Automotive brands like Volvo and Audi know the value that sailing can deliver on a number of objectives. Volvo is most visibly comitted to the Volvo Ocean Race and Audi is re-evaluating its sailing sponsorships around the world though still involved with events like Hamilton Island Race Week, the Australian Olympic team and Match Cup Sweden.
Other car brands that are involved with sailing include Toyota (Emirates Team NZ), Abarth (Simon Payne – Moth), Mercedes Benz (Tour de France à la Voile), Acura (Key West) and BMW who famously partnered ORACLE Racing, but still support German sailing. Even Maserati are getting into sailing.
Also supporting German sailing in 2012 will be Porsche. The sports car manufacturer has been announced as a partner for Match Race Germany, which will be the first event of this year’s World Match Racing Tour.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Match Race Germany which will take place on Lake Constance, Langenargen from 23 to 28 May 2012.
It’s always interesting to listen to why brands sponsor sailing. To those of us who understand the relative strengths of different sailing disciplines and the merits of sailing over other sports, it’s good to get an opinion from outside the sport.
Porsche AG has a long, successful motorsport heritage, but there are a couple of points that stand out in the statement from the Porsche boss.
Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Germany GmbH said [Our Highlights]:
“Sailing is a very popular and highly respected sport amongst our customers.”
“Both sailing and motorsport rely on clear rules, teamwork, strategy, tactics and of course good fortune – and these values are also reflected in our management style. Sailing is clean, fair, free of doping and essentially comes down to one thing – working out how to get from start to finish in the fastest possible way.”
It offers an enthusiastic sporting audience, all within touching distance, delivering a live experience and not just a satellite transmission.”
The World Match Racing Tour format and business model has some advantages, but also makes things a little bit more complicated from a sponsorship point of view. Many of the events are independent and have their own discreet partners that work in the local market as well as benefiting from global exposure.
Porsche will join a group of corporate event partners for Match Race Germany including STIHL, MHP, Ultramarin, Rolf Benz and Bavaria.
Harald Thierer, Match Race Germany Organiser:
“Our partners can expect much more than the five-day appearance and exposure at an international sporting event, with enthusiastic spectators and associated media coverage. Porsche and all our other partners will benefit from our wider offering which includes an event centre, business coaching, training programmes and yacht charter department.”
Organisers say that the event attracts in the region of 30,000 sailing fans, however you don’t need to sell many Porsches to make such a deal work. The event will allow the brand to engage with current and prospective customers.
