The 2015 Rugby World Cup "is set to be the most attended, viewed and socially engaged Rugby World Cup to date," according to RPM CEO & Founding Partner Hugh Robertson for MARKETING MAGAZINE. Should we be "expecting much more from brands in the build up to the world’s third largest sporting event?" For an event which over the next six weeks will bring more than 400,000 int'l tourists to the U.K., host 2.3 million spectators and be watched by more than 4 billion viewers worldwide, the buildup "thus far feels decidedly lackluster." To say the Rugby World Cup "feels a little underwhelming in comparison to its more famous, footie-playing brother is an understatement; if this were the FIFA World Cup we’d already be riding the crescendo of excitement created by media and brands alike." The challenge for the worldwide partners, sponsors, tournament suppliers and providers "is how they achieve cut through and credibly stand out for the right reasons, commercially justifying the significant sums invested to secure sponsorship rights." Heineken, for example, "has spent 50% of their annual budget on their worldwide partner status" (an estimated £6.4M ($10M)) but in doing so, has "identified a unique sponsorship opportunity, the coin toss, which by owning from a sponsorship perspective ensures that Heineken are the brand that opens every match." Land Rover "has done a sterling job with its sponsorship." It helps that their brand positioning "aligns seamlessly with the values of the sport itself." There "will be marauds of unofficial sponsors in all shapes and sizes, looking to capitalise on the opportunity without having paid their dues" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 9/17).
