Categorie:

Sponsoring campaigns

Title of campaign:

Samsung Hockey Premier League season 2007/2008

short common description of the campaign::

"Samsung" continues sponsorship of Latvian ice hockey league (started in year

2006). "Samsung" continues to use unique sponsorship rights - league is called in

"Samsung’s" name - "Samsung Premier League" (SPL). That brings extra benefits

to "Samsung" and ensures extensive publicity opportunities: "Samsung" is

mentioned in all publications and broadcasts about the league. Sport journalists

have used to call the league in the "Samsung’s" name already. League’s

sponsorship is huge sponsorship project for "Samsung" and is one of the main

contributors in building "Samsung’s" reputation and brand identity in the field of

sports sponsorship. It is possible to reach huge mass market audience via direct

audiences in arenas and through printed media and TV broadcasts. Here is

described first half of campaign - (September 2007 - December 2007)

research work done during the campaign:

Successes and problems from previous year were studied, in order to find out the

most successful and beneficial way of continuing to incorporate "Samsung’s" name

and logo into the title of the championship. Successful activities of other sports

sponsorship campaigns were studied to find out what kind of activities and tools

attract media and public attention the most.

Regular meetings with Latvian hockey journalists were organized before the

sponsorship campaign to get journalists’ evaluation of previous season, in order to

find out weaknesses in organization, management and cooperation and plan further

activities to reduce or avoid weak points.

Regular meetings with journalists were organized during the "Samsung Premier

League" 2006/2007 season too, in order to get journalists’ feedback on league and

suggestions on improvements. According to journalists’ suggestions online

information for all "Samsung Premier League" games, including "All Star Game",

photographer for regular games, more detailed game protocols etc. were improved.

strategy:

Goals:

- To improve public opinion about the significance of Latvian Ice-Hockey

Championship and its events.

- To enhance prestige of SPL and ensure its popularity among hockey

professionals, players, fans and media.

- To create strong and prestigious corporate identity of SPL, ensuring common

corporate visualization, common culture and quality standards for entire league

and its clubs, positive and "Samsung" related brand awareness.

- To increase interest of existing fans in SPL and to attract new fans to the league,

especially in club host cities like Rīga, Liepāja, Ogre.

- To promote positive awareness and recognition of "Samsung" during the

campaign and associate Samsung with values unequivocally perceived as positive

by the society.

Criteria:

Target audience awareness about project. Amount and placement of publications.

Visual advertising material placement and potential auditorium contacts. Feedback

from hockey players, SPL club managers, Latvian Ice Hockey federation, media

and society.

Target audiences:

- National/regional media with sport column

- Sport media

- Entertainment/lifestyle media

- Latvian Ice-Hockey Federation, management of SPL clubs

- Fans and potential spectators

- Society

Messages:

- "Samsung" continues sponsorship of the Latvian Ice-Hockey Championship and

aims to develop championship in a new quality.

- "Samsung" as the general sponsor of Latvian Ice-Hockey Championship is the

initiator and co-organizer of annual "All Star Game". In that way Samsung sets

new tradition in Latvian ice-hockey.

- "Samsung" in close cooperation with "Latvian Ice-Hockey Federation"

introduces a lot of fan and hockey professionals’ oriented activities.

Communication channels:

- National news media

- Lifestyle media

- Sports media

- Special events

- Interactive media - fans internet voting campaign for the starting line-up of the

"All Star Game".

- Informative partnership with biggest internet portals

- Campaign’s advertising support (outdoors, commercials, and print ads).

Activities

1.Press conference announcing "Samsung" as a general sponsor, SPL plans for

2007/2008 season.

2.Large amount of visibility materials production to ensure massive Samsung

visibility in hockey arenas.

3.Season Opening ceremonies before four first games.

4.School children contest "Experts of Samsung premier League 2007/2008".

Trip to SPL game is organized for the winners of each stage.

5.Orphans‘ trips to SPL games during all season.

6.Developing of new SPL web site design and adding more functionality to it.

7."All Star Game" online voting campaign for starting line-up of SPL "All Star

Game" teams at SPL web site.

8.Press conference announcing the starting line-up of the SPL "All Star Game"

teams and providing information on game.

9.The annual "All Star Game", publicity of event and its after party.

10.Season playoff advertising and ticket contests

11.Last final game, awarding the best SPL players of the season.

Results of the campaign and evaluation::

League’s brand name "Samsung Premier League" was used at almost 90% of

publications and broadcasts.

Annual "All Star Game" tradition was successfully continued.

2400 fans participated in online voting campaign to select starting line-up for "All

Star Game" teams, 2000 spectators watched "All Star Game" live in arena, thus

demonstrating that local hockey fans are increasingly interested in attractive local

hockey events and activities. Events like these helped to raise public and media

interest in local hockey and to increase spectators’ and fans’ number.

Massive Samsung visibility gained in hockey arenas (banners, ads, visibility

material giveaway for fans) that accompanied with regular TV broadcasts from

games ensured stable "Samsung" visibility during all season.

280 publications in total were provided in printed media, as well as online news

agencies and internet news portals during the season (from September till

December, 2007). Media coverage included all leading Latvian and Russian

dailies, sports and regional media. "Samsung’s" name in leagues title ensured

almost everyday publicity. Regular reporting from the majority of "Samsung

Premier League’s" regular games were provided in all leading Latvian national TV

channels’ sports news (LTV, LNT, TV3). "All Star Game" attracted also lifestyle

media/column attention.

Four school children and five orphanage group trips were organized.