Kenny Lim
Sep 25, 2009

Standard Chartered to look for 'help' with Liverpool FC sponsorship

ASIA-PACIFIC - Standard Chartered has indicated it will seek specialist agency help to activate its recently sealed US$130 million, four-year shirt sponsorship deal.

Standard Chartered to look for 'help' with Liverpool FC sponsorship
A spokesperson in the bank’s Hong Kong headquarters told Media it would continue to work with its creative agency TBWA in Asia, but would also look for “help” as it looks to use the deal to boost its global brand profile.

The spokesperson said there would be heavyweight marketing activity in Asia and the Middle East, but added it was still too early to give details, as the deal begins in 2010. A source within TBWA said the bank had already spoken to some of the agency’s senior executives about its plans.

“I expect our relationship with our creative advertising agency TBWA to continue in Asia,” said the spokesperson. “However, we will almost certainly need help with sponsorship activation.”

In a press statement Susan Ho, head of group brand development at Standard Chartered, said the bank’s brand strategy would be to deliver a “sharper” positioning.

She added that the partnership would help drive business growth through new customer groups, marketing channels and Liverpool-branded products and services. The sponsorship “will help us to maximise our sustainability and community programmes,” Ho said.

One source argued that as exposure on TV could be limited, given that most EPL matches are on cable TV, Standard Chartered should look toward on-the-ground activities to see a return from the deal.

One major question is how much the bank will be able to spend on activation given the amount it has spent on the sponsorship rights.

Adrian New, SVP of group sales and marketing at World Sport Group, said: “Standard Chartered will need other activities to target its new audiences effectively. The risk will be that it has used all its budget in the acquisition of these rights, plus those of the various marathons it sponsors, and has nothing left for the activities that will really deepen consumers’ affiliation with them.”

According to the Financial Times, Standard Chartered, with a brand value of US$8.2 billion, currently ranks 15th among financial services brands globally, having grown 20 per cent from the previous year.

 
Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

16 hours ago

The anti-trend trend: How Starbucks aspires to use ...

THE CMO'S MO: Inspired by Apple, Starbucks Asia's marketing head, Samuel Fung, is blending tradition and innovation with a back-to-basics approach to build loyalty in a competitive market.

16 hours ago

STB partners with NBA to attract fans from the region

The Singapore Tourism Board seeks to make the city state an attractive destination for sport fans, as it looks further afield to boost its ambitious goals for inbound visitors.

16 hours ago

X partners with Magnite to boost programmatic ad sales

Magnite joins Google and PubMatic as official third-party sellers of X’s ad inventory which can help fill unsold inventory and attract more advertisers.

17 hours ago

Love looks different in Asia now, and so should ...

More people in Asia are choosing singlehood; it’s time brands moved beyond dated romantic tropes to catch up with times for V-Day marketing, argues this writer.