of matches.

“Football is the world’s most popular sport, and we are committed to ensuring we have a high quality, diverse portfolio of content to engage fans across the globe.”

Marcin Animucki from Ekstraklasa said: “IMG ARENA has played a vital role in helping our organisation drive revenues for our members with packaged, engaging content that sustains and builds interest in Ekstraklasa around the world. We take great pleasure in announcing the renewal of the partnership and look forward to building on this mutually beneficial collaboration.”

IPC To Broadcast Tokyo 200 Paralympic Games For Free In Sub-Saharan Africa

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is to provide free-to-air (FTA) coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Sub-Saharan Africa as part of its efforts to raise awareness of Para sport and its athletes in the region.

This broadcast initiative is a key element of the Para Sport Against Stigma project between the IPC, Loughborough University, and the University of Malawi, Chancellor College, which aims to support social change and overcome stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities in Africa. Para Sport Against Stigma is part of AT2030, a programme funded by UK Aid and led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub.

For the first time across the region, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be FTA and broadcast live on 24 August and 5 September 2021. There will also be a 52-minute daily Games highlight show of African centred content in English, French and Portuguese.

TV Media Sport (TVMS) is working on behalf of the IPC to secure Sub-Saharan broadcasters. So far FTA broadcasters in 24 countries – with an estimated reach of over 150 million people – are confirmed: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.  The IPC will waive the broadcast rights fee for Tokyo 2020 in order to maximise coverage in a region that has traditionally aired only limited coverage of the Games.

The 2020 broadcast will be funded by the IPC and UK Aid. The IPC hopes that this initiative will be a catalyst for commercial partners becoming involved in broadcasting Paris 2024 to Sub-Saharan Africa.

IPC President Andrew Parsons said: “The IPC is very excited about the prospect of more people than ever before watching the Paralympic Games in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Through sport the IPC wants to normalise and challenge the stigma attached to disability.  One of the best ways to achieve this is through people watching the Paralympics and seeing first-hand what persons with disabilities can do.

“Going free-to-air across so many territories will allow us to tell the compelling stories and athletic achievements of Para athletes and raise awareness of the Paralympic Movement.

“We are confident that we will engage new audiences and make a bigger impact than any previous Paralympics. I truly believe that this could be a turning point for the region: the awareness that Tokyo 2020 will create could lead to more media, people and sponsors getting involved in Para sports, which in turn will create new opportunities for people with disabilities. We are going to show that change can start with sport.” 

Dr Emma Pullen, Lecturer in Sport Management, Loughborough University added: “This project offers a really unique and exciting opportunity to work closely with the IPC and broadcasters to bring the Paralympic Games to Sub-Saharan Africa. The media visibility of Para sport is so important in helping change attitudes toward disability and can be such a powerful platform for raising awareness around disability rights, access, and inclusion.

“Our aim is work closely with local partners and broadcasters in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve the reach and access of the broadcast as well as localising the content to include narratives of local Para athletes. It’s the start of a journey that will hopefully see the sustained roll out of Para sport across many parts of the Global South.”

Vicki Austin, CEO of the Global Disability Innovation Hub, which leads the AT2030 project said: “As Head of Paralympic Legacy in London, I saw first-hand what a massive difference London 2012 made to perceptions of disability. It is why we set up GDI Hub. And with more than a billion people in the world needing access to basic assistive technology  – and only 10% currently using AT – our amazing Para athletes can do so much to overcome the stigma and promote a positive association for the first time for many young women and men with disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa.  This project will change lives, and we are delighted to partner with IPC and Loughborough on this important work and thank UK Aid for their backing.”

Hédi Hamel, President of TV Media Sport, said “We are delighted to partner with the IPC on this important project to create awareness around Para sport all over the African continent. TVMS is committed to introduce in all TV homes the values of inclusion through the performances and stories of African Para athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.”

Dr. Naim Bilal, Managing Director, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation: said: “KBC is eager to be part of the Para Sport Against Stigma project. As a state broadcaster, we are keen to embrace the value of Para sport and social inclusion. We look forward to broadcasting the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games programmes all over Kenya.”

Mr. Fémi Johnson, General Manager, NTA Sports in Nigeria added: “The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will give Nigerian audiences a different entertainment, which we are sure they will enjoy.”