Australian Rally Commission Chairman Garry Connelly says that commercial partner IMG’s involvement in the marketing the championship has raised the bar and allowed the sport to sell its unique marketing properties to companies such as Globalstar and the series’ associated sponsors.
“IMG’s involvement in the marketing of the championship has been pivotal in enabling our naming right association with Globalstar,” Connelly explained.
“Globalstar joins our established list of outstanding series stakeholders including companies like Network Ten, our event organisers and our manufacturers Subaru, Mitsubishi and Toyota.
“Today we also officially recognise significant involvement from web icon Whereis (whereis.com.au), Elf Fuels as our control fuel and now Exide and Clarion as our new partners in the Globalstar ARC.”
More importantly, Connelly outlined what the significant involvement of these companies means for the future of the championship.
“In the past three years we have developed the championship from being simply an outstanding and exciting sport, into a truly cohesive and marketable product.
“Australian rallying is already one of the most exciting action sports in Australia and we have a specific marketing vision over the next few years to grow not only the profile of the sport but also the brand equity of the Globalstar ARC.
“We have no doubt that 2004 will be the first year of a very exciting and challenging future for the championship.”
The Australian Rally Championship will appear under a naming rights banner for the first time in 12 years. Globalstar’s involvement in the championship is pivotal not only from a pure sponsorship point of view, but also in growing the recognition of the product in Australia.
Central to Globalstar, Whereis, Clarion and Exide’s involvement in the Globalstar ARC is the recognition that the championship now has recognised marketing potential from a pure product point of view, particularly in the extreme 18-25 market.
That in itself speaks volumes of the marketing value of the Globalstar Australian Rally Championship and is an important first step that will allow the championship to grow in recognition.
Part of the championship’s plan is not only to bring the sport to a greater number of media through various media forms, but also bring the events closer to the people and more accessible through a range of retail based promotions and technological developments.
There is no doubt the mounting excitement for the series’ first year as the Globalstar ARC. We are just over a week away from the first round of the championship – the Respect Yourself Forest Rally in Perth on March 26-28 and apart from the exciting vision that is promised for the championship, the action itself will be thrilling to watch.