In mid May, just a few days before manager Roy Hodgson announced his squad, Vauxhall launched a brand new Facebook competition giving England fans the opportunity to support Roy Hodgson’s men either at ‘Home or Away’ this summer.
The England team sponsor, in tandem with digital agency Skive, created the national squad trivia-based competition offer fans the chance to choose between an all-expenses-paid trip to the Ukraine to follow England at Euro 2012, or tickets to VIP match screenings of games alongside a legendry former England player.
Hence the ‘Home or Away’ campaign title.
The initiative’s app runs across both the auto manufacturer’s desktop and mobile Facebook platforms.
These Facebook football social media channels, which now boast 45,000-plus followers, were first launched in autumn 2011 in a combined programme across all four home nations – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Vauxhall is an official partner of all the national teams within the UK – although only England have qualified for this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament hosted jointly by Poland and Ukraine.
“As the England Team sponsor we wanted to be able to offer the ultimate fan experience for England fans either at Home or Away this summer,’ said Vauxhall marketing director Peter Hope. “We have made a significant investment in our digital football platforms and the response to our activity has been very positive from the fans. Our Facebook competitions have been very well received by football fans and we are always looking to push the boundaries and give fans a unique experience through our sponsorship of the National team.”
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The brand’s previous football credentials have included both its 12-year title backing of the Conference division, and its very own Vauxhall Motors Team which play in the Blue Square Bet North League.
But in early January 2011 Vauxhall began its sponsorship strategy to become a heavyweight driving force behind British football when it embarked on a £5m-plus campaign to be a partner to all four UK home association national teams. It became the lead national partner for the Football Association (England), the Irish Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, and the Football Association of Wales.
The sponsorship deals include working with all national teams and a full inventory of other grass-roots national football programmes covering youth and junior football, as well as women’s football and disability football.
When the deal was first announced, it stated that the partnerships would be based on ‘history’ and ‘heritage’ synergies and the unique status of both the Vauxhall brand and the constituent parts of the United Kingdom.
Thus far the deal has seen a range of initiatives from the Vauxhall Home Nations Football Photography competition to its integrated campaign surrounding March’s Euro 2012 qualifier between England and Wales in Cardiff.
While some at Vauxhall may be slightly disappointed (if unsurprised), that England will be the only home nation side in Poland and Ukraine this summer, at least this ensures Vauxhall is not faced with the activation challenge of motivating support and engaging with four different sets of fans who traditional sees one another as ‘the old enemy’.
As all four sponsorships run up to and include the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, so Vauxhall does have at least one more chance to get all its properties into a major tournament final.
Wouldn’t that be something of a footballing miracle?
Links:
www.facebook.com/VauxhallEngland
www.vauxhall.co.uk/about-vauxhall/vauxhall-football.html
https://twitter.com/VauxhallEngland
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