Exp South Africa & FIFA World Cup™
Justin Sampson, CEO, Exp South Africa
With the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ just around the corner Exp South Africa is all hands on deck, managing a number of projects across our diverse client base that are directly linked to South Africa proudly hosting the FIFA World Cup™. Some of the key projects that Exp SA will be managing over this period include:
ABC (= Absa, Bafana Bafana and Castle)
Activating the South African national teams two headline sponsors Absa Bank and Castle Lager (ABC = Absa, Bafana Bafana and Castle).
Our role in the build up to the World Cup includes the following:
• Sponsors Days – where Absa and Castle get to share the day with the Bafana team and their own staff.
• Branding of their camp (Hotel)
• Branding and activations of the training grounds – including the backdrop’s for interviews
• Branding and activations of games (outside of FIFA)
• Branding of all Press Conferences
• Football Fridays at Absa with the Bafana Bafana Players and Coach
Absa message walls (which have been taken around SA and are now displayed wherever the team goes, giving them an opportunity to read the messages)
MTN Last Fan Standing
Exp SA conceptualised a concept where a fan gets to attend 38 FIFA World Cup™ games. Tying in with theme of the MTN8 domestic tournament theme, eight finalists were drawn from all the entries, and were required to write a Football Trivia Quiz to determine the ultimate football fan. After scoring the highest points, Thulani Ngcobo was crowned the Last Fan Standing winner, and in the process securing himself tickets to attend 38 FIFA World Cup™ matches during 2010. Thulani’s prize will see him travel more than 17 000 kilometers, watch more than 3420 minutes of football, and will also be an official Guinness World Record attempt, with an official adjudicator from Guinness World Record coming to South Africa to verify the claim. Exp are responsible for managing Ngcobo’s entire itinerary during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, including his travel, accommodation, ground transfers, media and publicity, his personalized website and social media pages such as Twitter and Facebook and all his public engagements.
MTN Golden Ticket Winners
Exp will also be managing logistics for the 10 Golden Ticket Winners and their partners, who won 25 FIFA World Cup™ match tickets each in the MTN Ayoba Summer competition. Exp are responsible for all arrangements for these winners including booking transport, accommodation, worked out match schedules, and managing media appearances and publicity for the 10 winners.
FIFA
Exp SA were appointed by FIFA back in 2008 to write the strategy for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Ticket Fund. This is an initiative where FIFA recognises previously disadvantaged South African's who have contributed to the FIFA World Cup™ and reward them with tickets to matches. The major recipients of this initiative have been the construction workers who built the stadiums.
Portuguese National Team
Exp SA have been appointed by one of the sponsors of the Portuguese National team to host winners that have been participating in a consumer competition in Portugal. These winners will be hosted by Louis Figo (a football legend) and Exp and besides watching games participate in a number of other activities including a 5-side tournament with the Portuguese national team.
SAB Miller (Africa)
EXP SA will be hosting 120 guests from across Africa on behalf of the SAB Miller. EXP SA are offering a complete destination management solution. This includes getting them to games and creating a unique experience while they are here in South Africa making it a truly memorable experience.
Sara Lee (Kiwi Kick to the African Beat)
Exp SA developed the Kiwi Kick to the African beat campaign and will be hosting 70 kids from Kenya and around South Africa. These lucky children will enjoy an exciting four day trip with great activities including attending the opening game of the FIFA World Cup™ on the 11th of June.
Coca-Cola (Central African Region)
EXP SA were also responsible for putting a strategy in place for 29 countries and hosting the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour in 12 countries in the build up to the FIFA World Cup™. The activations included a competition where lucky winners were able to have their pictures taken with the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy and other exciting activities.
Exp SA are intractably involved in the event and can't wait to play our part in making it a memorable success!
Ajax Cape Town 10th Year celebrations and Awards Evening
This year’s project team were tasked with delivering a superior evening’s entertainment, in a suitably upper class environment, all while ensuring that nothing detracted from the reason for being there, the Players Awards.
From the outset, the decision was made to steer clear of overstated opulence and garish displays of luxury. Instead, a chic and minimalistic approach was taken, with decor and design, as well as the tone of the evening’s proceedings.
The evening was used as a platform for both MTN as well as Ajax Cape Town to highlight the successes, triumphs and letdowns of the past season.
The evenings proceedings were structured in such a way as to ensure that boredom did not set in and refreshments were always close on hand. Fresh and funky Acapella was followed by local comedy and contemporary jazz, ensuring that there was a genre of entertainment to suit all palates
Both print and television media were in abundance, ensuring that this high profile event obtained the full array of coverage that it deserved.
ABSA Premiership
Background
The PSL sponsorship is regarded as the most lucratic property in South Africa covering an average of 11 million passionate football supporters. Absa took a strategic decision in 2007 to partner the Premier Soccer League as the sponsors of the Absa Premiership.
The Goal
Take ownership of football in South Africa in view of 2010 World Cup, whilst helping and sustaining South African football. Year two of the sponsorship is focusing of consolidating our relationship with football and continues to grow Absa’s share of voice in the market place.
Tactics
Absa Premiership is a marathon sponsorship commencing in August to May of every year. The success of such a property requires sustainable, targeted and cost effective activation methodologies. Exp and Absa created a strategy and working template to deliver on this demanding sponsorship through the following tactics.
Drive the red thread across all activation elements – Red Carpet, Photo boards, seat covers, photographer bibs, perimeter signage and 3 D mats.
Player and Coach of the month – engage key media house in determining the player of the month. Through the relationship with the PSL, select days have being established for judging of players and coaches of the month thus giving the journalists a sense of ownership of the Absa Premiership.
PSL Kings – Absa have recently acquired the naming and content rights of PSL Kings with the view to utilize the show to communicate various brand messages and integrate other Absa football properties, such as Bafana Bafana and Absa Women’s League portfolios.
Broadcast Package – The PSL sponsorship allows for integrated broadcast package to ensure product placement and sampling through various elements such as squeeze backs, Streamers, on screen logos, opening and closing billboards.
Results / ROI
Absa appointed BMI sponsortrack to manage and analys the sponsorship performance and trends over time. All information is gathered from public domain resources, namely mass media, and the same evaluation criteria is used throughout, which puts all sponsors onto an equal footing , allowing for comparisons and benchmarking within certain market sectors. BMI tracks only clearly visible branded exposure and the values are quantified by using the standard rate card rates of the media owners in which the exposure occurred.
Total Media Value
Absa’s total coverage from soccer for the current tracking period is reflected in the table below:
|
|
Inserts
|
Inserts %
|
Value
|
Value %
|
Volume
|
|
Television
|
287
|
14
|
R98,351,877
|
88
|
1357209 Secs
|
|
Radio
|
679
|
33
|
R1,322,340
|
1
|
15120Secs
|
|
Print
|
1,082
|
53
|
R12,373,888
|
11
|
104703 Col cm's
|
|
VALUE
|
2,048
|
|
R112,048,105
|
|
|
>The total coverage for the year to date is:
|
|
Jan/Feb
|
Mar/Apr
|
May/Jun
|
Jul/Aug
|
Sep/Oct
|
Nov/Dec
|
TOTAL
|
|
Television
|
R98,351,877
|
|
|
|
|
|
R98,351,877
|
|
Radio
|
R1,322,340
|
|
|
|
|
|
R1,322,340
|
|
Print
|
R12,373,888
|
|
|
|
|
|
R12,373,888
|
|
VALUE
|
R112,048,105
|
|
|
|
|
|
R112,048,105
|
Soccer Observations
Absa soccer media coverage was considerably up over the corresponding period last year as fewer games were played last year as a result of the African Cup of Nations championships.
Absa showed further growth in their association with soccer in this period.
Compared to the same time last year , Absa progressed strongly by between 5 and 6 percentage points amongst both groups.
Absa Premiership attained a total of R 98,351,877 in the 1st two months of the year to surpass Vodacom and Castle in the leadership position of Football in South Africa.
Exp activates 12 countries in the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola
The FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola is the biggest global tour ever in the history of sport sponsorships and it’s the only FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour in which the original trophy is showcased. The Africa leg of the tour was made up 52 African countries and Exp activated 12 of these countries for The Coca-Cola Company.
When: Late 2009
Where: Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.
The Objectives:
• Grow brand love through a “something only Coke can do” initiative.
• Enhance the credible association among consumers of the Coca-Cola brand and FIFA World Cup™ .
• Leverage the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour to drive portfolio volume.
• Engage, recruit and retain the core target market .
The Challenge:
A huge amount of work needed to be done in each market prior to the trophies arrival, ensuring all relevant preparations were in place and all government protocol had been adhered to. A close working relationship was also needed with local representatives from both Coke and their Bottlers, to assist with and make the activation a success for them as well as for Brand Coca-Cola.
The Activation Strategy:
The activation strategy for 29 markets across Africa was designed by Exp. With the aim of:
• Engaging key media to upweight the awareness and excitement for the FIFA World Cup™
Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola.
• Engaging key members of government to get their support and participation.
• Engaging members of the football community to get their involvement, support and
participation.
• Engaging the public through a FIFA World Cup™ Fan and Brand (Coca-Cola) Experience that sets
Coca-Cola apart from all in the market place.
The Activation Tactics included:
Create consumer experiences that are unique to the brand through leveraging on African passion for football. The following activities were included:
• A 3D Movie Experience.
• Opportunity to have your picture taken with the real FIFA World Cup
trophy.
• Sampling target audience with a perfect serve of Coca-Cola.
• Football carnival of entertainment and games for all to enjoy.
Results:
The FIFA World Cup™ trophy by Coca-Cola arrived and left amid much fanfare in all markets. All events generated huge excitement and were very well attended by the targeted audience.
More than 80,000 people personally experienced the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola across the 12 Exp activated markets.
The Fan and Brand experiences wowed audiences and an average of 5000 participants had their picture taken with the trophy at each markets activation.
In most markets key members of government attended the functions, including the fan experience, with in some instances even State Presidents and high ranking officials attending.
Post activation review by Coca-Cola’s global activation partner saw Exp achieving 6 of the top 9 best activations across Africa.
ABSA KKNK
The Absa Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees has over the years become the biggest festival of its kind in South Africa. Every year during the first week of April, South Africans from all walks of life all over South Africa, flock to Oudtshoorn to enjoy a week of art and music thus bringing through the pay-off line of Absa KKNK: Daar’s Afrikaans in almal van ons (There’s Afrikaans in all of us).
The Absa KKNK is known as a stage for established artists, many of whom originate from the Afrikaans section of our varied cultural landscape. Young, up and coming artists have also seen the Absa KKNK launch their careers and profiles to star status.
During the week of the festival, Absa maintains a strong presence in the mind of festival goers. Exp, as the brand activation and sponsorship agency managing the Absa owned elements of the festival, ensures full commercialization of properties on behalf of Absa. Exp is also instrumental in the logistics provided to Absa owned areas where top entertainment is offered to guests and visitors.
The festival offers branding opportunities that sees the town of Oudtshoorn being painted red with Absa branding, while still maintaining a delicate balance between brand ownership and the strategic positioning of the festival.
Absa KKNK is therefore a valuable sponsorship property for Absa within its Arts, Culture and Lifestyle portfolio. Whilst supporting existing and developing arts, Absa through its sponsorship of this festival, provides its public with a platform to experience the latest and best of South African performers. The property in turn provides Absa with the opportunity to create truly Absa brand experiences and to connect with its markets at a personal level. The festival also brings with it a 6:1 return rate on marketing investment, in terms of especially publicity and commercialization of the property.
MTN8 Final - WAFA WAFA
The much anticipated MTN8 final took place on the 24th October at Orlando Stadium. After the final was postponed from the 23rd September due to the u20 FIFA World Cup, Exp took this opportunity to raise awareness of the final in the weeks leading up. Both finalists happened to be MTN sponsored clubs which in itself presented MTN and Exp with a great leveraging opportunity but at the same time created a huge challenge in packing the stadium for the final. Neither Golden Arrows, nor Ajax Cape Town have large supporters bases. To add to this, trying to get the Sowetan population top buy into a final between Durban and Cape Town made things even more challenging.
However, the Exp MTN team relished this challenge and addressed it by implementing an extensive awareness campaign in Soweto entitled ‘Pick a side’. Three major road shows were conducted at Maponya Mall, Jabulani Mall and UJ Soweto Campus leading up to the final. The state-of-the-art interactive MTN ‘2010 Gig Rig’ was used at each road show, where crowds were entertained whilst promoting the MTN8 and driving locals to attend the final. ‘Taxi rank blitzes’ and local football club visits were also conducted by the activation crew.
Being the first cup final to return to the Soweto heritage site in 25 years, we decided to invite two former soccer players, who played in the last cup final that was held at the stadium to be part of this year’s event, for a PR activation on the 21st October.
In a rare moment two former soccer greats, Marks Maponyane and Neil Tovey, who played for Kaizer Chiefs and Durban City respectively in the second leg final of the Champions of Champions tournament 25 years ago, took a walk down memory lane yesterday. The two legends walked on the pitch, retracing some of their steps and reminiscing about some of their experiences, before giving a word of encouragement to the Golden Arrows and Ajax Cape Town players, participating in Saturday’s MTN8 final.
The final pre-match press conference was held at Maponya Mall on the 22nd October and was followed by a CSI visit to the Emdeni Children’s Home in Soweto where the players from the teams and MTN handed over some much needed items to the home and the children got the opportunity to meet the stars.
The final on the 24th October included pre-match build up entertainment at Orlando Stadium in the form of the Y’ello Dome entertainment zone where fans were entertained by local acts Rhythmic Elements, Reezen and DJ Oskido at the MTN 2010 Gig Rig. Foosball tables and face painters for the children were also present in the Y’ello Dome.
MTN staff from various disciplines of the business were transported from the companies head office to the game as a team builder to enjoy the final. In addition to this, an internal staff competition was conducted where 22 MTN employees’ children were given the opportunity to act as the player escorts for the final.
The half time activation at the final was the big announcement of the winner of the Last Fan Standing competition, created and rolled-out by Exp. The eight finalists lined up on the pitch at half time as the announcement was broadcast live on SABC. None of the finalists knew who the winner was, following a 40 question multiple choice football trivia test that was conducted at MTN 14th avenue the day before in order to determine the winner from the finalists.
Thulani Ngcobo’s name was draw from the envelope and announced as the winner by Carol Manana with spectacular fireworks erupting in the background. In pure jubilation he punched the air and sprinted to the corner of the stadium where he had his own set of supporters. Thulani has delighted to win the once-in-a lifetime prize of attending 38 games at the FIFA World Cup, which will set a new Guinness World Record.
The MTN8 final drew a crowd in the excess of 16,000 people, exceeding the expectations of both the sponsor and the PSL. Over 15 000 fans were branded ‘Y’ello’ by Exp and the pre-match entertainment created a festival of football and electric atmosphere at the final. Golden Arrows’ emphatic 6-0 victory over Ajax Cape Town ensured a memorable game followed by a world class winner’s ceremony.
Want to Play? Play safe
The objectives:
• Generate excitement and fun around condoms and lubricant usage.
• Increase awareness on condom and lubricant usage.
• Increase condom and lubricant use.
• To promote and educate FSWs on condom usage especially with their non paying partners.
• To promote and educate MSM’s on condom and lubricant usage.
• Educate the FSWs and MSM’s as well as the general public to go for regular STI status checks.
The Challenge:
Many people have heard about condoms but do not know how to use them. The challenge of this behaviour change activation was to:
• Change the perception of condom usage.
• Religious beliefs in certain areas are negative factors against condom usage.
• Religious leaders prefer to talk about abstinence and do not approve of condom usage as they believe it encourages promiscuity.
• Convince both Female Sex Workers and Men who have sex with men to go for regular STI checks as most of them are afraid of testing positive.
The target Market:
Primary: Female sex workers and their partners/customers and Men who have sex with Men and their partners/customers
Secondary: General public at various hot spots
The Activation Strategy:
It was important to deliver the message of protection at the point of contact between MARP’s and the general population most likely to use the services of the MARP’s. Due to the stigma attached to the nature of this activity, it was important to go to bar area’s where FSW’s are known to operate and, without singling anyone out, gain their trust through the educational activations. For the MSM’s it was important to employ people (also MSM’s) who understood the specific needs of this target group.
The Activation Tactics:
• Activations in bars (hotspots) where patrons are encouraged to discuss their understanding and usage of condoms and lubricants.
• The introduction of flyers with a list of friendly clinics was added ensuring that the message was understood & to help encourage both FSW’s and MSM’s to get tested as well as to be kept informed on STI’s. The flyers also provided an “all hours” helpline number. This helped people who had a fear of being shunned by society to retain anonymity.
• Activations included interactive theatre, games (including demonstrations on how to use condoms) and questions and answer sessions.
• Peer Counselors were available to meet with FSW’s and/or their patrons, either during or after the activation.
Activation Summary:
FSW’s
• Number of Activations: 120
• Total Estimated Reach: 18036
• Number of people Sampled: 13400
MSM’s
• Number of Activations: 40
• Total Estimated Reach: 2322
• Number of people Sampled: 1446