Wimbledon set to ride on Vodafone ‘wave’

Article posted by Coliseum, January 20^th, 2022

Image: Vodafone

The British multinational telecommunication company Vodafone has struck a five-year deal to sponsor Wimbledon (UK) and has signed Tim Henman (British retired professional tennis player) and Laura Robson (British tennis player) as brand ambassadors, with the mobile firm also in discussions about a deal with the British teen tennis star Emma Raducanu.

‘The Guardian’ stated that Vodafone has signed a multimillion pound deal to become the official connectivity partner of the grass court Grand Slam event, as well as a wide-ranging collaboration with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to promote an increase in the numbers of people playing the game at all levels.

Vodafone Group Plc is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England (UK). It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.

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The Championships, Wimbledon (UK), commonly known simply as Wimbledon or The Championships, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, also known as the All England Club, based at Church Road, Wimbledon, London, England, is a private members’ club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass.

The Lawn Tennis Association is the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The organization was founded in 1888 and seven-time Wimbledon champion William Renshaw was elected as its first President.

Maintained Max Taylor, Consumer Director at Vodafone, “There is a huge buzz around British tennis and Wimbledon is once again set to be a high point of the Summer. We want to build on this momentum long-term by supporting the grassroots to get players of all ages, abilities and backgrounds involved in sport.”

The mobile phone company, which successfully gambled on sponsoring last year’s British & Irish Lions (rugby union team) tour of South Africa despite the threat posed by the pandemic, has also confirmed publicly for the first time that it is closing in on a deal with Raducanu.

The ‘Guardian’ further stated that the 19-year-old announced herself on the world stage at Wimbledon last year, going on to win the US Open in September 2021 and become the first British female player to triumph at a Grand Slam in 44 years.

Raducanu is currently one of the hottest marketing properties in global sport with a string of deals, from Nike and Dior to Tiffany and Wilson, and in December 2021 she announced new partnerships with Evian and British Airways.

Added Taylor, “I can confirm we are in talks with Emma Raducanu. We think she would be a fantastic Ambassador and would be great for our partnership and ambitions around grassroots tennis. There is nothing formal to announce, but we are in talks.”

Reports have suggested that a deal with Raducanu, who won BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2021, could be worth £3m, but it is understood this figure is wide of the mark.

Vodafone will use its first foray into tennis sponsorship to promote the benefits of next-generation 5G technology, showcasing augmented and virtual reality as well as ‘Internet of Things’ technology during the tournament.

Taylor continued, “I will say that the 5G connectivity at Wimbledon this year will be fantastic”, who added that the sponsorship would be backed by a major ad campaign this Summer.

Taylor said a key element of the partnership was to support the LTA’s ambition to get 10 percent more children into tennis, and one million adults to play regularly, by 2025.

The Wimbledon deal marks the latest ramping-up of Vodafone’s sponsorship strategy, which includes deals with the Wasps rugby club (England) and Formula E (single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars), with a number of new sports and entertainment deals understood to be likely this year.

Sponsorship was once a major part of Vodafone’s marketing strategy, with deals spanning Formula One, the England cricket team and the Premier League team Manchester United F.C.

Taylor further added, “It is really about timing. Years ago we had challenges with network and customer service, and some of the attention on sponsorship and partnerships fell away. This is a resurgent Vodafone in the UK. With the momentum we have got in the business, sponsorship is [once again] an important part of our marketing mix.”

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