SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS
WHY SPONSOR THE WESTABOUT?
This is a unique and extremely cost effective opportunity to be associated with an epic, exciting and captivating story of human endeavor. It will be a true test of personal preparation, courage and endurance.
RAISE YOUR PROFILE
This attempt to break a world record, the first in the age of social media, will deliver national and global awareness for your company on an unprecedented scale, before, during and long after the voyage. You have the chance be a part of this amazing story as Steve’s attempt captures the imagination of the world’s media.
ENHANCE YOUR IMAGE
Sailing is a sport with a clean, positive image and a sense of adventure and endurance, as well as being environmentally sound, which makes it a great fit for companies who aspire to these values.
SHOWCASE YOUR PRODUCTS
The record attempt will enable sponsors to align themselves with a highly technical sport that is exciting and competitive. It offers great potential to showcase products for companies involved in communication, engineering and energy.
Sailing is a sport with a clean and positive image, and for those of us who go offshore, a sense of adventure and endurance, which makes it a great fit for many companies who aspire to these values.
WHAT MEDIA COVERAGE CAN YOU EXPECT?
White Ocean Racing has strong relationships with local, national and international media from previous campaigns, which has led to widespread coverage for Steve’s projects.
The media will be interested because of:
- Human interest: Steve, an ordinary person doing an extraordinary thing.
- The physical and mental challenge: Billed as ‘The Impossible Voyage’ this is the toughest challenge in sailing.
- Steve’s backing from one of the world’s most famous sailors, Sir Chay Blyth.
- A story of true British grit and determination.
We can expect exceptional media coverage for this event, for example:
Ellen MacArthur’s 2005 solo Eastabout record received £2m of TV coverage in a morning (34 million TV viewers watched the finish in Germany), global coverage in print and airtime in the four days prior to her finish worth over £75m, and over £100m total Equivalent Advertising Value (EAV).
(Source: Red Mandarin).
The full potential of social media in sponsorship is only just starting to be realised. By offering imaginative and engaging content and apps, sponsors can give people a reason to share brand messages among huge numbers of enthusiasts and followers around the world.
This world record attempt will provide editors of sailing and lifestyle magazines with the perfect high profile feature to generate increased sales for their magazines and wide coverage for the sponsor.
(This record was completed in 2005, so pre social media, and with far less internet use than today. We predict significantly more traffic for this attempt).
A dedicated YouTube TV channel featuring videos of key moments in the build up to the start – boat naming, sea trials, sponsorship events, training – as well as Steve’s video blog, before and during the record attempt.
This is a unique and extremely cost -effective opportunity to be associated with an epic, exciting and captivating story of human endeavor. It will be a true test of personal preparation, courage and endurance.
WHAT WILL IT COST?
Steve is looking for £1.6m of sponsorship, either from a single Title Sponsor or a consortium of smaller sponsors. The sponsorship will cover the refit of the boat, and Steve’s project costs, together with 10 corporate sailing days and filming for the Westabout TV channel.
Additional events and corporate sailing days can be agreed with the sponsor to suit budgets and target markets (which may include trade clients, customers, school competition winners etc).
The sponsorship sum does not include sponsor’s branding of clothing, boat, sails etc. or the cost of the many and varied sponsorship activation opportunities that may be designed and implemented by the sponsor. Steve will be happy to discuss any