Octagon beefs up for 2010
Global sponsors are scrambling for representation in South Africa in the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer, and the big players in the sports marketing sector are beefing up to best represent their interests. So says Rick Dudley, Octagon’s global president and CEO based in New York on a visit to SA to install the group’s new Africa COO, John van den Aardweg.
Rick Dudley, Octagon global president and CEO
Aardweg, fresh from Doha, is adding further muscle to Octagon SA’s already strong team, including joint MDs, Qondisa Ngwenya and Chris Bruwer.
Dudley says with or without 2010, South Africa is a “priority” market in Octagon’s global footprint and the exciting ‘emerging’ market opportunities it presents in terms of economic development and political stability.
Bullish about sports marketing
“We have a very optimistic view of the future of SA, and like FIFA, we have strong faith in the potential of the country. We are very bullish about sports marketing in SA, beyond the 2010 opportunity. We have operated in this market very successfully since 1995 and have an excellent track record and huge collaterals built up over years in our top staff and management.”
Octagon SA is responsible for - among others - the management of the football sponsorship deal between Standard Bank and both Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, as well as MTN and Mamelodi Sundowns, the country’s top three teams in the Premier Soccer League. The company has additionally been involved in developing a sponsorship strategy for Sony South Africa.
In preparation for 2010, Octagon sent a dozen of its SA team to Germany last year to gain an insider’s view of the games. They focused on three primary areas, says Dudley, including how sponsors such as Octagon client MasterCard activated their brands around the Football World Cup. They also looked at the hospitality set up of FIFA in the various stadiums and the worldwide broadcast of the event by host broadcaster HBS.
Additional people
“We are already putting additional people in place to manage the buildup to the SA World Cup including hospitality, operational and logistical aspects of the games. This event represents a landmark moment in the history of South Africa, and we expect our business to grow in permanent proportions above and beyond 2010 as corporate SA realises and reaps the benefits of the tournament.
“Octagon’s global football sponsorship team has more than 60 years’ experience among its members - including four FIFA World Cups – to unleash on SA if required.
“Augmenting this experience and expertise is our proprietary Passion Drivers research, delving into why football fans support and follow the sport so passionately.
“This research provides invaluable insights into how to best leverage football by tapping into the passion of fans, and we believe this places us ahead of others in helping brands (or corporations) take full advantage of their sponsorship programs,” says Dudley
