Southeast Asia offers a great opportunity for marketers – emerging middle classes, an increasing interest in sports that are already hugely popular in the Western world, and various other factors all combine to make this part of the world a hotbed for successful, authentic sports sponsorship campaigns.
Sports sponsorship in Thailand specifically is becoming prominent, which is, of course, good news for those of us who are invested in it. According to Asia Sponsorship News, the market in Thailand grew 19% year-on-year to 2018 – a huge increase, and one that definitely suggests that we should be paying attention to the country’s consumers and sports fans.
What opportunities are there for sports sponsorship in Thailand?
As we’re highly interested in motorsport here at RTR Sports Marketing, we’d mainly like to point out the Thai MotoGP, which takes place in October. The Thai MotoGP offers numerous opportunities for sponsorship, from technical to B2B – and whichever type of sponsorship you choose, you’re guaranteed to benefit from the passion, excitement and huge crowds that characterize the MotoGP calendar.
When is the Thai MotoGP taking place, and where?
The 2019 Thai MotoGP is taking place at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, on the 6th of October 2019. It is the fifteenth race of the 2019 MotoGP calendar and sits between Spain and Japan in the schedule. By this point in the calendars, brands, fans, teams, and riders will have an idea about which individuals are leading the pack and likely to come out on top – so, as the excitement grows for the final races of the year, many, many eyes will be on the Buriram circuit. At the same time, their eyes could also be on your brand.
Who is sponsoring the Thai MotoGP?
The title sponsor of the Thai MotoGP is PTT. The Thai energy company has held the title sponsorship since last year when the new race track at Buriram started to be used, and the partnership is part of a multi-million Bhat deal.
Other sponsors include Michelin, who supply tyres for MotoGP – an example of technical sports sponsorship that allows for innovation and product development on the side of the brand.
Learn More: Types of Sponsorship
What other sports sponsorship opportunities are there in Thailand?
As Asian Sponsorship News suggests, sponsorship opportunities are huge and varied. The biggest investors in sports sponsorship in Thailand include Toyota, Chang, PTT Petroleum, Singha and PTT Group. Their campaigns (aside from the aforementioned MotoGP partnership) include sponsorship of the Thai Premier League, and of the country’s Elite Golf Performance Centre.
With the ten biggest sponsorship investors in Thailand accounting for 30% of the southeast Asian sponsorship market, it’s easy to understand why local sponsorship expert Paul Poole calls sports sponsorship in Thailand “a dynamic and ever-changing market.”
Also, add the Tourism Authority of Thailand to this list, as the Thai government is pushing hard to export their brand not only to Asia but all over the world. Last year, they ran a double activation op in the Commercial Areas of the Misano and Aragon GPs, handing out gadgets and promoting the Country to fans and MotoGP lovers (it was a honor and a pleasure for us to team up with KrisComm to to create and bring this idea to life. Read more here).
Back to the Thai MotoGP…
It has been noted that the emergence of high profile sporting events in Thailand has the government hoping for an increase in the (admittedly already high) visitor numbers. With the Thai MotoGP entering a new phase with the opening of the Buriram track last year, it’s clear that motorsport is at the center of this – suggesting that this is a better time than ever to invest in MotoGP sports sponsorship in Thailand.
If you wish to have more information on MotoGP sponsorships read Sponsorship Activation and please contact us at our email address: info@rtrsports.com
To find out more about sports sponsorship in Thailand contact RTR Sports Marketing today.
