Formula 1 picked OgilvyOne as its "first customer marketing agency as part of its strategy to reach a wider audience," according to Gurjit Degun of the CAMPAIGN LIVE. The agency will "work on developing" the brand’s customer engagement programs and "encourage consumers to sign up to F1 TV," the brand’s new OTT product. F1 launched its "first ever global campaign created by Wieden & Kennedy London ahead of the new season last week." F1 Dir of Marketing & Communications Ellie Norman said, "It's an exciting time for F1 as we look to place fans at the heart of our marketing and communications strategy more so than ever before" (CAMPAIGN LIVE, 3/21).
MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL: MARKETING WEEK's Sarah Vizard reported F1 Dir, Commercial Operations Sean Bratches said that when he was hired, his first job was "working on the basics" -- understanding what "F1 is as a brand and how it is perceived by the fans." Bratches: "[On the old] F1 website there was a pithy statement about what F1 is that ended with 'Pursuit: speed.' What we found out is that what attracts people to F1 is not the speed, it's the racing." F1 had "just five" sponsors under previous CEO Bernie Ecclestone, and Bratches compared that to a Premier League team like ManU, which has 96. Bratches said, "When you juxtapose us with other similarly situated sports entities or leagues, we are way under-punching our weight class." He admitted that for half the time since he joined, he has not known whether to "laugh or cry" (MARKETING WEEK, 3/21).
