Are you willing to sponsor?
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted April 25, 2024 | In Formula 1
Much more than a title sponsorship, the partnership agreement between the Scuderia Ferrari and HP is yet another piece of a marketing puzzle that the Cavallino has been carefully and precisely building for quite some time. The technology giant-HP is the world’s second-largest personal computer manufacturer-will appear on the Maranello car starting with the Miami Grand Prix and will remain as the Scuderia’s title sponsor for at least two years, at market figures that have not been disclosed but are certainly multimillion dollars. Also involved in the deal, unsurprisingly, are the Esport Team and the car driven by Maya Weug in the F1 Academy-two communications assets that the Palo Alto-based company did not want to miss.
The Scuderia had not had a title sponsor since Mission Winnow, the marketing and communications initiative put in place by longtime partner Philip Morris that circumvented-albeit partially- Tobacco’s sponsorship regulations. Thanks to the current agreement, Ferrari will race under the name Scuderia Ferrari HP, a name that has not failed to arouse the curiosity, interest and praise of several online communities already, quick to point out that “HP,” as well as an acronym for “Hewlett-Packard,” is more famous in the racing world as an abbreviation for Horse Power, a unit of measurement of an engine’s performance.
For some time already, Ferrari had announced its intention to race in Miami with a new blue livery, even showing a preview of the beautiful blue suits created for the occasion for LeClerc, Sainz and the entire team. Light blue, one reads in some press notes circulated in recent days, was one of Enzo Ferrari ‘s favorite colors (the Drake, to tell the truth, has been given color preferences among the most heterogeneous over the past 30 years to justify more or less any marketing move), as well as a historical color of the Scuderia that raced with Surtees, Amon and Bandini in the 1960s.
Without wishing to err on the side of malice, however, the blue color chosen for Miami takes on special significance in the aftermath of the announcement of the partnership between Ferrari and HP, whose logo is indeed blue. In short, on the Florida track the two Maranello cars will for the first time sport the large HP logo on a blue livery that will become an “instant classic” for the world of sports marketing and an unmissable PR and photo opportunity.
Innovation, sustainability, passion and research are the words that chase each other in the press releases launching the partnership, as is only right and natural. In a very high-tech world like Formula 1, a computer manufacturer is perfectly positioned and represented. Likely, although not the focus of the agreement, HP will also become an important ally of Maranello on the whole front of technical equipment, software development and innovation in general. Sustainability-a theme that is very dear to both technology and automotive and on which both industries are receiving strong pressure-is also a key to this sponsorship, it says.
However, and wanting to be clear, it is impossible not to put among the “reasons why” of this agreement also the extraordinary centrality of Formula 1 in the arena of modern marketing and global popularity. The circus is for all intents and purposes an extraordinary communication platform-like the Olympics and very few other properties in the world-to which brands cannot afford not to associate. In this, Ferrari is certainly and always has been the brightest jewel in the crown, if not on the track then at least at the marketing level.
In conclusion, the Hamilton element should not be left out of the equation. Announced alongside Charles LeClerc from next season, the Briton is not simply one of the most successful drivers in Formula 1, but also one of the athletes with the most following in the world. His signature, which has skyrocketed the Cavallino’s stock price, has marketing repercussions even more than sporting ones, thanks in part to the driver’s determined activism on many of the most hotly debated causes of recent years. Hamilton will undoubtedly be the center of attention, obviously pulling with him the entire Ferrari world around him, sponsors included. Again, really, not an element to be underestimated.
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
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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.
The online platform where you can discover the latest trends, strategies and insights from the exciting world of sports marketing.
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