Soccer United Marketing, in conjunction with Dentsu, signed six additional sponsors to one-year deals for this week’s Pan-Pacific Championship, adding a low seven-figure sum to its sponsor revenue for the event.
Dentsu, which worked on commission, led the sales effort, bringing in Yamazaki-Nabisco Co., Johnson & Johnson of Japan, Japan Airlines and Kinki Nippon Tourist Co., a Japanese travel agency. Soccer United Marketing added deals with Active Hawaii (the Hawaii Tourism Authority) and Onkyo Corp., the home and car audio manufacturer.
Brian Ching and his Houston Dynamo
team will compete in Hawaii.
Sponsors will receive tickets, on-site activation rights, exposure on Aloha Stadium’s scoreboard and one fieldboard on the TV sideline for both days of Pan-Pacific games. No sponsors currently plan to activate at retail in either Japan or the U.S.
“As the dust settles and we analyze this afterwards, I believe you’ll see activation migrate away from the event in the future,” said Will Wilson, SUM’s executive vice president of international business and events.
The inaugural event is designed to determine the top club from the Asian and North American soccer federations. It will feature the MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo, Japan’s J.League champion, Gamba Osaka, SuperLiga runner-up Los Angeles Galaxy and Syndey FC, of Australia’s Hyundai A-league.
Games will be broadcast in the U.S. on ESPN Classic and ESPN360 and in Japan on Sky PerfecTV on Feb. 20 and Feb. 23. SUM is working on additional broadcast partnerships in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, South Korea and Australia.
SUM plans to analyze the event afterward to determine whether it will return to Hawaii next year, Wilson said.
