By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted December 11, 2016 | In MotoGP, Sport, Sport News, Sport Sponsorship
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted December 11, 2016 | In MotoGP, Sport, Sport News, Sport Sponsorship
Top 15 sports moments in 2016There can be little doubt 2016 has been a heck of a year, one that will go down in history as one of the most reckless, unpredictable and wacky of the last decades. Truth be told there have been a lot of “oh no” moments in the past 12 months, and we are pretty sure lots of you will not mind turning pages and looking forward to a more, erm, steady 2017.
Nonetheless, cheer up, because if you’re a sport fan we’re here with some of the most important sport moments in 2016. Of course, it’s not an all-embracing list, but then again how could it? With the Olympics, Euro 2016 and some major upsets in basketball, F1 and Baseball, this 2016 proved to be a year to remember for most sports and disciplines.
So, let’s kick it off, 2016 most amazing sport moments in video
A final out by Mike Montgomery against the Indians in Game 7 gave the Chicago Cubs their first MLB title in 108 years. It was total pandemonium for days in the Windy City.
In one of the most unpredictable seasons of football of the last 20 years, Ranieri’s squad took an early lead on the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City during the winter and never let go, eventually winning the title with a 10 point lead. The Cinderella of English football quickly became a global sensation and, needless to say, everyone went completely insane in the Midlands.
As every sport fan around the world will tell you, there are no better words than “Game 7”. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers sealed what seemed the most unlikely recovery at the Oracle Arena in California against the Golden State Warriors to take the title to Ohio. The redemption of King James was now complete and we were all witnesses.
Possibly the world’s greatest football player alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi missed the crucial penalty in the 2016 Copa America final tiebreaker. The Barcelona striker kicked it high off the bar and opened way for a historical Chile win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjbDw2BNFho
Best sports moments in 2016: it took 10 year for German driver Nico Rosberg to win the most glorious title in Motorsport. When he did this year, eventually defeating team mate and former World Champion Lewis Hamilton, he decided it was time to call it quits and retire as a winner. You only live once.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLJCUNkBG3I
Possibly the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) left us this year at the age of 74. Not only Ali redefined boxing, but revolutionized the whole idea of athlete/celebrity, with his strong political and social presence. He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest athletes of our era, as well as one of the most meaningful characters of the last century.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJMgVhuhYz4
Kris Jenkins’s buzzerbeater was worth a NCAA title for Villanova. In a superb display of college basketball the Wildcats defeated North Carolina under the teary eye of Michael Jordan. Credit where credit is due, although Marcus Paige’s off-balance jumpshot with 7 to go will probably make the books as the greatest shot in college history.
Marc Marquez has won his 5th World Title, his 3rd in the MotoGP class this year, proving he’s still the man to beat on a Motorcycle. Beating world-class opponents such as Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo took not only speed but only loads of mental strength. Give me five.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ2qME1DX78
In what looked like a “it’s France or Germany” Euro 2016 competition, Portugal came out as the winning lot, defeating France in a stunning final after extra time at Stade de France in Paris. Once again in this 2016 it was the Underdog that made it to the top.
The fastest man on the planet did it again, winning the 100mt, the 200 mt and the 4×100 relay at the Olympics for the third time. Not only that, the photo of Usain blinking at the camera when he’s meters ahead of his competitors is the true image of supremacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgN6RQw1s40
Few sporting events caused more turmoil at the end of 2015 than the match for the Heavyweight crown between british boxer Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko, with the brit eventually taking home the gig. In 2016 the Russian exercised a rematch clause hidden in the contract and a rematch, billed as “Repeat or Revenge” was scheduled. A marketing bonanza ignited, with the fight quickly becoming a super-hyped media happening. As per today, the fight has been postponed and rescheduled 4 times, with Fury being declared unfit to boxe by medical operators. And he thrill still lives on…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOhZRWs1_bg
The best swimmer ever and the most decorated Olympian of all time called it a day this summer, after winning his 23rd gold at the Rio Olympics. The “Baltimore Bullet”, who was the flag bearer for the US Team in Brazil, broke all kind of records and will now focus on his Foundation, aiming to teach healthier, better lifestyles to children all over the world. Not bad for someone who said “Eat, sleep and swim. That’s all I can do”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QApCCP5sjw4
20 years at the top of global sport are quite a burden to carry, both for your body and your mind. Kobe Bryant, the most influential basketball player in the post-Jordan era, knows well and decided to leave pro sports at the beginning of the 2016 season. The whole 2015-2016 Lakers season basically turned in a bizarre, world-tour-style, Kobe celebration. But the ever-obsessed Bryant decided it was not enough, and scored 60 in his last outing to remind the world what we will be missing. It’s Mamba Out.
It was Broncos vs Panthers but most of all Peyton Manning vs Cam Newton for this year’s issue of the Most Watched Game on the planet. Turned out sometimes the old guns are still better than the new ones, as the Denver outfit and their “no fly zone” took home their third World Championship.
It’s a long way to the top, but it’s definitely worth the wait when you finally wear the crown. This year’s tennis was all about Andy Murray, as the 29-year-old Scotsman won Wimbledon and the hearts of the Nation. Oh, and by the way, he also defeated Novak Djokovic, just for the record.
Do you have other suggestiong about the most amazing moments in sports of this year?
Please note we do not own any of the content in these videos. All rights to the respective owners.
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A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
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Read MoreIn an era where it is possible to get anywhere with a click, there is a strong temptation to approach teams and properties directly for sponsorship projects.
By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
When first approaching a motorsport sponsorship project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Motorsport is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
Motorsport is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A motorsport sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which racing series, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the real heart of motorsport sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a motorsport marketing project, you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase online, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
We have been involved in motorsport sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
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Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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