Friday Forum – Half Term Report

1.Which Irish Sports Marketing initiative has impressed you the most in the first six months of 2014, and why?
BO’B: SKY’s new GAA coverage. They know how to sell an event even when you know it might not be the greatest sporting event of all time. Rachel Wyse is a great addition as well
AM:  I loved the Giro D’Italia in Dublin. It seemed to be mainly supported by various tourist organisations, and we are increasingly becoming cycling obsessed, but it really did capture the imagination. Despite the weather and it being the final day of the Premiership, I thought the crowds and experience in Dublin were great and I hope it came across on international television. It was certainly a high profile media build-up, so the sponsors deserve any success they achieved.  That, and the Sport For Business Sports Science event in the RDS in January, which really was excellent, but you’re probably too embarrassed to include that (Editors note: Shucks..)
PF:  Paralympics Ireland’s “More than Sport” used the inspirational story of elite athletes to reposition the Paralympics value proposition to a wider audience.  Giving the challenge of aligning the commercial success with sporting success, “More than Sport” provides Paralympics Ireland with a powerful sponsorship proposition.  In addition, campaigns such as “More than Sport” and Samsung’s “Sport Doesn’t Care” reflect the elite environment of high performance sport.
JM:  As a Dub, I may be slightly biased but the activation of the AIG sponsorship of Dublin GAA has been eye catching. Taking over from a brand like Vodafone, after collecting 2 All Irelands in 3 years, can be quite daunting as they are inextricably linked with those successes. However, the launch of the new jersey along with the use of the four AIG ambassadors (one from each of the 4 codes) has helped to position AIG at the heart of what is a thriving GAA scene in Dublin and throughout the country. Unlike previous sponsors, they have brought all four codes under one umbrella sponsor which has provided a huge boost to the ladies football & camogie teams who, in years past, have missed out on the windfalls that having successful teams brings. Knowing how much effort ladies teams put in, I was delighted to see them getting a bit more recognition.
OM: O2’s Irish rugby sponsorship with focus on Brian O’Driscoll’s retirement. They created long lasting, emotional  and meaningful association with their goodbye messaging. Their increased digital activation with bringonthegreen.ie was another fantastic initiative offering fans and O2 customers behind the scenes access.
KS:  Bord Failte and  the NI Tourist Board’s world wide promotion of the Giro d’Italia’s opening stage in Ireland was very impressive. Getting this major sporting event to start in Northern Ireland was a great coup. It brought 200 of the world’s elite cyclists to Ireland and generated an estimated £10 million in publicity. It attracted 140,000 spectators with 42,000 from overseas. It was broadcast to 775 million viewers in 174 countries – so really promoted Northern Ireland as a destination for holiday makers and also for sporting events.
2. Which international campaign, other than those related to the World Cup, has caught your eye and why?
BO’B: WDO Darts.  The sport used to be two overweight heavy drinkers throwing darts. Now its bright and vibrant vibrant with glamour, great audience participation, music and is hugely watchable even if you never threw a dart in your life.
AM:  I was fortunate enough to get to Augusta during Masters week this year, and the best Sport/Business initiative I’ve seen is … John Daly unashamedly flogging golf balls, dodgy strides and signed Masters flags from his Winnebago home just outside the golf course.
PF:  Guinness’ “Made of More” campaign has been activated effectively across a number of platforms however the advert of biathlete Tracy Barnes, used the power of sport to powerfully illustrate “the choices we make” concept.  The compelling content was perfectly executed through the focused media buy and integrated use of TV, social and print.  In addition, the speed at which the advert was put together following the trials, caught the zeitgeist as well as demonstrated a clear alignment of the campaign objective, audience and message.
JM:  An initiative that I really admired for a number of reasons was the Wings For Life World Run which took place on May 4^th. For those who don’t know, it’s a race that was ran in 34 locations worldwide, simultaneously, in aid of the Wings For Life foundation. Starting at 10am UTC across the globe, all types of runners, from beginners to elite, were encouraged to take part & the winner was decided by who could out run a ‘catcher car’ the longest. In the age of instant worldwide communication, this is an undertaking which I can see becoming extremely popular as people find new ways of competing with one another. If you consider the popularity of online gaming, I think this initiative will appeal to the competitor in all of us!
OM: Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial — “Puppy Love”. A video ad that you just want to share between the ridiculously cute puppy to the heart-warming reunion at the end. It’s pure genius from Budweiser blurring the lines between advertising and content.
KS: The Nike Risk Everything ad is terrific – apart from more than 5 minutes of incredible animation, they have cleverly managed to ride the wave of soccer fever which has taken over the world during the World Cup. While They are not  a sponsor of the World Cup and they dont mention it, the video has had over 60 million views online and is perfectly timed and themed to maximise exposure because of current world focus on that event.
3. What are the three sporting events you are looking forward to most in the second six months of the year?

BO’B: The Ryder Cup, Liverpool getting off to a roaring start in the Premiership and St Pats finally winning the FAI Cup.
AM:  Tour De France: I never thought I’d say it, but having joined the recent national cycling obsession, I’ll be glued this year; The All Ireland Football Final – it may be predictable because everyone in the country is saying (not necessarily hoping!!) Dublin will win. But after so much heartbreak, it is good to go in with confident optimism for once. The  Ryder Cup – it seems a lower key build-up this year, but always great TV.  I won’t get over to it because I am cycling from Paris to Nice, but will see it all in sunny Nice with cold beer.
PF:  The Ryder Cup; Scotland v Ireland (Football and Cricket); World Equestrian Games
JM:  The Superbowl; The new European Rugby Champions Cup; the Dubs putting All Ireland football championships back to back for the first time since ‘76/’77.
OM:  All Ireland Football Final, Wimbledon Final, Croke Parke Classic – Penn State v Univ. of Central Florida – something a little different!
KS:  The Croke Park Classic- always great to see American Football live, especially in Croke Park; The Women’s Rugby World Cup- it will be interesting to see how the Irish Team and current RBS SixNations champions, perform against the likes of NewZealand.; The Irish Open Softball Tournament (IOST)- Softball in Ireland is vet much a minority sport. This competition is the highlight of Softball Ireland’s calendar. Sixteen teams, made up of competitive and recreational co-ed players, will be battling for the title in Limerick this August.
4. Who do you think will win the World Cup, the British Open, the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the All Ireland Football and Hurling Championships.
BO’B: Argentina, Mikko Illonen, France, Dublin and Cork.
AM: Netherlands, Martin Kaymer, New Zealand, Dublin and Kilkenny.
PF: Netherlands, Rory McIlroy, England, Dublin and Cork.
JM: Colombia, Henrik Stenson, Ireland, Dublin, Kilkenny.
OM: Brazil, Rory McIlroy, Ireland, Mayo, Cork.
KS: Brazil, Rory McIlroy, New Zealand, Dublin, Kilkenny.
All our participants in the Friday Forum are full members of the Sport for Business community. To learn more about membership click here.

Think you would be able to offer a fresh perspective? The Friday Forum will be a regular feature.  Contact us today if you would be interested in contributing your thoughts on the issues of the day between sport and business.