Life after Carling - what's next for the League Cup?

The Football League announced today it is to begin discussions with potential new sponsors for its showpiece cup competition, the League Cup, after the exclusive negotiation period of current sponsor Carling concluded without an agreement.

Emma Newell, head of sport at Lexis PR, looks at what the competition has to offer brands...

The opportunity to sponsor the League Cup doesn’t come around very often. Carling has enjoyed title sponsorship for fourteen seasons so while the property will naturally attract attention from potential sponsors, the challenge for any new sponsor is more about how it can build association with the competition and its fans from day one. When a brand has been so intrinsically linked to a property for so long, any new sponsor will need to work hard to build brand association while also creating relevant platforms to excite and engage League Cup fans.

With the advancement in social media, there are far more opportunities for brands to engage fans directly. Within the sports arena, fans now expect direct engagement with both the rights holders and sponsor. Communication is much more two-way where brands are now required to listen, engage and provide relevant platforms where fans can interact. Brands need to dig a lot deeper to retain fans and excite non-fans.

The League Cup attracts fans not just in the UK but also internationally so there is a huge opportunity to capitalise on this growing fan base by tapping into the advancement in social media to deliver real cut through for any new sponsor. I have no doubt that the Football League will find a new sponsor for its flagship competition. You just have to look at the impact that Budweiser has already made with its FA Cup sponsorship and how it plans to engage fans through innovative campaigns and content including the streaming of FA Cup preliminary rounds on Facebook.

This blog was originally posted on The Drum's website

Barclays Asia Trophy touches down in Hong Kong

It's been a fantastic week in Hong Kong for the 2011 Barclays Asia Trophy, working with our colleagues at Text 100, Hong Kong on the sponsorship activation.

After the teams arrived in Hong Kong, we kicked things off Monday night, with Barclays hosting a welcome reception attended by every player and manager from all clubs taking part - Chelsea, Aston Villa, Blackburn and local side Kitchee - a real treat for clients and partners. Following this, Barclays invited a selection of guests to Chelsea's open training session at the iconic Hong Kong stadium on Tuesday where they had the chance to watch the stars in action, and then get up close and personal for autographs and photos.

The first Barclays Asia Trophy match day was on Wednesday back at Hong Kong stadium, in front of 35,000 cheering fans. Throughout the games, Barclays ambassador - ex-Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly - hosted local Barclays employees and guests enjoying the games. Marcel has also had a busy week doing local and international interviews with the likes of Apple Daily, Oriental Daily, the Daily Mirror and The Times.

Thursday was the launch of the Barclays Premier League Trophy Tour's visit to Hong Kong, where Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso, Blackburn midfielder Morten Gamst Pederson and Chelsea left-back Patrick van Aanholt cut the rope allowing waiting fans could see the famous Barclays Premier League trophy up close.

Last but by no means least, today we held a press conference to announce the exciting new partnership between Barclays Spaces for Sports and the Chelsea Foundation attended by around 50 local and international media. Chelsea boss Andres Villas-Boas and midfielder Josh McEachran gave up their time for a photo to support the partnership. Speakers at the event included Robert Morrice, Chairman and CEO, Barclays Asia and ex-Chelsea star Graeme Le Saux.

The final matches of the tournament take place tomorrow between finalists Chelsea and Aston Villa. Blackburn play Kitchee in the third place play off to finish off an amazing week in style.

We've been updating the Barclays Football social media channels all week with images and videos, check them out there:
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr Galleries
YouTube

Lucy McGettigan, Lexis

Barclays welcome Norwich City to the Premier League

On Tuesday Lexis Sport headed east to Carrow Road to preside over the official welcoming of Norwich City FC to the Barclays Premier League.

Norwich, who were one of the founding members of the top-flight league, have returned after a six-year absence. The team won consecutive promotions from League One to Championship and now the Barclays Premier League.

Lexis Sport witnessed Canaries legend Jeremy Goss and the East Anglian manager of Barclays wealth, Simon Smith, pose with the Barclays Premier League flag to commemorate Norwich City’s place in the top tier of football.

Goss has been involved with Norwich City FC in a variety of roles since his retirement in 1999 and offered a great insight for the media that interviewed him throughout the day.

He was convinced that if Paul Lambert can add the right players to their squad the Canaries could fly high in the Barclays Premier League once again.

Special Olympics World Summer Games kick off in Athens

The entire nation is excited for the impending London 2012 Olympics. However not many people will be aware that another international event is taking place this summer. Held in Athens, the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games are billed as the ‘Olympics before the Olympics’ complete with international participation, and show-stopping opening ceremony.

Beginning on 25th June, the Special Olympics World Summer Games is the largest multi-sport event taking place this year. The Games will see 7,000 athletes with learning disabilities take part representing 185 nations in 22 Olympic styled sports.

157 learning disabled athletes have already flown over to Athens to represent Great Britain in the Games, after months and even years of preparation and fund-raising. To raise awareness of the hard work and determination that the athletes have put in, Lexis Sport put together a campaign alongside the premier partner of Special Olympics Great Britain, National Grid.

Firstly, we offered UK media a chance to spend the day with one of our athletes - to watch them train, meet their families and get a behind the scenes look at the sheer determination it takes to compete in the Special Olympics at a national level. Special Olympics Director Greg Silvester was a prime candidate for this activity, having built up a career coaching young Special Olympic athletes at the same time as securing a part-time paid role at National Grid.



Secondly, we teamed up with current World Champion Gymnast Beth Tweddle, who took part in a training session with Omar Haddad - a Special Olympics gymnast who is also from Merseyside. Omar was given the chance to show Beth his floor routine for the World Summer Games, and was not only given tips on how to improve it, but advice on how to handle the nerves that come with competing at such a large event.

Finally, we picked a select few athletes to act as regional ambassadors throughout the World Summer Games. These athletes took part in interviews with regional broadcast media before they left for Athens, and will continue to do so throughout the Games to update on not only their individual achievements but on the progress of their peers.

This activity, along with some fantastic events organised by the charity itself – a trip to Downing Street to meet David Cameron being one example – will hopefully raise the profile of these talented and determined athletes. We will keep you posted on how many medals Team GB bring home!

Rugby in the Community

As 2012 draws near, there is a cadre of people and a growing body of opinion, which thinks sports policy and even the structure of sport in this country should change. Think of the Centre for Social Justice’s report a few weeks back and the imminent DCMS Select Committee Football Governance report as symbolic of this.

One of the areas, which needs a better airing, is the role of the private sector in financing sport below the elite level and on making sports better at dealing with local, social problems.

This was one of the issue under discussion at Lexis last week, when we played host to our client Premier Rugby Ltd and a number of private and public sector players in the sports field who were drawn together to help judge this year’s Premiership Rugby Parliamentary Rugby awards.

Leicester Tigers and Saracens got voted through to the final at Parliament on July 6th but all the work got enthusiastic praise from the judges, as you can see from this video with Dr Keith Gilbert: Rugby In The Community

James Tellusson, Head of Corporate & Social Affairs, Lexis
@JamesThellusson

Barclays Community Sports Award 2010/11

During the 2010/11 Barclays Premier League season, the Barclays Community Sports Award was launched to recognise the outstanding contribution of individuals and organisations to grassroots sport.

The award, created in partnership between Barclays Spaces for Sports, the Football Foundation and the Premier League's Creating Chances programme, has ensured that those working in community sport have the opportunity to receive acclaim for their achievements, in the same way those at the top of the professional football game are recognised every year.

During every month of the past season, a judging panel consisting of representatives from all three organisations, and former professional footballer Gareth Southgate, had their work cut out for them sifting through hundreds of fantastic entries. Every individual or organisation that was picked as the monthly winner received a personalised trophy, £1,000 prize money and the chance to be picked as the overal season winner.

Previous worthy winners included Andy Thorpe, the founder of Street Soccer, a Manchester based initiative that enables homeless individuals to rehabilitate themselves through sport, and Simon O’Brien Ellington who started a wheelchair football club called The Charioteers after his wife expressed a desire to play. Recent winner Jenny Leyland, a 63 year old from Merseyside who dedicates every evening to providing sports training and competition for children in the local area, received her award on the pitch at Anfield from former Liverpool FC star Phil Thompson.

Barclays were pleased to announce overal season winner this month. The winner is Rabiya Ahmed, an 18-year-old girl from Preston who has dedicated the past two and a half years to the Fishwick Rangers scheme in Preston - organising sports training for young Asian women in her local area, who were previously excluded from sport. Rabiya's enthusiasm and determination has influenced 25 other young women in the area to volunteer.

Rabiya received a further £5,000 in prize money and a VIP trip to London to attend the League Manager Annual Dinner with judging panel member Gareth Southgate. Rabiya was presented with her award on stage in front of a collection of Barclays Premier League managers including Harry Rednapp, Alex McLeish and Mick McCarthy. Other attendees included Carlo Ancelotti, England Manager Fabio Capello and former manager Sven Goran Eriksson.

Rabiya commented on the night: "It was incredible, a once in a lifetime experience. I couldn't believe I was picked as a monthly winner, let alone as the season winner, but it's been fantastic to have my work recognised in this way".

The award will run throughout the 2011/12 Barclays Premier League season. To nominate an individual or organisation, visit http://www.barclayscommunitysportsaward.com/

BARCLAYS AROUND THE WORLD IN 90 MINUTES SEES AUSSIE FAN REWARDED WITH 90 MINUTES OF TOP ACTION AT ARSENAL v MAN UNITED

Watching on at Arsenal’s 1- 0 win over Manchester United last Sunday were some home fans who had taken a slightly unusual route to the Emirates Stadium. Life-long Gunner Neal Lohse and his family were flown all the way from Sydney, Australia, to watch the game after Neal won the Barclays Around the World in 90 Minutes competition to find the best Barclays Premier League match-day experience anywhere in the world.

Neal’s unique video entry starred his daughter Maddie as she helped him transform the Lohse family living room into a mini-Highbury that Neal remembers from his time living in England in the 1980s. The video charmed the competition's judges, including Marcel Desailly, Ian Rush and football commentator Martin Tyler, who chose it as the winner from thousands of entries.

Lexis Sport had the pleasure of taking the lucky winners on to the pitch at the Emirates on match day, as well as introducing them to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger before kick off! It was an incredible experience all round and a memory that Neal and Maddie will treasure for years to come.

Sports reputation & governance research available

By James Thellusson - Head of Corporate, Lexis PR

This week, sports minister Hugh Robertson laid into The FA criticising it for a ‘lack of diversity and experience in the governance of the game’ and threatening legislation if reforms aren’t pushed through.

The comments came as the DCMS Select committee review of Football Governance concluded its evidence gathering phase. The Committee’s report will come out in July and while focussed on football may raise the spectre that other sports might be subject to similar levels of scrutiny.

The issue of governance, management effectiveness and ‘Financial Fair Play’ are long standing, intertwined issues for sport. They remain strategic political and corporate issues for sports bodies, especially those with significant public funding.

Lexis PR’s new public affairs consultant John Arnold and James Thellusson, Head of Corporate have recently conducted a survey of key policy & political opinion formers in attempt to assess their view of the performance of sports bodies against the governance agenda and to assess their reputations.

For details of this research please contact jthellusson@lexispr.com