Bundesliga side Bayern Munich plays its home games at Allianz Arena.GETTY IMAGES
Insurer Allianz is "one of the biggest names around" when it comes to stadium sponsorship, with branding at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Allianz Riviera in France and venues in Vienna as well as São Paulo, according to Oliver Ralph of the FINANCIAL TIMES. But it is not the only insurance company with a financial interest in sport. MetLife, Aviva and Generali are "among those to have named stadiums," while the U.K.'s Prudential sponsors a bike race, Zurich sponsors marathons, AIA has its name on Tottenham's shirts and AIG "teamed up" with the All Blacks. The latest is insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher, which from next season will be the sponsor of Premiership Rugby, taking over from U.K. insurer Aviva. Octagon Exec VP Sebastian Smith said, "The insurance category is one of the busiest and most competitive in sports marketing. These are brands that struggle to create love and engagement. Sponsorship gives them the opportunity to do that." According to ESP, U.S. insurance brands such as Geico, Allstate and State Farm "devote more than half of their annual sponsorship budgets to sports." For many of the insurers, sports sponsorship is a "straightforward marketing opportunity, the chance to sell their products and brands in a way that is different to traditional advertising." Sponsorship agency Redmandarin CEO Shaun Whatling said, "The whole market for insurance has become more commoditized -- there are so many brands offering it." Allianz's stadium strategy is to link the brand with "something that customers like doing." Allianz Head of Global Brand Communication Christian Deuringer said, "Very few people wake up on a Saturday and think, 'It's a good day to go insurance shopping.' From a media perspective, the amazing power of naming rights is that they produce a constant stream of media. There is a game every other week of the season" (FT, 5/11).
