Campaigns we like: Aviva and UK Athletics

Aviva may not have been a sponsor of the London 2012 Games but in corporate terms, the financial services brand has played a major part in the success of Team GB – which included Gold medallists Jessica Ennis, Mo Farrah and Greg Rutherford. A sponsor of UK Athletics since 1999, Aviva has been there doing its significant bit long before the Games bid was even won!

Behind Aviva’s sponsorship of UK Athletics
Way back when Jessica Ennis was just 13 and Aviva was little old Norwich Union, the bond was struck and since then the support from grassroots to major internationals has been there. Aviva has piled in the much needed investment before the National Lottery got involved to sponsor the growth of athletics. And this investment has been smartly leveraged with a wide range of integrated comms and brand activation initiatives which both highlight the brand’s commitment of sport as well increase its awareness.

From online banners and Facebook pages to customer newsletters to Elevating Athletics evening classes and road shows “educating the public on British athletics to showcase Aviva’s longstanding sponsorship and present athletics as a fun and accessible sport”.

When Olympic qualification was nothing more than a coach’s motivational pep talk, Aviva was there. When the blood, the sweat and the tears of our future champions was dragging them down Aviva’s support was lifting them back up. And when you take down the sponsorship banner and see what is actually being delivered you see a brand that really knows how to support a cause and get the most return from its sponsorship.

Athletics app for Aviva customers
Aviva is all over athletics ensuring its customers see what real support means, and realising what is needed to make a difference. Some of the comms over the Olympics by the sponsors were nothing more than embarrassing product plugs with tenuous links between athletic success and their own services, whereas Aviva looks seriously interested in athletics and wants its customers to be too. For instance, Aviva’s Athletics app offers its customers the latest training advice from the experts.

Aviva’s multichannel approach

There is also recognition of the various factions of athletics that need support and it’s applied; with academy and grassroots seemingly given equal priority. And great endorsements from some of our past and present national heroes of track and field who like the rest of the sponsorship asset, are well worked to ‘give back’ to sports too. Aviva brings these to life with great content on a series of websites.

Aviva has created a wide range of customer engagement points, which will invariably increase consideration and improve the preference over the competition when it comes to consumers making a decision on health, life, motor or other protection or investment products.

Aviva brand benefits from sponsorship deal
The deal which costs £8m a year has firmly planted Aviva at the heart of athletics and enabled the brand to show a different side of its character to customers. Through email, social media, direct mail and newsletters Aviva has been able to remind customers how it differs from its competitors.

Aviva’s current sponsorship deal ends this year and UK Athletics is looking to introduce a new sponsorship model, which would spread sponsorship across a number of brands. Whether or not this includes Aviva, the investment made since 1999 will carry weight and recall for years to come if the longevity of recall to early sponsors is anything to go by – I’m thinking of Littlewoods Cup (Now the Capital One Cup) or Mercury Music Prize (now Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize).

Aviva, we salute you and award you a gold medal for committed support and great campaign use of a sponsorship asset.

Christopher Brooks, founder, Lexden and vice-chair, DMA Financial Services Council