For the next two years the Fiat Group will be the Official Global Sponsor, together with the Iveco brand, of the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) and the Italian national rugby union team.
This sponsorship deal reaffirms the Fiat Group’s strategy to associate itself with the top names in international sport, providing opportunities for the group to promote and reinforce the identity of its brands around the world.
In keeping with the vocation and characteristics of its individual brands, Fiat has chosen to use Iveco for communications activities and promotions linked to the initiative.
The partnership officially kicked off on Sunday 10 February in Rome, during the Six Nations Championship match between Italy and England.
Iveco and Rugby
The agreement signed with the Italian Rugby Federation is the latest development in a campaign which began in January 2007 with Iveco’s sponsorship of the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby union team, whose values are consistent with those of the company.
Rugby represents the latest chapter in a long history of sports partnerships established by Iveco, which has always believed in high-level sponsorship as a means of reinforcing its international identity. This time however, the company was determined to select a partner which has a close affinity with the world of Iveco.
Rugby is a high-profile sport which, since the 2007 Rugby World Cup held in France, is also experiencing a boom in Italy, as confirmed by the domestic audience figures for the Six Nations Championship. The Ireland-Italy match was watched by almost 1,400,000 spectators in Italy, recording an average TV audience share of 11% and a peak share of 14%. This represents a notable increase on the first game of last year’s Six Nations tournament, Italy-France, which achieved an audience share of 6.8% and attracted 890,000 spectators.
“By sponsoring the Italian national rugby team, Iveco continues to make inroads into the world of rugby. This selection is concordant with the values of Iveco: performance, determination, reliability and team spirit,” said Stefano Sterpone, Vice Chairman Sales & Market Iveco. “Since last year we are the Official Global Sponsor of the New Zealand national rugby union team: the All Blacks. Today we have fulfilled our dream as Italians by becoming sponsors of the Italian national team. Our investment in rugby has proven to be a success, which is why we have chosen to go one step further by broadening our focus to include rugby in Italy.”
The Sponsorship Agreement
Based on the agreement, the Fiat Group will be granted the right to use the team’s image, sell exclusive merchandise, and display its logo in backdrops and on pitch-side advertising hoardings during matches played in Italy.
In return, Fiat will provide the Italian Rugby Federation - with technical support from Europcar Italy, Italy’s premier vehicle hire company – with a fleet of Alfa Romeo cars and Iveco vehicles, which the Azzurri squad will use for travelling to and from official games, friendly matches and training camps.
The Federation ball will feature the Iveco logo on two sides and will be used for Test matches played in November 2008 involving the Australia, Argentina and Pacific Islands national teams, and for Test matches played in November 2009 involving the All Blacks, South Africa and Japan.
Also as part of the sponsorship deal, the Iveco logo will be displayed on the uniforms of Italian referees in all international matches played on Italian soil, at every level.
Furthermore, the Iveco ball will be used in the Serie A Championship, national youth team activities, and activities and tournaments organised by the FIR at regional level.
By virtue of the sponsorship agreement, Iveco is developing merchandise to be sold on the Fiat website and in the group's dealerships.
However, the agreement with the Italian Rugby Federation extends far beyond sponsorship of the Italian national rugby union team: it is a genuine collaboration aimed at promoting the development of rugby in Italy. To this end, Iveco is also supporting the Accademia Project, an initiative funded by the FIR to increase the profile and popularity of the game.
Iveco Rugby Radio
Alongside its sponsorship of the Italian Rugby Federation and the Italian national rugby union team, Iveco is launching Iveco Rugby Radio, the first web radio station dedicated to rugby. This fully-fledged radio station will continuously broadcast music programmes interspersed with rugby features and information about Iveco products and initiatives.
Iveco Rugby Radio builds on Iveco’s investment in rugby. With web radio, Iveco is building a true community of rugby fans and potential customers.
Iveco Rugby Radio will leverage the excellent visibility of the Iveco websites, which - with over 2 million visits in 2007 and peaks of 30,000 visits per day - are among the most visited in the automotive sector.
“The popularity of web radio is growing rapidly,” said Alessandro Cicchetti, Market Managing Director. “In Europe, 30 million people listen to a web radio station, predominantly in the 18-44 age group. Furthermore, 20% of Internet users listen to music online via audio streaming. The aim behind Iveco Rugby Radio is to exploit one of the most rapidly evolving new medias.”