"The choice of a sponsor has nothing to do with sport anymore"
Sailing is a mechanical sport and requires an important budget. Sponsorship is therefore a key element for skippers and their teams, but one that remains difficult to obtain. At the Yacht Racing Forum, Nathalie Quéré, Tem Akzo Nobel's campaign manager for the 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race, shared her experience and her vision of sponsors' expectations. In a first observation, she underlined the evolution of sponsorship practices and the need for objective criteria to convince decision makers. "Twenty years ago, it was decided over a glass of wine and a handshake. That's gone. We get sponsorship requests 2 to 3 times a week for all kinds of sports. To convince a board of directors, you need more than images. You need numbers. It doesn't have much to do with sports anymore."
Akzo Nobel's experience in the Volvo Ocean Race
To illustrate her point, Nathalie Quéré recalled the process that led to the creation of Team Akzo Nobel and its circumnavigation of the world in the Volvo Ocean Race. When she joined the company in 2012, with experience of sailing sponsorship at BT, the manager outlined the possibility for the marine paint specialist to get involved in competitive sailing. There is interest, but she is asked to be patient. In 2016, the Volvo Ocean Race opportunity presented itself. It took 6 months of negotiation with the board to put the project together, justifying going beyond the name on the boat, through the supply of antifouling for all competitors, the sustainable development partnership and the action programs on the stages. "Without the commitment to supply the paint and the partnership created especially for us by the Volvo Ocean Race, it would not have happened," explains Nathalie Quéré.
Finally, Team Akzo Nobel estimates that it has achieved its objectives with media coverage of 74.1 million euros and a return on investment of more than 1.5, to which should be added the contribution in terms of human resources.
Advice to skippers looking for sponsors
Questioned by the audience, Nathalie Quéré gave several advices to skippers and professional sailing teams in their search for partners:
- "Surround yourself and find the right supporters. Not every sailor is cut out to defend the project in front of a board of directors."
- "Do your homework and prepare your arguments."
- "Explain what you bring to me, not 20 pages of pdf about a dream that is yours and not the company's."
- "Don't assume the CEO is the most important person. Start with informal discussions with communication and marketing managers."
- "Don't focus on boat classes or technology."
