Traditionalists might shudder, but Wimbledon plans to adopt a marketing slogan for the first time.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club and its newly appointed marketing agent, Interpublic Group, expect to unveil a slogan before this year’s fortnight begins in June.
“[The slogan will be] something all our communication can stand under, and an overarching umbrella position for what Wimbledon stands for,” said Mick Desmond, the club’s marketing and media director who spearheaded the hire of IPG.
The club, which owns and stages the historic tournament, announced its hiring of Interpublic Group last week, culminating a nine-month search. WME-IMG remains the club’s commercial agent, in charge of sponsorships, media and licensing.
Wimbledon is a runaway hit in the United Kingdom, with insatiable demand for tickets, and has a strong brand presence in the United States, Europe and Japan, but that is not the case in other markets.
“In the emerging markets, there is much less understanding,” Desmond said, “and in some cases, a complete lack of understanding of what our brand is.”
The development also comes at a time when many sports properties are trying to expand their international footprints. Desmond cited as examples the English Premier League, the NFL and NBA.
He pointed to India, China, Southeast Asia and South America as markets on which IPG would focus.
Desmond admitted that even among the agencies that pitched for the business — he identified Publicis, WPP Group and WME-IMG in a joint bid with Droga5 as those competitors — there was confusion about why Wimbledon needed a global marketing agent. One executive asked why the club asked for submissions, he said.
“This is future-proofing our brand for the next 10, 20, 30 years,” Desmond said was his response.
The brand marketing will not touch the club’s logo, colors or anything about the on-site experience, he added.
