The British Olympic Association has appointed IMG as an official licensing partner to seek to exploit commercial value from the success through London 2012 of ‘Team GB’. We take a look at whether such an approach could work for Team Ireland.
The delay in undertaking such a venture fully eight months after the closing ceremony is down to the ‘cooling off’ period that is part of the joint marketing agreement between the International Olympic Council, the London 2012 organising committee and the British Olympic Association.
IMG will now look to create a comprehensive licensing programme that offers a full range of officially-licensed Team GB products and apparel. It is expected that the first officially-licensed items will be available through a variety of traditional retail and online outlets from August.
Licensed merchandise is a major revenue stream in elite sport with the IRFU, FAI and GAA in particular here in Ireland adept at translating the passion of performance into the shirt on a fans back or the mug from which you may be drinking your cup of coffee as you read this.
During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Team GB gear under the joint marketing agreement was the biggest seller throughout venues and in special pop up stores and major retailers across Britain. Over 10,000 individual lines were included in that programme from key rings to limited edition photography, training tops to trinkets.
The BOA is now looking to extend the feel good factor from those games and build a solid base for the next time round in Rio.
“Driven by the success of Team GB at London 2012, interest and support for the Team GB brand has never been greater,” said Leah Walsh, Marketing Manager for the British Olympic Association.
“For millions of fans throughout the United Kingdom, licensed products provide an opportunity to connect with, and show their support for, Team GB. In IMG Licensing, we are delighted to be working with a licensing partner that is recognised globally for its innovation and unparalleled record of success.”
It may be that the success of Team GB was a one off. It now has to compete with the different national passions of England, Scotland, Wales and indeed Norther Ireland to an extent, and Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah are less evident when training in Florida than when winning in the Olympic Stadium.
Regardless though, the presence of merchandise will produce revenue for an organisation that needs to expand its commercial reach mid cycle and more importantly puts it on a level playing surface with sports that do this all the time.
Could such an approach produce revenue in a smaller market like Ireland?
Paralympics Ireland did produce a limited range of goods and clothing at the time of the London 2012 Games and sold out not once but twice.
“It was designed really for friends, family and travelling fans but when we had our departure event at Dublin Airport we could not stock enough for passers by that wanted to be a part of what we were and to wear that as a badge of support,” said Liam Harbison, CEO of Paralympics Ireland.
Team Ireland has fewer cultural or political issues to deal with than Team GB but has a potentially greater reach through the diaspora and could generate additional incremental revenue that might filter through to sport via the Olympic Council of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland.
If any of the many licensing agencies that operate here or across Europe were to put together a proposal on how to leverage the popularity of Irish sport in this context it would likely find a receptive audience.
Selling Team Ireland
