Defining and setting up of a sponsorship adapted to your brand strategy, incorporating famous sportsmen, crews or renowned races, and corresponding with your company’s needs. Discovering new talent for you.

 

Case study :

Kookaï has sponsored a boat and its skipper on La Solitaire du Figaro

KOOKAÏ, a clothing brand for young women launched an international communications campaign going by the title “What would the world be like without girls?”

KOOKAÏ entrusted the Eol agency to advise them on a pertinent communication’s campaign and to manage this whole programme.

The decision to create media-focussed communication in sailing is truly exceptional for a feminine clothing brand such as Kookaï. In such a competitive environment this type of communication enables them to clearly distinguish themselves from the competition.

By basing itself on the context of the Kookaï brand, its markets and its products, as well as the nature of what was at stake within the company’s communication and commercial goals, the eol agency analysed the stakes of its client’s strategy so as to propose a coherent system of sponsoring, resulting in the following choices :

1 – A skipper, a boat or a race ?

> With a skipper as opposed to a race organisation to put the brand’s products at the forefront of the campaign, is symbolic of the confidence the brand has in the sportsperson
> A title-partnership to form part of the name of the boat race and thus obtain maximum press coverage (name of race quoted in all the rankings, interviews…)

2 – What kind of regatta ?

> The race type:
It is a single-handed offshore race providing a very positive image of the brand names involved as well as being a vehicle of strong values such as: the transcending of one’s own capabilities, the seeking of performance, adventure, courage, respect for the environment…

> Geography and population :
It’s an offshore race with the added advantage of having 5 host ports, 3 in France and 2 in Europe (Spain/England), enabling it to reach a considerably wider public of all ages and numerous socio-professional backgrounds in France and Europe.
During the French legs over 350 000 visitors visited the various race villages.

> Media coverage :
The most heavily mediatised annual race in France. The event organiser, the daily newspaper « Le Figaro », ensures considerable coverage in both its paper and its magazines. The event’s media partners such as Radio France and TF1 make up the majority of the vast media coverage.
An example of the media coverage for the outright winner of La Solitaire du Figaro is the equivalent of a 765K€ advertising space.

> Budget :
The total investment for such a title-partnership for this race comprises between 110K€ and 250K€ according to the length of the partnership, the programme, the skipper and the relative communication.
It constitutes one of the most interesting financial investments in sailing in terms of the media coverage.

 

3 – Who is the skipper ?

> Brand values and image :
A young woman with an atypical career record. Both very natural and feminine, her commitment, her desire and her enthusiasm correspond with the brand’s values.

> Abilities :
An exceptional track record for her age, the most exceptional achievement being her participation in a crewed round the world race

> Media interest :
One of the few female skippers and the first Australian woman to participate in La Solitaire Afflelou Le Figaro. The youngest skipper of the race (24 years old). These are just some of the qualities for attracting the media: a woman, a foreigner, a young sailor (1st participation) with wealth of experience.

 

eol managed the whole project on two levels :

> Technically and in sporting terms :

Choice of boat and technical preparation.
Management of the suppliers and the logistics
Managing of the skipper’s agenda
Administration (race inscriptions, respecting of the rules…)

> Sponsor communication and relation :

Presentation of the skipper within the sponsor’s company (Kookaï)
Choice of clothes for the Kookaï brand and the ensuring that these clothes are worn by the skipper throughout the partnership
Photo image bank
Website with monitoring of the race and link from the brand’s home page
Focusing of a pop-up on the brand’s site presenting the partnership
Press Relations with a specialised press attaché
Original press pack in the shape of a photobook presenting the project and distributed to the media as well as internally within Kookaï
The provision of photos for the creation of a PLV presenting the partnership in all of Kookaï’s stores

With Kookaï not being involved throughout the entire project, Eol set up some technical partnerships with the companies: 3M, Helly Hansen, Photoways, Suunto. These partnerships were targeted at enhancing the whole programme and associating its partners by the use of their top quality products in a highly technical programme.