* Sponsors slow to spot impact of on-car cameras
* Clothes lose their "poor relation" tag for corporate sponsorship
* Report demonstrates need for accurate data for sponsorship planning
* Authors are new Media Information Company backed by Coulthard, Blundell and Brundle
A new report out now is for the first time enabling companies to gain an accurate view of the success of their corporate sponsorship spend at Formula 1 races during the 2004 Season. The report, issued by image recognition company Margaux Matrix, calls into question long-established opinions about Formula 1 sponsorship and is set to change the way that sponsors invest in the sport. With the first race of the 2005 season just a week away, the F1 Brand Exposure Yearbook 2004 is likely to be mandatory reading for corporate sponsors and sponsorship agencies alike.
Joe Sweeney, director at Margaux Matrix, said: “What this report shows is that some teams and sponsors have been failing to fully exploit brand positioning and values. This report shows, for the first time, where they have been failing and how they can put it right. "
The Report was compiled by analysing brand recognition at televised races during 2004. This was carried out through the use of a new type of image recognition software developed at the Brain and Cognition Research Centre in Toulouse, France, and adapted by Margaux Matrix to provide a fully integrated end-to-end analysis service which enables companies to measure the success of their brand placement.
By providing, for the first time, an accurate picture of exact brand exposure, the Report came up with several surprising results - results that showed that corporate sponsors have not always been spending their money wisely. Firstly, the report shows that sponsors and their agencies failed to recognise the impact of the increase in the use of on-board cameras which last year created 50% of all brand exposure on the cars. This resulted in brands placed on the top of the tub gaining a huge 29.55% of the total car exposure. This was almost twice as much as the exposure of brands on the rear wing (17.42%) and nearly three times that of the brands placed on the side pods (12.39%). Up to now, the engine cover has traditionally been viewed as a premium spot for brands. However, the report shows that the engine cover gained just 7.12% of exposure despite the typically high rates that this part of the car usually commands.
Indeed, the changes brought about by the on-board cameras means that the wing mirrors are likely to take the place of the engine cover as a favoured slot for sponsors. This was something that Renault alone spotted before they had the benefit of this inaugural report. Renault placed the Elf logo on the top and side of the wing mirror cowls and this branding was on screen for just under a quarter (24.48%) of Renault car's total TV time. This was more than any other area, including even the top tub which took a 24.16% share. This enabled ELF to gain 4% of all brand coverage on television, making it the fifth most exposed sponsor last year.
This was only slightly behind Ferrari sponsor Shell with 4.15%, a remarkable result for ELF considering that Ferrari had 40% more coverage than Renault. "The exposure for ELF was remarkable when you consider the exposure that Ferrari had compared to Renault. This just goes to show the importance of proper, in-depth analysis to demonstrate just which brands are being seen on television and which ones aren't." said Sweeney.
The other surprising result from the research was the increase of brand exposure on clothing which has traditionally been seen as the poor relation to other brand positioning. Incredibly, almost half of all Formula 1 brand coverage came from logos placed on the clothing. This was something that a little known brand called DeutscheVemogens benefited from - they came 21st in the league table of 221 brands simply by having their logo on Michael Schumacher's cap during podium and press conferences.
Top of the league table, in order, were Marlboro, Vodafone, Mild Seven, Shell and ELF.
The Report was compiled by Margaux Matrix who use a unique software image recognition application to enable sponsors and their agencies to accurately analyse the TV exposure of their brands during sporting events including football, cricket, tennis and golf as well as motor racing. The company was launched last year with financial backing from several private investors including Formula 1 driver David Coulthard and former F1 drivers, now broadcasters and business men, Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell. Clients include Castrol, GlaxoSmithKline, HSBC and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Agency clients include MediaCom and Zenith Optimedia.
