MUMBAI: Italian soccer club AC Milan and Infront Sports and Media, the club’s official marketing partner, have presented a new marketing concept for the 2010-2011 season.
The most significant changes are the reduction from 42 to 32 sponsors and the introduction of a four-tier sponsorship hierarchy - Top Sponsors, Premium Sponsors, Official Partners and Official Suppliers. The soccer club says that the new concept improves the presentation and visibility of the partners, their brands and messages as well as further increasing the level of exclusivity.
The concept introduced for AC Milan follows the philosophy of “less is more” and looks to offer a much higher level of exclusivity to commercial partners.
AC Milan’s Top Sponsors will be guaranteed a four times increase in TV visibility compared to the previous seasons. In addition, each of the Top Sponsors will benefit from four dedicated AC Milan star players promoting their respective brand image and associating it with the club in TV commercials, print advertisements and other communication campaigns.
The new strategy for AC Milan also includes a revised Corporate Hospitality offering for the club’s home matches in the Serie A and Tim Cup (Coppa Italia). Designated areas offering a panoramic view of the pitch, outdoor terraces and first class catering services for lunch and dinner will exclusively be reserved for sponsors and their guests.
AC Milan deputy chairman, CEO Adriano Galliano says, “The new and innovative sponsorship strategy created by Infront will offer much added value for A.C. Milan’s commercial partners. Today, AC Milan has one of the strongest brand values among the Italian clubs. The opportunity to take advantage of Infront’s worldwide network and expertise enables us to close the gap in comparison to other European clubs’ sponsorship and commercial revenues.”
In the past, Infront has streamlined the marketing programmes of sport properties, including the majority of FIS World Cup competitions and the DFB Cup in Germany.
Infront Board of Directors member Marco Bogarelli says, “Infront came up with a really innovative formula for AC Milan’s commercial partnerships. Companies that wish to associate their brands with the premium football brand A.C. Milan are offered ad hoc solutions that enhance their visibility in a highly attractive environment. Infront provides AC Milan with its comprehensive local as well as international experience – gathered in the field of football and many other sports.”
AC Milan and Infront will also continue to improve the club’s online and new media strategy. The partners will mainly focus on the development of the Milan Media Factory, an integrated pool of content about AC Milan - tailored for various platforms including broadcast, online (websites, webTV, social networks) and mobile media.
