The vision for the America’s Cup is to bring it to a new audience. Just who that audience might be is still a moving target, but adoption of the new product by emerging nations, and even the defending nation is proving to be harder than anticipated.
The short-term success of the Cup then relies heavily on playing well to the traditional base of sailing fans in countries like France, Italy and Spain. But there is a problem and it can’t be fixed by some clever lines painted over the TV footage – the problem is ‘Europe’.
Luckily for ACEA, there are still some in Europe who believe sailing can be a platform to promote innovation and economic investment opportunities and as a result, Green Comm Racing, which was a Spanish team, will become a European challenge.
The regions of Lombardy and Valencia will combine to give ‘institutional support’ to help Green Comm in its challenge for the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco and promoting the values of sustainability.
The announcement before Christmas said:
“With a budget of 54 million Euros for its 34th America’s Cup campaign, Green Comm Racing is now working on the development of the AC72 multihull, which will be launched on the waters of San Francisco at the beginning of 2013.”
The goals of the project highlight the real benefits that sailing as a sport can provide sponsors. There is only so much technology that can go into a football or a football boot. An AC72 on the other hand (like an Open 60 or Volvo 70) can be a showcase for state of the art technology, science and research.
This is more than TV viewers. This is the kind of TV viewer who watches CNN or Bloomberg. These are TV viewers who are thinking about where to find producers of advanced materials, yacht design and construction, electronic and sensors, E-health and sustainability and renewable energy.
Commenting on the launch of the first ever European Challenge, which aims at tapping the best young talents in sports and technology, Francesco De Leo, Executive Chairman of Green Comm Racing, said:
“We are delighted and proud to have been chosen by one of Europe’s most dynamic regions to tap and enhance the entrepreneurial spirit, the technological prowess and the athletic excellence of a new generation of Europeans.
Promoting the values of sustainability is not an issue relegated to one single country or region of the world. We are not just Italian, Spanish, or French.
We are first and foremost Europeans and we need to inspire and engage the new generation to take charge in addressing one of the most critical challenges of our times: climate change and sustainability.
…California is The Hub for innovation in green tech and the ties to Lombardy, Valencia and Europe will be greatly enhanced by reaching out to a new generation of young entrepreneurs which are feeling at home across both sides of the Atlantic.
It’s time for Europe to come together to address the challenge of building on each other’s strengths, and rebuilding trust across diverse constituencies: sport can play a role, and the America’s Cup provides a great opportunity to reach out to a new generation of young Europeans”.
It’s great stuff. The stuff that strategic marketing people love, but like all things surrounding this new America’s Cup, the grand statements and announcements need to be delivered on.
