70
SPONSOR A TEAM
This could be a risky strategy, because the ardent fans of your team’s greatest rivals will refuse to give you their business, but on the other hand you have the loyal support of your own. There are different levels of sponsorship, and different sizes of team. Some get regular TV coverage and others are likely to get 100 supporters to watch a home game. Choose one to match your aims and your budget in a sport that really interests you so you can enjoy supporting them. For local businesses it’s a great brand idea.
The idea At the risk of offending the rest of the English football league, let’s consider Arsenal, known to its lifelong supporters as “The Arsenal”, originally named after the Woolwich Arsenal in south London where they started playing. They crossed the river in 1913 and even had a London Underground station named after the team. In 2006 Arsenal left their old stadium for the new one, the Emirates; everyone going in and out of King’s Cross railway station can see the stadium with its huge red logo on the side. Emirates and Arsenal might not seem like an obvious pairing at first, unless you consider the number of holidays that premiership footballers take in Dubai. Perhaps the most noticeable part of the Emirates’ sponsorship – at least for non-football fans – is the stadium itself. Traditionally,
146 • 100 GREAT BRANDING IDEAS
100 Great Branding Ideas 14dec.indd 146
12/14/11 11:14 AM
