Brand Awareness
Margaux Matrix is a new name to me, but apparently they are a leading “brand exposure agency”. I’m not entirely sure what one does at an agency like that, but if it involves getting paid to watch F1, I’m exceedingly jealous. They have released a report going into details about F1 sponsorship and there are a few snippets I’d like to share with you.
Firstly, we have the top ten list of brands with the most TV exposure through the 2007 season. There’s a total of just under 20 hours available and Vodafone has topped the list with almost 4 of those hours. This is a vast improvement from when they were lost in the midst of a red Ferrari. Considering every team uses them, Bridgestone are a middle of the range 5th, with just under 2 hours exposure. I find this surprising, but then again, the name is pretty small across the tyre. Maybe they need to put those white marker pens to better use.
Aside from Bridgestone, there are only two names that do not belong to either Ferrari or McLaren, and that’s Red Bull and ING.
This is fascinating to me. If I sit back, close my eyes so I don’t look at any pictures, and try to think of an F1 sponsor – the first names that spring to mind are Lenovo, Kingfisher and Kenwood. Kenwood is always up there, because I think it’s amusing how small their name is on the car.
This may just be me, but names like Vodafone-McLaren-Mercedes are so ingrained in my brain, that I actually forget Vodafone are anything but part of the team’s name. I have a Vodafone mobile, but I don’t associate that with those cars I read about every day. How’s that for brand awareness?
The report also looks at which part of the car is the most prominent and gets the most exposure. I was rooting for sidepods, obviously, but it turns out the very top of the tub, right in front of the driver, gets 43% of the TV coverage share. All the other bits hover around the 5% mark.
Again, I can’t understand this. When I’m watching F1 on TV, the majority of time I’m either looking at the very front of the nose (usually to see if there’s a BMW badge, and therefore know it’s not a Williams!), or I’m checking out the rear wing as it comes racing towards me. Those are the two most obvious bits I can think of.
Clearly I’m not watching Formula 1 the way I should be.
You can read more about the report here (pdf link).
February 21st, 2008 at 6:10 pmme said:
am guessing the tub thing comes from when the driver’s sitting in the garage.
a static shot will display brand more clearly than a car flying round a corner.
February 21st, 2008 at 6:21 pmClive said:
I have always wondered how the advertisers in F1 can possibly make enough from extra sales to offset the huge amounts of money spent. Perhaps I’d better not say anymore - wouldn’t want to be the one who killed off the goose that laid the golden egg.
February 21st, 2008 at 6:44 pmme said:
i think, but have no proof, that’s cheaper than buying blocks of advertising in every country that races are broadcast in.
also, it annoys fans much less than breaking up the race mid-coverage.
the big question is… why is television advertising so expensive? especially in the age of the PVR. if tv revenue were to fall through the floor, f1 income would presumably drop with it.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:12 pmSteven Roy said:
I always thought the expensive bits of the car were the engine cover, sidepods, and the rear wing. It seems very odd that the bit in front of the steering wheel gets so much exposure. When the seasons starts it is going to register every time we see a shot of that part of a car.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:24 pmdaniel said:
agree with clive there, the question is how long they will keep paying those prices. recently though it seems the teams are trying to diversify a bit into the internet domains, as honda to connect it to the myearthdream-website, or red bull with their silverstone charity.
a bit like the buzz around http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/ some years ago.
hasnt seem to be taking off though..
February 21st, 2008 at 9:30 pmLadySnowcat said:
Surely Macca and it’s sponsors benefitted last season from spygate and pitlanegate…
Perhaps they should pay Alonso a bonus….
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:28 amAlenyaa said:
My thought exactly. Those are the spots of a car I look at.
If I were to advertise on an F1 car, it would definitely be on the rear wing or the engine cover.
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:46 amAdam said:
I’m quite surpised that Marlboro figure so highly. How many Grands Prix do you actually see the name, or the chevron-type shape on the car? They pay alot to have a series of slashes represent them on a fast moving car.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:42 amJourneyer said:
Adam, Marlboro are so high up because we know those slashes ARE Marlboro. That conscious awareness counts in and of itself.
Why is the top of the tub so high up? Two words: onboard camera.
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:01 pmme said:
ah-ha, had not considered that.
good call.
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:17 pmLee Vilenski said:
Who looks at the cars anyway. I mean, can you really read the sponsors when they’re going around at 100 MPH +. To me, if I see a ‘Vodaphone’ Sponsor, it doesn’t make me go and buy a Vodaphone Phone…
February 22nd, 2008 at 7:37 pmbrendan stallard said:
“if I see a ‘Vodaphone’ Sponsor, it doesn’t make me go and buy a Vodaphone Phone…”
Lee,
I did remove my investments from one of the banks sponsoring Alonso last year.
I wrote and told them why, and I called Alonso a scurrilous, cheating bum. The bank seemed quite offended, but I removed my money anyway.
brendan
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:57 pmSteven Roy said:
This is a whole thread on its own. I have to admit to buying things from companies because they are involved in F1 sponsorship. I don’t buy gallons of Red Bull or buy insurance policies I don’t want. But in general if I get down to two or three suppliers of something I will tend to choose the one in F1 if I can’t come up with an obvious reason not to.
Similarly I refused to buy Vodafone because they were sponsoring Ferrari, Manchester United and some other team in another sport. Can’t remember which one. It was almost like they were deliberately seeking out the teams that annoy most people in each sport. My objection was the combination of teams they supported and not one in particular.
I didn’t rush out and buy Vodafone when they left Ferrari so I don’t think I am being programmed by the sponsorship I believe I use it as a tool to make decisions.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 pmAlenyaa said:
Sponsorship works, I think that’s a given. Company’s wouldn’t pay up millions of dollars/pounds/euros if it dodin’t.
I think Steven Roy gave a pretty good answer on the question Lee raised: why on earth they do so.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 pmAlenyaa said:
We need an “Edit” button, by the way
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:04 amClive said:
I don’t know - that’s quite a cute little word, “dodin’t”. Typos can sometimes lead to very apt double takes and it’s about time they started contributing new words to the language. “Dodin’t”, for instance, could mean something close to didn’t but with an extra nuance - sort of a very definite and decisive “didn’t”, in the context given.
Oh jeez, I’m rambling again. Sorry, folks…
February 23rd, 2008 at 8:20 amLadySnowcat said:
Are we certain that the coverage quoted is all about the actual decals on the car…and not about the number of times Ron, Lewis et al used that catchy phrase Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes……
In fact Lewis never ever just says McLaren does he?…. Ron only dropped the Voda Merc bit when he was up in front of the FIA on spygate charges….
Whilst Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro isn’t used quite as much… I don’t think I’ve ever heard Kimi say anything but Ferrari…. (no rude comments about the Kimster not saying much about anything please….)
February 23rd, 2008 at 10:59 amSpotted by Wolf - 4th Edition - Story of Michael Schumacher's Retirement | F1 Wolf said:
[...] supposed to be aware of the brands that flash in front of our eyes during the Formula 1 coverage. Are we watching the F1 the way we should be [...]
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:19 pmme said:
i like it. will endeavour to fit it in the show this week.
“livin’ the dream”, right?
February 23rd, 2008 at 3:59 pmSteven Roy said:
I love that word. It could be used to add emphasis in an arguement.
You didn’t do that
I did
You dodin’t
February 24th, 2008 at 5:27 amGuru’s Weekend Giveaway - 4th Edition | Biz Gift Guru dot Com said:
[...] that can carry company brands, one of the most expensive ones would probably be a Formula 1 car. How much of a brand awareness does it create ? If you find plastering your logo on Formula 1 car too expensive, you can check how much [...]
February 24th, 2008 at 2:44 pmAlenyaa said:
Thanks for the link, F1Wolf!
February 24th, 2008 at 3:09 pmSteven Roy said:
Am I the only person who can hear Marge Simpson saying dodin’t to Bart?
February 25th, 2008 at 12:18 pmme said:
okay, so i failed miserably in my attempt to say “dodin’t” during this week’s show, but feel that the introduction of the phrase “bittle lit”, more than makes up for it.
will try harder next week.