Orange signs as UEFA Euro 2012 sponsor
Orange has agreed a deal to become a sponsor of the UEFA Euro 2012 championships in Poland and Ukraine next year.
The telcoms company will become the tournament’s official technology partner.
Vice president of the brand for Orange, Severine Legrix De La Salle, says the company hopes the partnership will create “an emotional connection” between the brand and consumers.
It is also hoped the sponsorship of the event, will boost exposure of the Orange brand, support customer loyalty and enhance “togetherness” internally among its 180,000 employees.
De La Salle says: “[The UEFA Euro 2012 partnership] is a natural transition and a way to put in common all the sports assets of the group. Sport is a big part of our strategy, first for awareness but also as a fantastic way to create loyalty with our customers”.
As part of the deal, Orange will also produce the official mobile phone application for the Euro 2012 tournament and, together with local partner Telekomunikacja Polska, will provide all telecommunications services for the event.
De La Salle adds: “Euro 2012 will be the first digital tournament, following the explosion of tablets and smartphones. This tournament is a fantastic opportunity to create new innovative marketing offers for a new generation of sporting fans.”
When the tournament commences the Orange brand will be visible in perimeter advertising, on tickets, at pre-tournament events and on the Euro 2012 section of UEFA’s official website.
Orange’s rights also include the creation of premium products using a combination of the Orange and Euro 2012 logos and imagery.
Although in the UK Orange sponsorship is more focused on music and film, the telecommunications company has several European sport partnerships including its sponsorship of the Polish national football team and the Tour de France.
Orange predicts six billion people will follow the event worldwide.
Other sponsors of the tournament include McDonald’s, Adidas and Coca-Cola.
