With the 2016 Euro Championship "just around the corner," Marketing Magazine asked a number of brands experts whether England fans "can be re-engaged with the national team, and what value the tournament has for brands," according to Ben Bold of MARKETING MAGAZINE. Last year's "shambles on the international stage" led the FA to take action and "launch a campaign to re-ignite England fans' faith in their team." When the initiative was announced in Sept. '14, FA Head of Marketing Russel James said, "The start of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualification campaign represents a new era for the England team -- with a group of young and exciting players that the nation can be proud of." For Synergy Sponsorship CEO and partner at Engine Group Tim Crow, "it will be business as usual, and while the memory of Brazil 2014 may still smart, hardcore England fans will be rapt with Euro 2016 from the start." Crow said, "It's always the same with any event. You've got the hardcore of fans and then the people drawn into it because they are armchair or casual fans. We saw it with the Rugby World Cup. And they all disappeared once the home nations were knocked out. What's different about this tournament is that there is a feeling of optimism driven by new faces -- players like Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy -- as well as what's going on at the smaller clubs." Whether or not England performs "with aplomb or merely bomb," for IMR Editor Simon Rines, there is still "extensive mileage for brands associated with the national team or with the tournament itself." Rines said, "For brands, the interest will be there regardless of how England does. To an extent it's arguable that you don't have to be backing the winner to benefit." When "can we expect to see brands activating their sponsorships?" Crow, whose agency is working with Coca-Cola on its sponsorship of the tournament, said, "Brands don't usually start putting activity into the market until May. The Champions League final tends to be the starting gun. But there will be a lot of work going on behind the scenes." For top-tier European Championship and UEFA sponsor Continental Tires, "its marketing activity will start rolling out as early as March." Continental Marketing Communications Manager Peter Robb said, "We're looking for something slightly different this year. One of the key messages -- and we've been involved in football for more than 20 years -- is that we want to generate more engagement with fans and strike a chord" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 1/18).
