Sponsors usually want to achieve business benefit from their investment. This is typically derived from the development of important business relationships in the context of a highly exciting sporting situation. For example, by inviting clients and prospects to join them at race meetings, often with some level of hospitality provided, and from brand awareness through advertising on our race car and associating their brand with our motorsport activities.
As an independent racing team, we have more options available than most teams and are able to offer some unique opportunities to sponsors/partners, including TEAM NAME or a share of. In 2012, we will be running cars in the British Touring Car Championship, the VW Cup, VAG trophy and Track day Trophy.
The higher up the level of racing, the more attractive it becomes to potential sponsors. For this reason, the opportunity to market products/companies etc who are involved in the BTCC is immense. The high-profile BTCC delivers one of the most attractive 360-degree commercial and communications platforms in UK sport. There is no doubt that the BTCC has traditionally offered a unique opportunity for sponsors, packaging exciting brand values with a loyal, passionate and nationwide fan base, both trackside and via its ever-increasing live terrestrial television coverage. Indeed, the concept of instantly recognisable showroom cars competing bumper-to-bumper has always provided the BTCC with its own highly-popular ‘USP’ within motor sport.
Sponsors and business partners continue to utilise a range of strategic activation opportunities that are unrivalled in contemporary motor racing and clearly make the BTCC one of the best-value investments in the sporting marketplace. For any astute and imaginative company, participation grants a powerful opportunity to bring alive a brand in front of hundreds of thousands of trackside spectators and millions more TV viewers. The broad range of companies involved – many of them blue chip, whether suppliers to the BTCC or team sponsors – also demonstrates the power of a large crowd and prime-time TV audience, particularly when there is a strong demographic profile. That’s why the series has such strong appeal to both consumer and business-to business products.
One of the reasons as to why we are able to offer so much and run our own team is because in September 2011 we opened our own garage on Crossways Business Park in Dartford, Kent. We therefore have the premises, mechanics, tools & equipment etc. This is the culmination of 8 years work within motorsport which, with the help of family, friends and our loyal group of sponsors/partners, has helped us to reach this point. The fact that we introduce our sponsors/partners to each other has helped them with their own businesses too as where possible, they look to conduct business ‘in-house’, therefore adding additional value to their involvement with us.
There are various opportunities to suit all budgets which can include:
- Share of team name
- Company logo on Race car
- Company branding on truck
- Company branding on garage boards
- Features on the official BTCC website
- Features on Tony Gilham’s website
- Link from Tony’s website to your company website
- Company logo on all of Tony’s posters
- Possible TV exposure
- Company branding on team clothing
- Company branding on drivers overalls
- Coverage in every BTCC programme for the season
- Coverage in press releases
- CSR involvement
- Professional photographs supplied
- Possible opportunity to promote within Tony’s garage and hospitality area
On top of the above, there is the added opportunity of taking clients to the races and have them get up close to the race car in the garage and on the grid prior to the start of the races and maybe be seen on TV and take them on a track day where they can experience the thrills of being driven at speed.
Tony’s distinctive pink & Lime Green livery appeals to many and as such last season’s car and our 2010 Porsche feature on the Forza computer game and Scalextric slot car systems provider Hornby Hobbies are making a model copy of the 2010 Porsche. Again, good coverage for any companies associated with us. As an additional marketing/sponsorship/hospitality opportunity, Tony will also be competing and running 3 other drivers in the 2012 V W Cup, a championship that he won in 2007.
Launched in 2000, the Volkswagen Racing Cup is widely regarded as the most exciting saloon car championship in the UK and for 2012 it remains the sole saloon support race in the prestigious British Formula 3/British GT Championship package. Open to any model of racing Volkswagen, the Cup has attracted drivers of the Beetle RSi, Corrado, Vento & Golf VR6, Golf GTI of every generation, Jetta, Scirocco, Polo, Lupo and Bora models. For a car to be allowed to race in the championship, it will need to be issued with a Volkswagen Racing logbook. To be eligible for this, it must either be a car that has competed in the championship in the past two years, or if it is new to the championship, it must be less than 10 years old. Engine usage has been as varied as car choice, with turbocharged and even turbo diesel power joining the established four and six cylinder engines. This variety of machinery, representing Volkswagens of all ages, has made for one of the most colourful and diverse grids in motorsport, and is always a real hit with spectators. An important facet is the continuing stability of the regulations, which is a fundamental principle behind the championship. Unlike ‘one-make’ championships, cars developed for the Volkswagen Racing Cup can be assured of many years of racing under stable regulations. This means that teams and drivers can invest in the cost of a new car confident in the knowledge that the car will remain eligible and its value will be retained over years to come. With Volkswagen Racing UK running the series stability is ensured as well as the sort of profile that the championship deserves over future years. The championship features the major benefit of Motors TV television coverage, plus a high quality hospitality service, and other benefits for competitors throughout the season. The double-header race format of the racing features seven weekends in the UK, which keeps the time and cost commitment of teams and drivers lower than most other series, and provides spectators with a very full day of Volkswagen action.
If you have any interest in becoming involved in our exciting projects or would like to know more, please get in touch as we would be happy to meet up to discuss in more detail.