The An Post Rás gets underway this weekend and will speed across the roads and over the mountains of Ireland in the coming days. Sport for Business caught up with An Post Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, Barney Whelan to explore the reasoning behind the sponsorship and how it was to be activated this year.
An Post is the main sponsor of Irish cycling. The Rás complements its sponsorship of the Sean Kelly Team – an Irish development team competing abroad – and the An Post Cycle Series, five mass participation, leisure-cycling events around the country, run in conjunction with the irish Sports Council.
Sport for Business: They are three different projects, each with their own challenges. How difficult is it to switch to international mode for the Rás?
Barney Whelan: “Establishing and activating the sponsorship of an international race was certainly a challenge when we started, but it was one we were sure we could meet. Our Corporate Communications team has significant expertise in driving awareness of cycling, creating an experience for participants, spectators and fans and growing the sport from grass roots to elite level”.
“An Post looked at the very best races on the world circuit and took into account the flavour and style of racing for which the Rás is renowned. We set out to create a modern, Irish racing experience and with the race organisers, we have created an event which riders, spectators and fans can call the best.”
What are the most important marketing elements of the partnership?
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[ismember]”This is a public relations led, integrated campaign. Early in the year we begin with a PR launch of the race route and each year we highlight a new angle of the race itself – be that the 60th anniversary in 2012 or, this year – the introduction of a new jersey”.
“We build interest with international team announcements and individual rider’s stories. We then take the focus local, with regional interest peaking closer to the race date.”
“PR is supported by a mix of direct mail, advertising, social media, promotions and onsite activation.”
“We plan and work to create a home for the race in the months leading up to race week. Our owned channels on social media and the race website www.anpostras.ie are used to feed information to thousands of fans in Ireland, across Europe and further afield.”
How important is social media in your planning and activation?
“Regular social media updates, content on the website and rich media such as video feeds work to create and encourage ongoing engagement. This is echoed in traditional broadcast and print media in the lead up to the race.”
“Once race week starts the interest level explodes and the event accounts for a massive spike in our web traffic each year as fans clamour to keep up to date with race action and results plus exclusive video and imagery from each day of the race.”
“We operate to a high standard on race week – aiming to bring near instant race updates on our online channels and to follow up with high quality content as quickly as possible. The cycling audience is knowledgeable and very active online: So we have to be credible and fast.”
“Our decision to create daily, online video news releases of the race has really paid off on every level. We aim to meet the expectations of the fans from word go, creating racing news coverage to compete with the best cycle racing events in the world. This is a big progression in three years.”
“Is it more of a general sporting sponsorship or are you reaching out in a specific way to fans of cycling?”
“As road racing is not stadium based but very much ‘live’ in the communities through which it is routed, we work hard to appeal to cycling fans in general but also to the communities through which the race moves.”
“The An Post Cycling PR team has achieved cut-through with the broad church of cycling enthusiasts by being a credible partner to the sport – for fans of every hue from the leisure cyclist, to elite racer or a fan of the sport on the world stage.”
“This approach is carried through into An Post Rás, direct mail is used to deliver a Guide to the Race to every home and business on the route. In the meantime a lively Twitter presence is reacting to the race, riders and fans lining the route with encouraging comments, chat, pictures and updates, adding colour and emotion to what is in reality a highly technical sport.
“The cycling community, old and new get behind the race, standing along the route and at Post Office Sprints with their guide and increasingly, connecting online, this is where social media treasure is created.”
How do you get the An Post message across on site during the race?
“Onsite activation delivers a final dust of magic for those people who come out to cheer the riders on – through villages, towns, up mountains and sprinting to the finish line.”
“Merchandising by An Post is strategic but effective, and centred on our distinctive branded green t-shirts. The race is also a platform for two of An Post’s well known brands, One4all gift cards and One Direct Insurance – to leverage jersey sponsorships, merchandising and activation in post offices along the route. This marketing tie-in adds extra depth to the relationship.”
How important is the mass media reach during the race?
“This year An Post has also partnered with RTÉ to cover the famous race and cycling fans eager to follow the action can log on to www.rte.ie/anpostras for live race updates, exclusive rider interviews, video highlights from each stage, results and classification standings.”
“An onsite press office ensures that cycling and sports media are properly catered for in terms of stories, updates and timely access to riders and team managers during race week.”
What criteria do you use to measure the success of the Sponsorship?
“Positioning our brand as the leading supporter of Irish cycling has been a long term, strategic investment which has seen us evolve from sponsor to valued partner. As a company we now evaluate our support for cycling in terms of brand awareness, return on investment and the contribution of large scale cycling events to the local economies in which they take place.”
“For our customers the race is the best example of business, sport and community co-operating to create an accessible, free, elite sporting event which adds value to the social and financial fabric of Irish life. We create local and international heroes, the event is perfect for family and is a good fit with An Post’s uniquely trusted position in communities all over Ireland. For An Post staff and post office contractors it is another opportunity to connect with business and private customers along the route.”[/ismember]
Take a look at more of our recent coverage of Cycling on Sport for Business.
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