answer the questions in two pages, following the guidances. 

Bicycletires Case

You have been approached by brand who is also active in the production, marketing and sales of bicycle tires, similar to Continental. They are impressed by the originality of the Continental Heroes Cycling Tour concept and would like to create something similar but not a total copy of what Continental has done. What would you advise?

i. Which sport(s) would you consider to engage with both existing and new customers for bicycle tires?

ii. Which elements of the Continental Heroes Cycling Tour concept do you think are transferable to a concept for your client? Pick three items and explain why.

iii. Your client is active in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. How could you ensure that the concept will work effectively in all markets?

iv. If there is one aspect of the Continental Heroes Cycling Tour concept you think is weaker and could be improved for your client, what would that be? Explain.

v. What are the potential risks associated with this concept from a sponsorship perspective and how could you manage or reduce these risks? Name two and explain.

Guidance to answering Activity

When developing concepts for sponsorship activation for a brand (sponsor) there is a tendency to start with an ‘idea’. Perhaps you will have an idea which is creative and different to other activation ideas that have not been used by this particular brand or partner (i.e. football club or cycling team). This does not always lead to the best fit ot address the marketing or business objectives of the sponsor.

When assessing the suitability and strength of concepts for sponsors, there are a number of important steps to consider:

1 Key Insights

Can you identify a specific challenge or issue faced by the sponsor which could be addressed by this activation concept?

For example, the 18 to 24-year age group might not consider Audi to be a brand for them because it is too premium or elitist. We all know that Audi does make luxury and expensive cars but they also have smaller and lower priced cars that might be suitable for the younger market who have a smaller budget to spend.

Once you have a specific insight about a challenge or issue (hopefully confirmed by desk research) then you can start to think about the type of concept you will develop.

Attitudes of consumers or football fans in the 18 to 24 age group are very different to those in the older age groups and therefore you need to consider their interests and tastes. Research, data and customer segmentation can also assist in profiling age groups to establish their interests and what differentiates them from other groups. Audi makes cars which tend to be quite powerful and can drive very fast. Whilst this might appeal to some consumers, the 18 to 24 age group might be more conscious about safety and the carbon footprint. If this is the case, developing an activation concept around ‘speed and performance’ may not resonate with this age group.

2 Use models or theories to support your strategic thinking

The sport business in general and sponsorship sector does not have a lot of scientific formula or theories when it comes to developing a concept, unlike some other industries which have more regulations.

However, it is possible to use the principles of marketing to guide your strategic thinking. If you simply develop a concept or idea without using any models or principles, it is unlikely you will explore new territory. Everyone is familiar with the’4 P’s’ marketing model which some people may consider to be outdated. When applied in modern fashion, the ‘4 P’s’ are still relevant to marketing, sponsoring and activation. The same can be said of Kapferer’s Prism for brand identity.

When we talk about ‘brand activation’ there are three different phases:

– Actions: appealing to the 5 senses, personal contacts and experiences, and multi-channel storytelling that general involves the products and services

– Actor: being perceived as more than a supplier but as a key actor in the field, promoting or introducing new innovations

– Activism: stimulate category debates, innovate culturally and change the dynamics of the market place or consumers attitudes

All three of the above could also apply to a sponsor’s activation concept.

If we go back to the example of the 18 to 24-year age group, does the sponsor simply want to appeal to the senses of the consumer or football fans? Or would they like to engage with this group on a higher level and allow them to play a role in sharing their views and experiences about the role of cars in today’s society?

In the Marketing Funnel, awareness and consideration are only the first steps engaging with a potential customer. To achieve preference, purchase and loyalty a brand must be a lot more open and willing to allow the consumer to experiment, speak their mind and make their own choices.

So, what models or marketing principle can you apply to develop the framework of your activation concept that not only helps to showcase the sponsor’s brand but also create a deeper meaning or relationship with the fans or supporters of the football club?

3 Originality, creativity and sustainability

When developing a concept or campaign for a sponsor activation, most people tend to make the most obvious connections. For example, the sponsor is a premium car brand so speed or luxury are selected as factors that define the concept.

If you take a closer look at the organisation, the mission statement and corporate values you might get a slightly different picture of who they are and what they stand for. Of course, they would like to sell their products (cars or bicycle tires) but there many competitors in the market place. Creativity alone will not achieve the impact or market penetration. It has to be a combination or original thinking which reflects the DNA of the sponsor with a blend of creativity.

Also important is sustainability. Too many brands ‘pop up’ once in a while and expect to engage in a dialogue with consumers or fans after being quiet for several months. This is one of the advantages of sponsoring, the sponsor can enter a dialogue with fans all year round. When you know a sponsor and football club or cycling team will be partners for four years, it is important to think about how to sustain an ongoing relationship. When a sponsor just appears once a year or season for a few weeks, you need to invest a lot of resources to re-engage with the fanbase.

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C o n t i n e n t a l a n d t h e C o n t i n e n t a l C y c l i n g H e r o e s T o u r

PROJECT DETAILS

Sponsorship title:
Continental Cycling Heroes Tour

Duration of sponsorship:
March-September 2017

Case study entered by:
Sportizon (event support from Golazo)

Sponsor’s industry sector:
Tyres

Rights-holder:
Event created for Continental Belgium

by Sportizon/Golazo

Agency:
Sportizon (event support from Golazo)

Campaign Summary
Continental ended their sponsorship of football in 2016
and was looking for opportunities in cycling. Based on
Sportizon’s Global Cycling desk research, Continental
challenged Sportizon to come up with a recreational
biker cycling season plan that would reflect:

• The values of the brand
• Demonstrate and convince cyclists of the equal

quality of its car and bike tyres
• Strengthen Continental’s premium existing image

& presence as market leader in both the
automotive and cycling industries

• Support the global safety ‘Vision Zero’ plan.

Continental Cycling Heroes was created to appeal to a
specific audience by presenting a brand new premium
event in recreational cycling. This project was voted
Best Sponsorship Activation and Best of Belgium at the
2017 Belgian Sponsorship Awards.

Planning
The most important objective was to produce relevant
content to answer Continental’s ‘missing link’ challenge:

Continental and the Continental Cycling
Heroes Tour

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“How can we be sure that our excellent bike tyre
reputation can be translated to our car tyres? How can a
cyclist be as aware of their car tyres as they are of their
bicycle tyres?” The link between bicycles & cars had to
be kept central in activating the insight that 90 per cent
of cyclists come to the event by car. To achieve success
in a crowded event segment with a unique and premium
concept, it was essential to provide participants with a
unique and innovative experience.

Sportizon/Golazo presented a full event and
communication platform to answer this challenge.
From event concept and development, to the early
ideation phase, to setting up five cycling events and
production of a large content program, the target group
could be defined as:

• Belgian recreational cyclists 35+
• Focus on men
• Interest in bicycles and cars
• Open to innovation
• Safety-minded.

This group had to be able to build up a relationship

with Continental and to create an understanding
that Continental produces car tyres with the same
compound that people have come to trust in cycling.
Continental is much more than just cycling tyres, and
safety is everything. This tied to Continental’s ‘Vision
Zero’ program set up to reduce the number of fatalities
in traffic. Online- and offline-visibility for the brand, pre,
during and post the event was organically integrated
into all aspects of the Continental Cycling Heroes Tour.

Activation
Sportizon came up with a brand-new concept to stand
out in a relatively saturated market, creating a new
recreational rides tour with, for the first time, World
Champions and Olympic Gold medallists such as
Fabian Cancellara, Eddy Merckx, Greg Van Avermaet,
Sven Nys and Philippe Gilbert. Participants could
ride on a legendary route in the company of World
Champions and Olympic Gold winners, enjoying unique
locations and experiences.

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Social media
• To support and validate the stories, a partnership

with the coach of the National Belgian Cycling
team, Kevin de Weert was created. De Weert was
the spokesman of the CCHT Classics, but also
gave advice on preparation and safety issues
such as tyre pressures, braking, and riding on
cobblestones, etc.

• Full digital content program with four episodes for
each Classic. De Weert presented each Classic
starting with a review of the key locations a week
before the event plus advice on how to approach it
as a pro

• Episode 2 (a day before the Classic) was a
personal invitation from de Weert to join him and
one of the ‘heroes’ to ride with them

• Episode 3 (the evening of the Classic) was a thank
you from de Weert and the ‘hero’, and Episode 4
(after the Classic) was an after movie with a ‘see
you next year’ message from the ‘hero’ and de
Weert

• Content was posted on cycling.be, each specific
Classic website and social media page, and
Continental digital channels with more than
850,000 views in total.

Continental Village Hub
• The Continental Village Hub was created as the

centre point of each Classic where participants
could buy products, ask advice on bike and car
tires, and get their giveaway if they were already
riding with Continental tires. Within the Continental
Hub, the full range of winter and summer car tyres
were displayed

• Photo opportunity on the latest TT Canyon Bike as
if they were riding on the Contidrom

• Parking of bikes on tailor-made parking lots built
around car tyres

• Beside the event and the village, Continental
created a unique ‘Parking Attack’, since around
93 per cent of participants come by car. The tyre
profiles of each car were checked, and in addition
to a tread depth control written on a voucher, a
sales incentive was added for future purchases

• A custom race car was integrated as the security
car during the event, and also as a display before
and after the event at the centre of the village to
enhance the link between cars and bikes.

Charity overlay
• To complete the offer, there was the integration

of a charity cause through the latest Zwift
(virtual cycling) technology where participants
could contribute to the Duchenne Parent Project
Muscular Dystrophy, with a Euro for every kilometre
pedalled. (€5,000 was raised).

Co-sponsor integration
• Integration of several partners and technologies

to optimize the overall experience, such as for the
photo booth, the Zwift technology for the charity
activation, the Jaguar F-Pace as the pro car and the
latest Cervélo and Canyon bikes.

Promotion
• Each Classic was supported by €300,000 worth

of advertising media with specific Classic ads in
leading print media, on local radio, in top cycling
magazine Grinta and on the largest Belgian cycling
website Cycling.be

• Minimum of four Classic dedicated mailings to
the full Golazo cycling database (200,000 active
cyclists)

• MyPage (personalized individual action photos)
where each participant could upload their photos
while riding each Classic (214,000 pageviews).

Continental ‘Vision Zero’ objectives
• Recreational cyclists want to enjoy their ride in

the most relevant and secure way and want to be
respected by offering them the best experience
possible. This was achieved through 100-per-
cent integration of the Continental Vision Zero
objectives to ensure optimal security. This included
setting up a fully-equipped village, parking lots
and 150km of safely protected open roads with
‘signallers’ at each relevant crossroad.

Evaluation:
By covering five superstars under one single tour,
every region of Belgium from March to September was
covered. Key numbers include:

• 14,000 participants
• 847,573 content video views
• 200,000 active bikers reached through 55 direct

mails over the season

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• 45% Open Click ratio, 27% click ratio to sites
• 5 of the top 20 Continental web pages were related

to the CCHT
• 172,000 unique visitors on CCHT Website & 1.3m

pageviews
• Live RTL & VTM national evening news coverage +

HLN.be reports
• +7,500 tire checks performed
• 15% international field of participants from abroad
• 20,000 gadgets distributed (posters, water bottles,

multitools kits, fluo strips, tire spoons)
• 933 booth photos shared on personal social media

page
• Support media campaign of 300,000 in partnership

with media
• MyPage personal page with event pictures: 214,000

pageviews
• Participants survey (1,333 respondents to online

survey in Oct-Nov 2017) gave a 93% overall CCHT
event satisfaction (rating 7/10 > 10/10)

• 70% satisfaction with Continental Central Hub
(rating 7/10 > 10/10)

• Next purchase brand: #1 Continental @62% (#2
Michelin 48%)

• Preferred brand: #1 Continental (55%), #2 Michelin
(44%).

Reasons for success:
• Creation of the concept (Sportizon) was approved

by Continental. Sportizon teamed up with Golazo
for development/property of concept

• The Continental activation and communication plan
was aided by the in-depth knowledge of Sportizon
of the current landscape of recreational cycling to
identify insights relevant to Continental’s briefing

• After every Classic, feedback was implemented
to optimise the next Classic. Sportizon & Golazo
continued to improve on each detail to fit perfectly
with each specific Heroes location and program.
Each Classic was a new location, a new program
and a new challenge

• This was an Innovative answer to the specific
client expectation in creating from scratch a unique
seven-month season-long communication plan
and platform. Z