O2 Head of Sports Sponsorship Gareth Griffiths explained why '15 is the "most significant year" in the telecom's 20-year association with England Rugby, according to Nicola Kemp of MARKETING MAGAZINE. As England kicked off its "bid for Six Nations glory, trouncing Wales," Griffiths was watching the game at Cardiff’s Millennium stadium and
"uniquely emotionally and commercially invested in England's sporting
success." He said, "With our sponsorship of England Rugby we are in the performance game.
We would much rather the team are successful then the sponsorship
performs better, you can't hide from that." In fact
Griffiths believes as a sponsor O2 has a "responsibility to galvanize
the whole country to get behind the England team." Having just launched what the brand describes as the "most significant campaign of it's 20-year England Rugby sponsorship," calling on fans to "Wear the Rose," there is "no question that 2015 will be brand-defining for both O2 and England Rugby." For O2, setting the right tone "is crucial and the brand has been
attempting to unpick the nation's sporting psyche in a series of
workshops with consumers." The insight gleaned at these workshops has
"underpinned the #WearTheRose campaign." Griffiths: "The Olympics and Commonwealth
Games has shown how massively important sport and patriotism is in this
country" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 2/12).
