Sponsorship sources

[Sulland]

Looking at the Premier League, that probably is the worlds largerst sponsor market.

We can see that there are a few lines of business that are dominating the shirts.


Betting
Car brands
insurance
tyre brands
airlines


F1 are major sponsors comes from using;

Oil companies
Bank
Watch/ Timing
Alcohol


Betting is coming fast, so maybe that is the source to look further into for private teams, drivers.

Henning S and Åhlin drove with LeoVegas, maybe was onto something.

what other lines of business are possibilities for WRC?

[seb_sh]

depends on how many people and what kind of people are watching WRC. If WRC's audience is in company X's target audience they will use it. A possible problem with WRC may be that the only common thing for WRC fans is "being a WRC fan", otherwise the fan base is very diverse. So only companies who have a motorsport marketing strategy get involved. In the last 10 years sponsors from WRC have slowly disappeared except for car manufacturers, some fuel companies and Red Bull I can't think of any other major sponsor.

Next year we're going to see some fresh blood with Toyota's sponsors being in electronics and software but those are sponsoring Toyota specifically, not "a WRC team". Also MSport has a OneBet sticker so that's a start.

From your F1 list you missed telecommunications (Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica Movistar) they have been a presence in recent times, less lately.

[Barreis]

That's because of domination. Who wants to see the same 2 drivers as a champs for 12 years?! Nobody...

[denkimi]

every big company that sells its product directly to consumers is a possible sponsor. cars, food, alcohol, sigarettes, banks, ...

[N.O.T]

some drivers could very easily get sponsorship from veterinary services.

[AndyRAC]

Imagine you are a global company - where are you going to spend your money? English Premier League, F1 or WRC......Which gives the biggest bang for your buck? Be honest, it's never going to be the WRC.....

[Rallyper]

However putting valuable money in F1 or PL is way more expensive. Same company involved there could easily spill over a part of their budget on WRC as well.

[denkimi]

Imagine you are a global company - where are you going to spend your money? English Premier League, F1 or WRC......Which gives the biggest bang for your buck? Be honest, it's never going to be the WRC.....
i'm not so sure about that.
as rallyper said, you can get a lot more exposure in f1 or PL, but you'll need a lot more money.

[dupanton]

some drivers could very easily get sponsorship from veterinary services.

Or from hamburger restaurants!

[Doon]

As a WRC fan and competitor in national events, I can't see why anyone would spend money on sponsorship in rallying. The exposure is minimal and there are no returns on investments through prize money. It always appears that privateers have sponsorship, but they are usually linked to the sponsor in some way; own business, parents, family etc. So effectively sponsoring themselves.

Having said that I did start smoking Marlboro Reds after watching Tommi Makinen in the Evo VI.

[Sulland]

I think WRC could develop a very good product for the sponsors. But not by sending them out in the forrest all the time.
If major companies are to invite their employees and customers, you need to give them a better show!

WRC promotor need to make available more live alternatives, like timing, inboard, split pictures, also in slow motion. You need a full streaming production staff, and possibilities to walk depot, get tours and demos from management and mechanics/engineers. Ex drivers giving asessemnts, and good stories.

What else would make WRC a better product for non-petrolheads?

[AndyRAC]

What else would make WRC a better product for non-petrolheads?

At the moment, the WRC is struggling to attract petrolheads/ motorsport fans as it is. Look at the number of comments on various motorsport website forums. Attracting the non-petrolheads is a huge task.

[ChassisFlex]

Well, the WRC tv coverage is pretty mediocre. How the production company can manage to make something so exciting (somewhat road based cars flying over jumps at 200km/h) boring is a testament to the fact that the media needs to be changed.

Also, while the other events and series you've mentioned are indeed popular, WRC still has a massive following worldwide and should be able to get support.

The last two seasons have been more exciting and entertaining for me than anything else in the past decade. I have high hopes for the 2017 season, hopefully redbull gives the media a good step up!

[Jarek Z]

Well, the WRC tv coverage is pretty mediocre.

Mediocre at best! I've seen hundreds of videos made by amateurs with their small video cameras, that was far more exciting to watch than the official TV broadcast made by professionals (both in WRC and ERC). How is that possible?

[Franky]

Well, the WRC tv coverage is pretty mediocre. How the production company can manage to make something so exciting (somewhat road based cars flying over jumps at 200km/h) boring is a testament to the fact that the media needs to be changed.

Flying cars don't sell, otherwise all car commercials would be of cars jumping.

WRC will thrive, if there are several heroes and not to mention rivalries that the media can feed on. Also driver's with a good sense of humour and rather limited PR filter - Grönholm would be a viral hit in this decade. The Average Joe wants emotions, to root for someone and some spectacle.

Now, if Meeke would be going head to head into the last two rounds fighting for the championship with Ogier, then even the ladyboy sports (F1 in N.O.T's vocabulary) crazy British media would take notice. Once the mainstream media catches on and starts to pump their resources into covering a sport, you can reach the Average Joe and increase the viewership. And maybe someone in the new audience will become a die hard fan of the sport, but they'll always be the minority.

Also a crew from a smaller nation, who has the potential to win rallies, could do wonders to the fan base size from that country. Maybe New Zealanders can comment, if there's been any increase in the way rallying is covered in NZ after Paddon's win.

In Estonia the amount of active rally fans was in a decline after Märtin and Aava retired and we had guys only in the feeder series. And then the rally wins started to come from those series and the media fed on it. When at one point you were happy to find a small news bulletin in the news paper, then now you can find plenty of full page stories during the year.

Also does Mikkelsen have the same kind of fan army like Petter Solberg had during his Subaru days (when he still won)?

[Myrvold]

Also does Mikkelsen have the same kind of fan army like Petter Solberg had during his Subaru days (when he still won)?

Nope.

[SubaruNorway]

Also does Mikkelsen have the same kind of fan army like Petter Solberg had during his Subaru days (when he still won)?

I don't know why but they have very little engaging towards fans. Maybe it's different with someone that doesn't come from nothing like Petter and Paddon.

[Lousada]

Flying cars don't sell, otherwise all car commercials would be of cars jumping.

If you look at car commercials still a lot of them are cars driving into the sunset on a nice twisty road. The sort of roads that rallies are competed on.

If the rallysport wants to increase interest they should sell the freedom and adventure aspect more. The Safari was of course the ultimate adventure but something like the old RAC that ran across the UK was also extremely interesting. Modern rallies do loops but I would suggest they do like cycling and go from A to B. That way a larger area is covered which results in more interest. It also gives the rallies a more national aspect which resonates more with mainstream media and casual fans.

As for WRC.tv we have talked about this so many times. In my opinion the directors should follow a storytelling class. At the moment they are just reporting what has happened. This makes WRCtv insufferably dull because any basic fan already knows what has happened in the rally by the time they watched the show. They should tell a story to keep things interesting, instead of reporting on stuff as if they are CNN.

[Rallyper]

Flying cars don't sell, otherwise all car commercials would be of cars jumping.

WRC will thrive, if there are several heroes and not to mention rivalries that the media can feed on. Also driver's with a good sense of humour and rather limited PR filter - Grönholm would be a viral hit in this decade. The Average Joe wants emotions, to root for someone and some spectacle.

Now, if Meeke would be going head to head into the last two rounds fighting for the championship with Ogier, then even the ladyboy sports (F1 in N.O.T's vocabulary) crazy British media would take notice. Once the mainstream media catches on and starts to pump their resources into covering a sport, you can reach the Average Joe and increase the viewership. And maybe someone in the new audience will become a die hard fan of the sport, but they'll always be the minority.

Also a crew from a smaller nation, who has the potential to win rallies, could do wonders to the fan base size from that country. Maybe New Zealanders can comment, if there's been any increase in the way rallying is covered in NZ after Paddon's win.

In Estonia the amount of active rally fans was in a decline after Märtin and Aava retired and we had guys only in the feeder series. And then the rally wins started to come from those series and the media fed on it. When at one point you were happy to find a small news bulletin in the news paper, then now you can find plenty of full page stories during the year.

Also does Mikkelsen have the same kind of fan army like Petter Solberg had during his Subaru days (when he still won)?

However I wouldn´t rule out the impact rallying has in the mediterrainian countries like Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. It´s a big sport in those parts of Europe.

[KiwiWRCfan]

Also a crew from a smaller nation, who has the potential to win rallies, could do wonders to the fan base size from that country. Maybe New Zealanders can comment, if there's been any increase in the way rallying is covered in NZ after Paddon's win.

Rally is currently getting coverage from all main stream media in NZ. We have Sky TV providing the official WRC daily highlights within a few hours of them coming available, unfortunately they rarely have the live stages. Our major free to air networks will show the 1 hour rally highlights show within a week of each rally finishing. Our major daily newspaper added a dedicated rally section to it's website in mid 2016 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rallying/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=297 Several radio stations provide regular updates during WRC weekends

The increased coverage is partially due to Hayden & John's successes on the stages but also due to Hayden's friendly and available approach to engaging with the media.

Our national & local rally series are also benefiting from increased coverage as general public awareness and interest in rally has grown. New promoters took over the NZ Rally Championship 2 years ago and have been doing an excellent job in rejuvenating the NZRC.

[Sulland]

At the moment, the WRC is struggling to attract petrolheads/ motorsport fans as it is. Look at the number of comments on various motorsport website forums. Attracting the non-petrolheads is a huge task.

Very much agree with you. But us petrolheads are not the ones sponsors want to attract, we are too few!
they want ordinary Joe to buy their product. So whenever I have taken a friend out to watch rallies, and the same man to watch rallycross, they all go for rallycross. Why: you see it all, it is compact, it has drama you can follow, you can walk back to the depot, not drive.

Rally has a lot going for it: the bravest and best drivers in the motorsports world, cars that look like one you can buy tomorrow, speed, man vs machine, hero/fan possibilities.

But it is utterly mismanaged from FIA, as the ugly duckling. Left to die by itself, while F1 and the new E-Racing gets all the attention.
Companies win contracts to be promotor, they fail miserably;
bad website, useless addition that cost money (wrc+), oldfashioned TV production, little or no use of streaming, and interaction with drivers and co drivers, no improvements in any area.

Something need to be changed.
Make a set of cases. Put this to three different universities, two think tanks, and on facebook for Ordinary Joe to speak out. Ask sponsors what they would like to see change.

Put results into a report, go and brief Rally Comitty in FIA on the results, and a plan of change.

Rally has the potential, but need help to grow!

[RS]

Now, if Meeke would be going head to head into the last two rounds fighting for the championship with Ogier, then even the ladyboy sports (F1 in N.O.T's vocabulary) crazy British media would take notice.

I think that's wishful thinking. When Meeke won his first and second WRC events there was pretty much nothing.

Most recent good coverage of rallying in the UK came when Skoda UK and Peugeot UK were in IRC, and even then I think it came largely because the importers paid for it.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

This thread is about Sponsorship Sources guys.

All this about WRC & media isnt the same thing and it's been well covered many times before on the forum.

Back on topic.. what do people think about the energy drinks and betting firms taking over from the old traditional sponsors ?

[tolx]

I have almost forgotten tabacco sponsors now, but they were here a decade and a bit ago. Still, I think its for better - smoking isnt something to advertise.
Latvian local sports sponsorship has been taken over by something even worse maybe - quick loan companies. At least, they are not so big to go global (or am I missing it?).
Energy drinks and betting are strongly associated with sports, but its interesting that not so much of technology and electronics companies use this form of advertising.

[AndyRAC]

This thread is about Sponsorship Sources guys.

All this about WRC & media isnt the same thing and it's been well covered many times before on the forum.

Back on topic.. what do people think about the energy drinks and betting firms taking over from the old traditional sponsors ?

Well actually, sponsors require require decent media coverage & promotion - otherwise their product won't be noticed. ROI

[Sulland]

It is a bit pro et contra, but maybe WRC needs its Bernie E, to professionalize the product, to attract the big sponsors?
But it is a double edged sword, since there is no going back......

Again, In my opinion some of the answer lies in live presentation of the stages, and with different channels for the customer to choose from.

Today we can all stream live from our smartphone, so it is all about supply of bandwith. Not such a large obstacle in 2017, if the willingness is there!

[RS]

It is a bit pro et contra, but maybe WRC needs its Bernie E, to professionalize the product, to attract the big sponsors?


Actually there are very few 'real' sponsors in F1 these days too. Many are linked to a driver or are the companies of the team owners etc.

[kure91]

It is a bit pro et contra, but maybe WRC needs its Bernie E, to professionalize the product, to attract the big sponsors?

Wasn´t D. Richards trying something like this back 2000´s with ISC?

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Red Bull and Monster seem to be dominating WRC, Enduro and WorldRX sponsorship nowadays. I can see the attraction for the two latter ones with their younger audience, but WRC seems to me to have an older fan base. Red Bull must still see the benefit in sales but I'm a bit surprised.

I cant say I like seeing these energy drinks myself, but they are better than the gambling companies as sponsors. They seems to be growing in all sports and I hear about real problems people have when they get addicted to betting.

[Sulland]

Wasn´t D. Richards trying something like this back 2000´s with ISC?

That was the plan, but then the technology was not as available as it is today.

[janvanvurpa]

Mediocre at best! I've seen hundreds of videos made by amateurs with their small video cameras, that was far more exciting to watch than the official TV broadcast made by professionals (both in WRC and ERC). How is that possible?

It is possible because passion overcomes morons who rely on technology and clichés like whoever makes those stupid WRC official videos. Its possible because hard-core fans know what winds them up and so that's what they film: the CARS being driven hard...While TV people think we want to see how cool THEY are..so they have to play with the camera and special effects and randomly and constantly go to super-super-slow motion inexplicably, or speed up the action "to make it more exciting" and in general show what great artistes with the camera they are..

Everybody wants to be a hero..

[salamaja]

Mediocre at best! I've seen hundreds of videos made by amateurs with their small video cameras, that was far more exciting to watch than the official TV broadcast made by professionals (both in WRC and ERC). How is that possible?

This! And how is it maximum to do 3 live stages?? 2017 almost - i just don't get it. We don't need helis and 20+ cameras on stage. I believe even a couple of cameras streaming live on half of the stages would be doable.

[Franky]

This! And how is it maximum to do 3 live stages?? 2017 almost - i just don't get it. We don't need helis and 20+ cameras on stage. I believe even a couple of cameras streaming live on half of the stages would be doable.

There's a massive difference what people expect from the official broadcast and some fans streaming from their phones/tablets.

And WRC broadcasts aren't even close to 20+ cameras, unless you count all the onboard cameras.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

Yet more about the media coverage..

Anyone got any views on the actual subject, Sponsorship Sources ??

[EightGear]

Yet more about the media coverage..

Anyone got any views on the actual subject, Sponsorship Sources ??
I think people just don't care about the sources.

Personally I am fine with betting and energy drink companies, no problem.

[Jarek Z]

I cant say I like seeing these energy drinks myself, but they are better than the gambling companies as sponsors.

What is it that you don't like about energy drinks?

[Jarek Z]

Red Bull and Monster seem to be dominating WRC, Enduro and WorldRX sponsorship nowadays. I can see the attraction for the two latter ones with their younger audience, but WRC seems to me to have an older fan base. Red Bull must still see the benefit in sales but I'm a bit surprised.

Energy drinks as sponsors seems to be a good idea, but... wasn't it tried already?

http://motorbugs.com/wp-content/uploads/P-20161002-02001_HiRes-JPEG-24bit-RGB.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0a/21/6d/0a216de11bf734eb148aa1e1fabd72cc.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CctCeTxXIAA9DSP.jpg

http://www.rallysport.hu/info/2003/10/images/Zemplen/Zemplen-rali2.jpg

http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g386/STOHLXSARAWRC/1_18%20Rally%20Car%20Collection/5226301_orig_zpsdvptqlee.jpg

[tommeke_B]

WRC having an older fanbase? I'm not so sure... For example in Catalunya I've see plenty of young people along the stages. It probably depends from country to country, but on most places I've been there are spectators from all ages.

[Fast Eddie WRC]

What is it that you don't like about energy drinks?

They have taken over from the alcohol companies and pretend to be promoting a healthy lifestyle when
their products are just full of sugar calories and no goodness. And then they market this to younger people when there is a already a big problem with obesity.

Rallying makes these companies look 'cool" when they are really harming health almost like the old vices did.

[the sniper]

If you're that fussed about energy drinks I'm not sure how you can justify manufacturer support of motorsport, when so many people are killed in car accidents...

[tommeke_B]

They have taken over from the alcohol companies and pretend to be promoting a healthy lifestyle when
their products are just full of sugar calories and no goodness. And then they market this to younger people when there is a already a big problem with obesity.

Rallying makes these companies look 'cool" when they are really harming health almost like the old vices did.
It's should be everyone's right to be stupid. I don't think that any "normally gifted person" is going to switch from water to redbull from advertising. They may be influenced to buy that redbull/monster/battery+ or whatever if they are drinking some similar rubbish already. In France it's forbidden to display any publicity for alcoholic beverages in motorsports. I don't believe people are drinking more or less because of advertising. In the late 90s advertising of tobacco/cigarettes was banned "for health". Who started smoking because the "Bastos" logo was displayed on some rallycars? Maybe those advertisers could, in long term, indeed change minds of those already smoking. People kept smoking just as much until governments started to ban smoking in most places and made it extremely expensive to smoke... I haven't heard a positive word from the banning of those advertisers, especially from rally enthusiasts. In contrary, everyone has been complaining, and is still complaining, about how much money has been taken away from all kinds of motorsport. Now you want the same with energy drinks?

[Simmi]

They have taken over from the alcohol companies and pretend to be promoting a healthy lifestyle when their products are just full of sugar calories and no goodness. And then they market this to younger people when there is a already a big problem with obesity.

Rallying makes these companies look 'cool" when they are really harming health almost like the old vices did.

I'm not sure they are actively doing anything at all to promote 'healthy' lifestyles. I think that's an inadvertent connection you've made. They are pouring money into promotion of 'extreme' sports or athletes. In essence what they are promoting is 'fun'. Which is why I'm very happy to see energy drink brands supporting the WRC. When they leave it will say something about the sport.

Like tommeke says it's on us to not get mis-sold by these companies. For that same reason I'd happily let alcohol and tobacco brands back in. As a sport rallying isn't really in a position to pick and choose the types of brands that lend support.

I don't know whether they are also banned but maybe drivers should speak to vaping/e-cig companies?

[seb_sh]

One thing to consider about "harmful" products and banning/unbanning advertising is the effect they can have on children. I agree it's on us to be discerning adults and not get "fooled" but children are much more easily seduced by the bright colors and noise of the cars and can form quite strong emotional associations. Of course it's the parent's job to educate the kids but it's really hard to do if a certain brand is all over the place and made to look cool.

[kure91]

WRC having an older fanbase? I'm not so sure... For example in Catalunya I've see plenty of young people along the stages. It probably depends from country to country, but on most places I've been there are spectators from all ages.

Well, from a few researches I´ve found it seems that you are righ with young fanbase. In 2007 was conducted research at selected WRC events (NZ, Germany, Catalunya,Portugal) and biggest group of spectators was usualy in age group 20 - 30 years old. And this seems to be quite right also nowadays, because in my thesis i´m doing this topic and majority of respondents in my research at Barum rally was in age category 20-30 years.