Duracell uses Rugby World Cup sponsorship to push ‘statement of intent’ ahead of completion of sell-off

Duracell is looking to make a statement of intent with its first ever global sports sponsorship to demonstrate the “power and longevity” of its brand, one of a number of marketing campaigns it has planned ahead of becoming a standalone company.

Wales International player, Sam Warburton taking part in the Duracell promotional shoot – Photo mandatory by-line: Phil Mingo/Pinnacle/Duracell – Tel: +44(0)1363 881025 – Mobile: 0797 1270 681 – 15/08/2015 – SPORT – RUGBY –

The brand has appointed Wales and British Lions captain Sam Warburton as ambassador and will launch a digital, in-store and PR campaign featuring footage from previous Rugby World Cups.

The move is part of Duracell’s effort to galvanise consumers” and “make a statement of intent going forward” through the launch of a number of marketing campaigns as it becomes a standalone company.

Duracell was one of many brands dropped from the P&G portfolio as part of an effort by the FMCG giant to streamline its business and cut costs by focusing only on its “core strategic” brands, a deal that is set to close in the next six months according to Duracell.

Alex Haslam, senior assistant brand manager for Duracell UK & Ireland, told Marketing Week: “We’re here to stay and here to invest. We’re excited about the future and looking forward to working closely with customers to drive value to the category and be really focused on the battery and personal power industry.”

He added that while awareness of the Duracell brand is high in the UK, it wanted to use the rugby platform to push its position as the longest lasting battery in the world.

“We wanted to combine everything Duracell stands for with a sport or tournament that encapsulates that and rugby is a really good fit,” Haslam said.

“We know we’re not going to own rugby as a brand, but we’ve created something totally ownable. No other brand is talking about power and longevity.”

It is teaming up with Rugby World Cup data provider Opta to launch Duracell #PowerCheck, a new tool to measure power and endurance during the Rugby World Cup.

#PowerCheck will track performance indicators such as rucks, tackles and carries during each game to create a score out of 100, taking into consideration how long players have been on the pitch in order to reward those who “stay stronger for longer”.

Haslam added that Duracell hopes the sponsorship will continue in future years and will become part of its long-term brand strategy.

“We’ve developed a holistic plan that communicates our benefits and excites the trade in a category where there isn’t normally a lot of excitement,” he added.

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