Looks like Martini is very happy with Williams partnership!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2016/ ... 8e6d30bc25
Meet The Brand Which Pours Fun Into The Williams F1 Team
Christian Sylt , CONTRIBUTOR
Formula One teams don’t come much more traditional than Williams. The British squad was co-founded by Sir Frank Williams in 1977 who still sits in the driving seat as team principal and majority shareholder. Unlike his rivals he didn’t sell up to a billionaire or car manufacturer and instead floated the company on the Frankfurt stock exchange in 2011. It may sound formal but it’s far from boring. In fact, Williams is one of the most relaxed and hip teams on the grid and that is driven partly by its title sponsor Martini.
Martini has a longer history in F1 than almost any other sponsor and actually started in the series before Williams made its début. After a few years as a sportscar sponsor Martini joined F1 in 1972 and initially partnered with the Italian team Tecno. However, after two uncompetitive seasons it did a U-Turn only to return in 1975 as title sponsor of F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team.
Martini’s distinctive red and blue color scheme covered the cars and didn’t just become synonymous with Brabham but F1 itself after the team finished second in the standings in the first year of the deal.
The arrival of Austrian driver Niki Lauda three years later abruptly put the brakes on the partnership as he brought a deal with dairy company Parmalat which replaced Martini. It took 36 years for the brand to return to F1 as a title sponsor when Williams stunned the industry by signing it up for the 2014 season.
Although its renowned red and blue colour-scheme came back it is racing in a different landscape. Alcohol brands now have to ensure that their auto racing promotion comes complete with responsible drinking messages and the days when drivers could down a drink before beginning the race are long gone. Martini didn’t just adapt to this new environment it has thrived in it.
Instead of focusing purely on advertising and brand exposure, it has aligned its image with the jet-set lifestyle that F1 is famous for. At the heart of this association is the Terrazza MARTINI, a terrace on the top floor of the Williams motorhome where invited VIPs can watch the action on track whilst sampling its products.
The format was so successful that Martini copied it and opened pop-up terraces in city-center locations during the F1 race weekends. They bring some of F1’s glitz and glamour to the streets by hosting live music and driver interviews. Locals can eat, watch the race and, of course, drink Martini there. Crucially, it allows guests to walk home or take public transport as the terraces are located in cities, rather than out-of-town where tracks are usually found. It is paying off.
According to Giles Ritchie, Martini’s global F1 sponsorship manager, attendance at the Terrazza MARTINIs globally has accelerated 247% this year. We asked him what drives this success and how F1’s global platform fuels Martini’s plans to be the number one aperitivo brand.
The distinctive Martini branding covers the Williams cars (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
What do you provide to F1 (other than cash)?
MARTINI brings a style and gioia di vivere – the Italian ‘joy of living’ – to racing like no other. We also understand that racing isn’t just about what happens on the track, it’s about the lifestyle off the track. On the track, it’s all about speed and racing against the clock. Off track, it’s about time with friends. MARTINI gives race fans a reason to come together over a race weekend and connects people interested in food, fashion and music with Formula One in a unique way.
How are your products used in F1?
Inside the Formula One paddock, on top of the Williams Martini Racing motorhome we host a Terrazza MARTINI for everyone to enjoy a very Italian aperitivo moment right in the heart of the action. We also provide product and non-alcohol options for the Williams Martini Racing suites located in the Paddock Club and Williams events across the season.
MARTINI products are also enjoyed responsibly by the Williams Martini Racing drivers and the wider Williams team in down-time between races.
When did your F1 partnership begin?
The MARTINI brand’s longstanding relationship with motorsport and rich history of both sponsorship and participation in worldwide sporting events began in 1968 with the creation of MARTINI Racing. This bold and ambitious move saw MARTINI become one of the first-ever non-motorsport entrants to sponsor a racing team and it was during this time the distinctive blue and red livery of MARTINI Racing was created. The pioneering ‘racing stripes’ design that emulates the team’s speed and style was a consistent presence throughout the heyday of MARTINI Racing.
Racing is a sport we have been involved in for nearly 50 years across a variety of iconic liveries, with our return to Formula One in 2014 as the title sponsor of the British owned Williams team, we hope a new generation will fall in love with the gioia di vivere – the Italian ‘joy of living’ – that MARTINI brings to the world.
How did the deal come about (who approached who and when)?
After a short hiatus MARTINI was looking to re-engage with motorsport, a sport we have been passionate about for nearly 50 years. Williams’ inclusive and friendly feel is in line with another of MARTINI’s passions – to spend time in good company. Both MARTINI and Williams are also still proud family owned businesses despite their size.
We were also looking for a platform to engage with a new, younger audience globally. Formula One gives us the opportunity to bring together the worlds of Formula One, food, music and fashion to enjoy MARTINI responsibly over the eight-month season.
Why did you choose F1 rather than another sport?
MARTINI has one of the richest brand histories in motorsport and we’ve been involved in Formula One for nearly 50 years. It provides us with a truly global audience that stretches across multiple markets, bringing MARTINI into the homes of race fans around the world during a twenty-one race calendar. Our partnership with Williams Martini Racing represents a continued commitment to racing and sees our iconic racing stripes back on the grid.
We also understand that racing isn’t just about what happens on the track, it’s about the lifestyle off the track – the style, food, music – and our Terrazza MARTINI experiences are a perfect demonstration of that and an opportunity to enjoy the quintessentially Italian aperitivo moment with friends. Our Terrazza MARTINI experiences always take place in central locations in each city allowing guests to enjoy our MARTINI products responsibly or non-alcoholic options before easily and safely making their way home walking or using public transport.
How is F1 of particular benefit to your industry?
Formula One provides us with a truly global audience that stretches across multiple markets, bringing MARTINI into the homes of race fans around the world. Formula One also travels to some of the most influential cities in the world providing opportunities throughout the year to engage with a new audience through bespoke experiences, innovative content and experiential events.
What are the key target markets for your partnership?
This season the focus has been on growing our European markets through our Williams Martini Racing partnership. Europe is where we have our biggest markets and we have focused our large scale partnership activations within this region. The Singapore Grand Prix was also added this year as we look to increase value share in the Asian market. Felipe Massa being Brazilian has been fantastic for generating excitement for Williams Martini Racing and our partnership in Brazil, we will round off the season with two activations in Mexico and Brazil.
What results have you had from your partnership so far?
Williams Martini Racing delivers an innovative, powerful and integrated marketing platform enabling MARTINI consumers to get closer to the action both on and off the track. MARTINI has developed a series of bespoke experiences, innovative content, experiential events like the Terrazza MARTINI, creative advertising and enticing promotions to engage not only F1 fans, but those interested in food, fashion and music with great success.
This season we have seen a +247% YOY increase in people visiting and enjoying time with friends at our Terrazza MARTINIs globally.
How do you use your F1 partnership to motivate and incentivise staff?
Throughout the year global sales teams are given challenging sales targets to reach. As a reward for hitting those targets, most recently staff were treated to a unique four-day experience in Milan over the Grand Prix weekend. This included a visit to Casa MARTINI, the home of MARTINI to learn about the brand’s rich heritage and to create their own vermouth. Our guests then experienced racing with MARTINI, both at the Monza track on race day and first-hand with an exciting Formula 3 and Porsche driving experience.
We also use the partnership to create exclusive events for our employees. Our production staff at the factory and MARTINI brand home in Pessione outside Turin were invited to a special kickoff event at the start of the season that included the Williams Martini Racing drivers. Staff were able to take part in meet and greets with the drivers and mingle amongst past and present MARTINI Racing Formula One cars, before hearing about our vision for the future of the MARTINI brand.
Give an example of how you activate your sponsorship
Alongside our Terrazzas we also work with a number of exciting partners including Time Out, Spotify and Vice magazine which amplify fans’ experiences across the race weekend and offer a different perspective to the action. At MARTINI we know that racing isn’t just about what happens on the track. This season MARTINI is taking over a number of Grand Prix cities over race weekend with our famous Terrazza MARTINI experience – the beating heart of any city during race weekend. Distinctly Italian with a nod to the host city, the Terrazza MARTINI brings together the very best local talent across F1, food, music and fashion. After a day at the race track it’s the perfect spot to wind down, enjoy a very Italian aperitivo moment with friends and soak up the atmosphere of each city over race weekend.
Our Terrazza MARTINI experiences always take place in central locations in each city, rather than at F1 circuits which are usually out of city centers, allowing guests to enjoy our MARTINI products responsibly or non-alcohol options before easily and safely making their way home walking or using public transport
What are your objectives for the sponsorship?
Our objective is to be the number one aperitivo brand. The Williams Martini Racing partnership provides a global platform that allows MARTINI to travel the world with our passion for racing and liberating ‘Dolce Vita’ attitude to time.
What common brand values do you share with F1?
MARTINI has a longstanding passion for racing and Formula One is the pinnacle for motorsports. MARTINI also believes life is richer when we focus on shared moments and experiences, rather than seconds and minutes, we leave that to the Williams Martini Racing team members. Our brand values are echoed by the charisma of the drivers and personalities in Formula One and it’s a truly global sport that brings people together to share the excitement of a race weekend. MARTINI and Formula One also share the important value that our products should be enjoyed responsibly and should never be consumed before driving.
What has been your proudest moment so far during your sponsorship?
We have a strong relationship with the Williams Martin Racing team and its drivers Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa, being a part of their successive third place finishes in the F1 Constructors Championship has been extremely satisfying. In addition, MARTINI Racing being part of Felipe’s career has been a huge pleasure for us and when he announced his retirement on Thursday of the Italian Grand Prix we were lucky enough to host him at our Terrazza MARTINI opening night in Milan. We wish him all the best in the future and look forward to celebrating his 250th Grand Prix start at the final race of the 2016 F1 season in Abu Dhabi.
