Client

British Tourist Authority/Barclaycard English Premier League  - 2001 season 

Challenge

The Barclaycard English Football Association Premier League had just signed a worldwide marketing partnership agreement with the British Tourist Authority (BTA - now Visit Britain). The key challenge was how to make the most of the partnership for both parties worldwide, with particular emphasis on developing the tourism potential of the partnership.

Solution

• We developed a plan focused on promoting the BTA website at strategic media viewpoints at selected UK football grounds (e.g. behind the goal, pitch side advertising boards). Opportunities for TV viewers to see such advertising was over in a flash as the football action moved across the park, but they were repetitive. Therefore any message had to be short, but impactful

• By featuring the BTA website URL and logo, thousands of people in potential markets across the globe that BTA had not previously been able to reach were offered access to information on Britain as a holiday destination

• The association of three quality brands (Barclaycard, English Premiership football, and Britain as a holiday destination) was intended to be mutually reinforcing

Result

BTA’s reach, amongst many people and markets with whom it could hitherto not afford to communicate, was extended immeasurably

• This increased the potential for converting interest to sales from these markets