savageseadog
Well-known member
Do sponsors benefit from sponsoring races and boats? Forum opinion?
Yacht Racing Sponsorship
- Thread starter savageseadog
- Start date
flaming
Well-known member
If they didn't, why would they do it?
What is clear though is that the returns are very varied. Even in the same event companies get very different returns. And some companies come in with massive investment, get badly burned either through bad luck or a sailor biting off more than they can chew, and are lost to sailing sponsorship for ever. Team Phillips is a great example of a company lost to sailing sponsorship through one bad experience. And for sponsorship to really work, the amount that the company pays over to the sailor has to be supplemented by a lot of spending to promote their activity. Hugo Boss are the absolute epitome of how to do it right. If you look at their overall brand marketing you see how integrated into it the sailing team is.
One of the biggest problems with professional sailing with respect to sponsorship is that it's so cyclic. So a sailor wants to do a Vendee or a VOR or whatever, so they go and fundraise for that event. Then everything has to be renegotiated every time. And this also makes it harder to build a fanbase for the crewed events, as the teams rarely last more than 1 cycle, and only very rarely compete in more than one event. I think there could be an opportunity to create a sailing team that enters a wide variety of races under one banner. A vendee, a VOR, WMR tour, Extreme series, etc etc. Bring all the sailors together under 1 management, and offer sponsors so much more exposure, and so much more regular exposure. Doubt it will happen though.
At a much lower level I've seen quite a bit of sailing sponsorship, mostly of events, and it's clear that the people doing that sort of thing don't always have the goals for their involvement that you expect. For example when I worked for Aberdeen at Cowes week, it came across as more about targeted entertainment for clients than it was brand exposure to yachties, though of course they picked up a bit of that too.
What is clear though is that the returns are very varied. Even in the same event companies get very different returns. And some companies come in with massive investment, get badly burned either through bad luck or a sailor biting off more than they can chew, and are lost to sailing sponsorship for ever. Team Phillips is a great example of a company lost to sailing sponsorship through one bad experience. And for sponsorship to really work, the amount that the company pays over to the sailor has to be supplemented by a lot of spending to promote their activity. Hugo Boss are the absolute epitome of how to do it right. If you look at their overall brand marketing you see how integrated into it the sailing team is.
One of the biggest problems with professional sailing with respect to sponsorship is that it's so cyclic. So a sailor wants to do a Vendee or a VOR or whatever, so they go and fundraise for that event. Then everything has to be renegotiated every time. And this also makes it harder to build a fanbase for the crewed events, as the teams rarely last more than 1 cycle, and only very rarely compete in more than one event. I think there could be an opportunity to create a sailing team that enters a wide variety of races under one banner. A vendee, a VOR, WMR tour, Extreme series, etc etc. Bring all the sailors together under 1 management, and offer sponsors so much more exposure, and so much more regular exposure. Doubt it will happen though.
At a much lower level I've seen quite a bit of sailing sponsorship, mostly of events, and it's clear that the people doing that sort of thing don't always have the goals for their involvement that you expect. For example when I worked for Aberdeen at Cowes week, it came across as more about targeted entertainment for clients than it was brand exposure to yachties, though of course they picked up a bit of that too.
PuffTheMagicDragon
Active member
There are some well-established sponsors in the sailing world but it is a sponsorship of events rather than of individual boats. I have in mind companies like Rolex. They have assembled a set of off-shore races that have become classics and that will not be going away any time soon. Think Fastnet, MiddleSea, Sydney-Hobart, Giraglia, etc. The media exposure obtained world-wide would more than the traditional advertising and would cost significantly less. (Personally I think that my humble $350 self-winding Seiko divers' watch keeps better time than a Rolex that sells for €7,000 upwards, but that's just me).
scottie
Well-known member
From being involved albeit in a small way in sponsoring local club races in the past where we were coerced almost by the marina to provide prizes I was very disappointed by the response from recipients.
We provided prizes for first three boat in three classes for approx five to ten years in that time we had only one thank you ,
The prizes usually were items like a good quality boat knife .
It was part of the rent almost with the marina and I doubt anyone really bothered and it did nothing to increase turnover.
I do recall the year that Rover sponsored the Scottish series and had their cars that were on display pushed into the harbour!
We provided prizes for first three boat in three classes for approx five to ten years in that time we had only one thank you ,
The prizes usually were items like a good quality boat knife .
It was part of the rent almost with the marina and I doubt anyone really bothered and it did nothing to increase turnover.
I do recall the year that Rover sponsored the Scottish series and had their cars that were on display pushed into the harbour!
LittleSister
Well-known member
I suspect in some cases it's as much a benefit for the directors & owners as for the company's products.
lw395
Well-known member
Sponsoring of events very rarely seems to make it cheaper for the entrants.
Sponsoring individual boats can have the wrong effect. If the boat doesn't perform, or the crew are unpleasant, it can lower the tone of a brand. Sometimes your customers don't want your profits to be subsidising their rivals.
Some sponsors get it right and generate long term goodwill. Others fail to do that.
There's a big difference beween the levels where us amateurs participate, and funding pro sailors.
Obviously the Americas Cup is going to need sponsors.
Your local sunday series should not.
Things like Cowes Week, RTIR, National Champs etc, sit uncomfortably in between and you wonder who actually benefits.
Sponsoring individual boats can have the wrong effect. If the boat doesn't perform, or the crew are unpleasant, it can lower the tone of a brand. Sometimes your customers don't want your profits to be subsidising their rivals.
Some sponsors get it right and generate long term goodwill. Others fail to do that.
There's a big difference beween the levels where us amateurs participate, and funding pro sailors.
Obviously the Americas Cup is going to need sponsors.
Your local sunday series should not.
Things like Cowes Week, RTIR, National Champs etc, sit uncomfortably in between and you wonder who actually benefits.
Javelin
Well-known member
The other kind of sponsorship is marine trade specific.
When I was competing at a high level most of the stuff on-board was either free or massively discounted.
Sails, spars, fittings, ropes, waterproof gear, bags and even logo'd casual wear to be worn at prize giving etc.
The builder also discounted my second boat by 50% based on increased sales if we we won stuff.
There were others on the circuit who also got sign written cars, trailers and free transport/shipping.
We got big discounts on container shipping which was a godsend.
We never got round to approaching a title sponsor as our heads were too focused on our sailing/training/tuning to look around.
When we stopped competing, then so did the support, like a light switch.
Which I guess is to be expected.
When I was competing at a high level most of the stuff on-board was either free or massively discounted.
Sails, spars, fittings, ropes, waterproof gear, bags and even logo'd casual wear to be worn at prize giving etc.
The builder also discounted my second boat by 50% based on increased sales if we we won stuff.
There were others on the circuit who also got sign written cars, trailers and free transport/shipping.
We got big discounts on container shipping which was a godsend.
We never got round to approaching a title sponsor as our heads were too focused on our sailing/training/tuning to look around.
When we stopped competing, then so did the support, like a light switch.
Which I guess is to be expected.
langstonelayabout
Well-known member
Hmmm. When you see all that Rolex sponsorship you soon realise why your watch cost so much. Of course I'm not rich; I've bought a Rolex so I'm poor now...