Vodafone Happy with its Ferrari Sponsorship

Vodafone has conducted a study into its sponsorship of the Formula 1 Ferrari team. A wide-ranging sponsorship audit has revealed that Vodafone has successfully integrated its involvement with Formula One and Ferrari by executing a detailed brand-building strategy throughout the inaugural year of the deal. The sponsorship has outperformed all of the annual targets set internally by Vodafone.

Following the first year of the deal, the sponsorship is estimated to have generated in excess of six billion impressions globally for the Vodafone brand on television. In addition to this, millions of impacts in the press were generated and on-line traffic was high through the official Ferrari website and Vodafone's own dedicated website. Significant trackside advertising has also been used at selected Grands Prix to drive global brand awareness, as well as complementing Vodafone's association with Formula One.

Vodafone has fully utilised the partnership with Ferrari through a global campaign across all of the Vodafone markets using exclusive footage of the cars, drivers and team in action. Over 25 different adaptations of the TV commercials, filmed in early 2002, have been used throughout the world and over 400 print advertising executions have leveraged this global programme.

Thomas Geitner, Chief Executive Vodafone Global Products and Services Limited commented: "Through our Formula One sponsorship of Scuderia Ferrari, Vodafone has enjoyed tremendous benefits. In part the success is as a result of the way Vodafone has integrated the Ferrari sponsorship into the business, including local sales incentives and global advertising campaigns. By comprehensively exploiting this property, Vodafone has managed to maximise the benefits of brand awareness and brand preference. This sponsorship also provides an excellent platform to build a rapport with our customers and helps fulfil our philosophy of connecting people with their passions."

Posted to the site on 10th February 2003