The spokesperson said there would be heavyweight marketing activity in Asia and the Middle East, but added it was still too early to give details, as the deal begins in 2010. A source within TBWA said the bank had already spoken to some of the agency’s senior executives about its plans.
“I expect our relationship with our creative advertising agency TBWA to continue in Asia,” said the spokesperson. “However, we will almost certainly need help with sponsorship activation.”
In a press statement Susan Ho, head of group brand development at Standard Chartered, said the bank’s brand strategy would be to deliver a “sharper” positioning.
She added that the partnership would help drive business growth through new customer groups, marketing channels and Liverpool-branded products and services. The sponsorship “will help us to maximise our sustainability and community programmes,” Ho said.
One source argued that as exposure on TV could be limited, given that most EPL matches are on cable TV, Standard Chartered should look toward on-the-ground activities to see a return from the deal.
One major question is how much the bank will be able to spend on activation given the amount it has spent on the sponsorship rights.
Adrian New, SVP of group sales and marketing at World Sport Group, said: “Standard Chartered will need other activities to target its new audiences effectively. The risk will be that it has used all its budget in the acquisition of these rights, plus those of the various marathons it sponsors, and has nothing left for the activities that will really deepen consumers’ affiliation with them.”
According to the Financial Times, Standard Chartered, with a brand value of US$8.2 billion, currently ranks 15th among financial services brands globally, having grown 20 per cent from the previous year.