Magazine: FMCG brands and sports: Brand building and mission (Part 1)

László Madarász
director of marketing and strategy
Pick Szeged

László Madarász, director of marketing and strategy at Pick Szeged Zrt. opines that sports marketing (sponsorship) has several advantages, because it establishes a direct connection between the supported organisation and the sponsor or its products, which can serve promotional goals and increase sales as well. PICK SZEGED Zrt.cooperates with the handball team MOL-PICK SZEGED, and this strengthens brand awareness and gives a strong handball team to the city.

Ottó Németh
managing and marketing director
Henkel Beauty Care

Ottó Németh, managing and marketing director of Henkel Beauty Care talked to us about Henkel teaming up with Dakar rally driver Balázs Szalay, and partnering with the Everest Exhibition of Dávid Klein in 2017. The company’s latest project was sponsoring the South Pole expedition of Gábor Rakonczay. In addition to these, Henkel also sponsors many sporting events organised in Hungary.

ALDI is also a dedicated supporter of sports and a healthy lifestyle in general. They are sponsoring the Women’s Running Gala for the 5th time, where there were more than 8,500 runners last year in the Népliget in Budapest. This year the event will take place on 19 May. The discount supermarket chain shapes its product selection with sport lovers in mind: they regularly sell sports equipment and clothing.

Krisztina Kozák
marketing manager
Magyarvíz

Magyarvíz Kft. not only sponsors sporting events, as the company’s workers also live an active, healthy life. Marketing manager Krisztina Kozák told: they had felt that a treasure such as their Primavera natural mineral water had to do something good for the community. On the other hand, they not only talk about sports but do it too – some employees have already run a marathon, while others have done Ironman triathlon.

Ottó Németh told: he could utilise his experiences from the world of multinational companies when he was the head of the Szalay Dakar Team. At the same time he learned a lot about the human side of sports in this job – motivation, team spirit, setting goals, etc., which he could profit from in his daily work at Henkel. When selecting which athletes and sports to sponsor, the company takes into consideration the values and messages of their global body care brand Fa. Henkel examines what kind of special story they can add to the communication of the brand with the sponsorship. Magyarvíz Kft. sponsors teams and individual athletes as well, but their focus in on mass sporting events, such as the Maratonman series or the events organised by Budapest Sports Office. In 2018 Primavera mineral water got a new, sporty look too. At the Ultrabalaton running event the brand has its own refreshing point, but it is also present with merchandising tools and products can be found in the goody bags that runners get. When sponsoring a club or athlete, the product itself also turns up at competitions, and the company name is indicated on the jersey and the press wall.

Traditions and the city of Szeged are very important for Pick Szeged Zrt., as the meat industry giant has been based in the city since 1869. Mr Madarász told how proud they are to provide the financial background for one of Hungary’s top handball teams. From a marketing perspective it is very important that the team is successfully competing in international cups too, with this popularising the name and products of Pick Szeged Zrt. in foreign countries. Players and trainers regularly participate in events organised by the company, such as the PICK Street Running Festival. The sponsorship deal also manifests at points of sale: at MOL filling stations handball player of the year Richárd Bodó advertises PICKSTICK products, which is the perfect choice when one is travelling. Henkel’s Mr Németh revealed: sponsoring extreme sports is very different from classic sponsorship deals, as partners don’t sign contracts for reaching certain target groups but for the project as a whole – the highest level of professionalism that can be expected and the effective communication campaign that accompanies the project. //