"You are much more exposed as a title sponsor"
Sponsorship IV UBS is one of Switzerland’s most successful sponsors. Christof P. Marti, Executive Director and Head of Sponsorship & Events at the major bank, discusses the joys and challenges of being a sponsor.
Sponsoring IV UBS is one of the most successful sponsors in Switzerland. Christof P. Marti, Executive Director and Head of Sponsoring & Events at the big bank, talks about the joys and sorrows of a sponsor.WW The display of your company logo at the Locarno Film Festival has often triggered a whistling concert from the cultural chic. How do you feel about this "thanks"? Christof Marti: Of course every whistle is annoying. But you have to put it into perspective. Out of 6500 people on the Piazza Grande, maybe 100 whistle. 50 whistle because they don't like our sponsorship. The other half always whistle when others whistle. That leaves 6400 who welcome our funding of the event. This shows me that cultural sponsorship has become very well established in recent years. Our commitment, which has now also been understood by the cultural scene, is that we have absolutely no influence on the content.
Are you still aware of your position of power with so much selflessness?
Indirectly, by not renewing the contract if the project is no longer right for us.
During the crisis, such control mechanisms also appear to be used in sponsoring.
more strongly.
As we see sponsorship as an equivalent means of communication, we need to be able to check whether the investment has paid off or not. This question arises with every campaign, even in traditional advertising. Ultimately, it all depends on whether you believe in the statistical laws of advertising effectiveness control or brand monitoring. It is clear that both instruments only work in combination; after all, image values are also influenced by other factors such as good media reports, the absence of scandals and crises. It is therefore almost impossible to attribute changes in image among the various target groups to the contributions of the individual tools. In addition, our activities are qualitative and not quantitative.
In any case, the response to Alinghi's victory in the America's Cup was also quantifiable. Some criticize the fact that the bank
name sponsorship - i.e. a UBS yacht - could have had even greater marketing success. How would you respond to this criticism?
What journalists from certain newspapers are now suggesting, that UBS did not want a title sponsorship because of the risk, is completely unfounded. We were never even offered title sponsorship. A similarly hypothetical question could be: Why won't Coca-Cola be the title sponsor of the Fifa World Cup? Quite simply, because such a sponsorship is not available.
What were your advantages as a main partner?
While as a title sponsor you automatically have a high but passive media presence, as a partner you are forced to take relatively more activation measures. In return, you can influence these much more strongly. In this way, we were able to establish links with UBS brand values and increase our profile abroad. I am also convinced that our message has reached its target, and more effectively than through title sponsorship.
In the neighboring countries
Title sponsorship of infrastructure services is more popular than here. Why is that?
The Swiss market is too small for that. As a title sponsor, you exclude yourself from many other properties or possibly get in the way of other sponsors. While a German stadium, for example, is used to capacity with all Bundesliga and international matches, in Switzerland such an infrastructure has to be used more diversely. So what would it look like if the organizer of Weltklasse Zürich had to hold the event in a CS Arena? As a title sponsor, you are generally exposed to a passive media presence and therefore much more exposed, which often prevents small sponsors from participating.
UBS, on the other hand, is the title sponsor
of a youth orchestra. No contradiction?
No. As co-owner of the 112-member UBS Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra, whose members travel to Valais from 35 countries, we have enjoyed a high level of acceptance as a credible partner thanks to our willingness to take risks and our help since the orchestra was founded four years ago.
Are new, comparable projects more difficult today than they were four years ago?
The market has generally become tougher. On the one hand, because know-how has increased. Companies know exactly what they want and what they don't want. Sponsorship is no longer simply the darling of the company boss. On the other hand, projects have become disproportionately more expensive, with budgets and conditions remaining the same. Additional safety measures, growing expectations of quality and ticket prices at the ceiling are just some of the reasons. This does not necessarily mean that companies are spending less. UBS focuses on a small number of projects, but supports them with all the more extensive activation measures.
One gets the impression that UBS only engages in media-rich sponsorships.
The impression is misleading. It is true that UBS only sponsors culture and sport. However, we also support the environment, social issues and education very strongly, but not from our marketing funds. Which is why we adhere to the maxim "do good, but don't talk about it". These commitments are not exploited commercially; they belong in the area of corporate responsibility.
How will UBS's sponsorship volume develop in the coming years?
This varies from region to region - depending on the business model and strategy - and depends very much on major projects and the economic situation. In general, the budget is likely to remain stable.
In recent years, there have been major shifts in the
Sponsoring portfolio of your
financial institution?
With the merger of Bankverein and Bankgesellschaft in 1998, we had to re-evaluate the excessively large portfolio and make sensible adjustments. One plus one resulted in approximately one point four, which not only made economic sense. We now periodically adjust our commitments in line with our marketing and business objectives and terminate them when their life curve declines. A few, such as Weltklasse Zürich, Art Basel, the Spengler Cup or the Locarno Film Festival, have been at the top of the sponsorship life curve for over ten years in some cases.
And where does Alinghi stand on this life cycle for UBS?
The contract with Team Alinghi for the America's Cup 02/03 expires at the end of the year. We are currently negotiating what a continuation might look like, which we would like, but not at any price. After all, "Operation Two" is now completely different: Alinghi is now a defender and no longer sails in the Louis Vuitton Cup. In the best-case scenario, Alinghi will now compete in five regattas. The question now is what "replacement value" Alinghi can offer us.
After all, the venue is coming to Europe.
Yes, unlike Auckland, we would practically be present in our core market. The whole hospitality part would take on a completely different meaning.
With Alinghi, UBS also gained worldwide media presence.
Luca Aloisi
Are you still aware of your position of power with so much selflessness?
Indirectly, by not renewing the contract if the project is no longer right for us.
During the crisis, such control mechanisms also appear to be used in sponsoring.
more strongly.
As we see sponsorship as an equivalent means of communication, we need to be able to check whether the investment has paid off or not. This question arises with every campaign, even in traditional advertising. Ultimately, it all depends on whether you believe in the statistical laws of advertising effectiveness control or brand monitoring. It is clear that both instruments only work in combination; after all, image values are also influenced by other factors such as good media reports, the absence of scandals and crises. It is therefore almost impossible to attribute changes in image among the various target groups to the contributions of the individual tools. In addition, our activities are qualitative and not quantitative.
In any case, the response to Alinghi's victory in the America's Cup was also quantifiable. Some criticize the fact that the bank
name sponsorship - i.e. a UBS yacht - could have had even greater marketing success. How would you respond to this criticism?
What journalists from certain newspapers are now suggesting, that UBS did not want a title sponsorship because of the risk, is completely unfounded. We were never even offered title sponsorship. A similarly hypothetical question could be: Why won't Coca-Cola be the title sponsor of the Fifa World Cup? Quite simply, because such a sponsorship is not available.
What were your advantages as a main partner?
While as a title sponsor you automatically have a high but passive media presence, as a partner you are forced to take relatively more activation measures. In return, you can influence these much more strongly. In this way, we were able to establish links with UBS brand values and increase our profile abroad. I am also convinced that our message has reached its target, and more effectively than through title sponsorship.
In the neighboring countries
Title sponsorship of infrastructure services is more popular than here. Why is that?
The Swiss market is too small for that. As a title sponsor, you exclude yourself from many other properties or possibly get in the way of other sponsors. While a German stadium, for example, is used to capacity with all Bundesliga and international matches, in Switzerland such an infrastructure has to be used more diversely. So what would it look like if the organizer of Weltklasse Zürich had to hold the event in a CS Arena? As a title sponsor, you are generally exposed to a passive media presence and therefore much more exposed, which often prevents small sponsors from participating.
UBS, on the other hand, is the title sponsor
of a youth orchestra. No contradiction?
No. As co-owner of the 112-member UBS Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra, whose members travel to Valais from 35 countries, we have enjoyed a high level of acceptance as a credible partner thanks to our willingness to take risks and our help since the orchestra was founded four years ago.
Are new, comparable projects more difficult today than they were four years ago?
The market has generally become tougher. On the one hand, because know-how has increased. Companies know exactly what they want and what they don't want. Sponsorship is no longer simply the darling of the company boss. On the other hand, projects have become disproportionately more expensive, with budgets and conditions remaining the same. Additional safety measures, growing expectations of quality and ticket prices at the ceiling are just some of the reasons. This does not necessarily mean that companies are spending less. UBS focuses on a small number of projects, but supports them with all the more extensive activation measures.
One gets the impression that UBS only engages in media-rich sponsorships.
The impression is misleading. It is true that UBS only sponsors culture and sport. However, we also support the environment, social issues and education very strongly, but not from our marketing funds. Which is why we adhere to the maxim "do good, but don't talk about it". These commitments are not exploited commercially; they belong in the area of corporate responsibility.
How will UBS's sponsorship volume develop in the coming years?
This varies from region to region - depending on the business model and strategy - and depends very much on major projects and the economic situation. In general, the budget is likely to remain stable.
In recent years, there have been major shifts in the
Sponsoring portfolio of your
financial institution?
With the merger of Bankverein and Bankgesellschaft in 1998, we had to re-evaluate the excessively large portfolio and make sensible adjustments. One plus one resulted in approximately one point four, which not only made economic sense. We now periodically adjust our commitments in line with our marketing and business objectives and terminate them when their life curve declines. A few, such as Weltklasse Zürich, Art Basel, the Spengler Cup or the Locarno Film Festival, have been at the top of the sponsorship life curve for over ten years in some cases.
And where does Alinghi stand on this life cycle for UBS?
The contract with Team Alinghi for the America's Cup 02/03 expires at the end of the year. We are currently negotiating what a continuation might look like, which we would like, but not at any price. After all, "Operation Two" is now completely different: Alinghi is now a defender and no longer sails in the Louis Vuitton Cup. In the best-case scenario, Alinghi will now compete in five regattas. The question now is what "replacement value" Alinghi can offer us.
After all, the venue is coming to Europe.
Yes, unlike Auckland, we would practically be present in our core market. The whole hospitality part would take on a completely different meaning.
With Alinghi, UBS also gained worldwide media presence.
Luca Aloisi
