Spectacle, culture and biopower
Sponsorship II Despite costly Expo.02 appearances and an economic downturn, Migros and Coop continue to step up their sponsorship activities and are establishing a strong, distinctive presence in the areas of culture and the environment.
Sponsoring II Despite costly Expo.02 appearances and the economic downturn, Migros and Coop continue to intensify their sponsoring activities and show a strong independent profile in the areas of culture and the environment. But the combination of commercial success and social commitment sought by Migros founder Gottlieb Duttweiler is still considered "state of the art" according to today's understanding of sponsorship. When he witnessed the founding of the Migros Club Schools in 1962, the last year of his life, terms such as image transfer and brand value were still unknown in this country. Nevertheless, the sustainability and continuity of Migros' socio-cultural commitment is unique, even by international standards. Migros spent a whopping CHF 123 million on its Culture Percentage in 2002. That is around twice as much as UBS is likely to have invested in its highly resonant Alinghi sponsorship. Perhaps a performance review, to which sponsoring activities are increasingly subject, would conclude that UBS had invested its money more efficiently because it was able to transfer a good deal of the Alinghi goodwill to its brand.
The problem with the Migros Culture Percentage is that it has become an institution. Many Swiss people now take it for granted like the Matterhorn or the Swiss Federal Railways. The result is a certain distance from the Migros brand. In other words, although the Culture Percentage strengthens the Migros brand, it is not necessarily relevant to sales. Migros is aware of the problem and therefore strictly separates its activities into sponsorship and the Culture Percentage in organizational terms.
Investment in eco-competence
Coop can shape its commitment more freely and without regard to the visions of its founders. Nevertheless, the up-and-coming and increasingly self-confident number 2 in the Swiss retail trade seems determined not to leave the image-enhancing field of socio-cultural commitment to its main competitor alone. The close linking of sponsoring activities with the increasingly ecologically oriented competence of the Coop brand appears to be an extremely clever move. In recent years, this brand has clearly established itself as the driving force behind the booming organic market in Switzerland. With a bundle of sponsoring initiatives, Coop is currently trying to consolidate its leading role in the areas of ecology and fair trade.
Over the past ten years, the retail group, together with Remei AG
In central India, we established the organic cotton project with the highest international turnover. Further agricultural projects in developing countries are supported in cooperation with the Max Havelaar Foundation. And just in time for the 10th anniversary of Coop-Naturaplan, the Naturaplan Fund was set up in spring 2003. Between 2003 and 2012, this fund will spend ten million francs a year - in addition to the existing benefits - to promote sustainable projects in the areas of nature, the environment and fair trade. The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick will receive a considerable portion of the money. With an annual financial injection of one million Swiss francs, the institute aims to establish itself as a world-leading research and innovation center by 2012. Other substantial contributions from the newly created fund went to the Swiss National Park, Bio Suisse and the Pro Specie Rara Foundation.
Both Migros and Coop invested enormous sums in their appearances at Expo.02 last year. With a contribution of around 18 million Swiss francs for the "Strangers in Paradise" project (a journey through the cultural diversity of Switzerland), Migros made a major contribution to the Expo.02.
of the most comprehensive Expo.02 sponsorships ever. Coop was present with the giant walk-in pudding "Manna", a reflection on the theme of food and drink.
Despite these efforts, Migros and Coop did not reduce their sponsorship activities in 2003. On the contrary, the sponsorship budgets were even increased slightly. Both major distributors pursue their more socially motivated commitment (Migros Culture Percentage, Coop Naturaplan Fund) completely independently of traditional sponsorship. There is a clear trend towards popular events in the areas of mass sports (Migros sponsors skiing and running, Coop sponsors swimming and running) and entertainment (open-air cinema, rock concerts, musicals, pop festivals). It only makes sense to promote such events with a "majority appeal" via the wide-ranging communication channels (e.g. the in-house print media such as Brückenbauer or the Coop newspaper) and, for example, to offer customers discounted tickets.
Sophisticated insider events
Increasingly, events for an insider audience, such as an avant-garde jazz concert or an author's reading, do not fit into this grid. It is also increasingly important that the selected sponsorship projects can be combined with other marketing activities. For example, Coop was the main sponsor of the Engadine Ski Marathon with a 50-strong team on site, organized a wheel of fortune game in the "Marathon Village", distributed 13,500 organic bread rolls to the runners and ran a VIP tent in the finish area.
Migros has a similar presence at the Grand Prix Migros. Thanks to this commitment, the talent factory of the Swiss skiing nation, where Pirmin Zurbriggen and Michael von Grünigen celebrated their first successes, is on the upswing again. Both major distributors are supplementing their commitment to popular sports with a pinch of "fun" and trend sports. Migros does this as the main sponsor of the "Monday Night Skate" in six German-speaking Swiss cities and the "Swiss Inline Cup" (SIC), the world's most important inline skating tour. Coop is involved in the beach volleyball scene with the Coop Beach Tour (in seven Swiss cities), a Junior Beach Tour and a tournament for top international teams (Worldtour Gstaad).
Sponsoring open-air events is very popular with Migros and Coop: brand logos can be prominently displayed.
Where the money goes Migros
- Classic sponsoring
50 % Sport (Alpine Ski Junior Grand Prix, running,
inline skating)
50 % popular culture (pop festivals, open-air cinema)
- Culture Percentage (expenditure in 2002: 123 million francs)
50 % Club schools
20 % Culture
10 % Leisure and sport
10 % Eurocenters
10 % Miscellaneous
Coop - Classic sponsoring
50 % Sport (running, swimming, beach volleyball)
30 % Culture (open-air cinema, Cirque du Soleil)
10 % Social, environmental ("The Cotton Campaign")
10 % Miscellaneous
- Coop Naturaplan Fund (around CHF 10 million annually from 2003) 100 % sustainable projects in the areas of ecology, fair trade, etc.
Thomas Vaterlaus
The problem with the Migros Culture Percentage is that it has become an institution. Many Swiss people now take it for granted like the Matterhorn or the Swiss Federal Railways. The result is a certain distance from the Migros brand. In other words, although the Culture Percentage strengthens the Migros brand, it is not necessarily relevant to sales. Migros is aware of the problem and therefore strictly separates its activities into sponsorship and the Culture Percentage in organizational terms.
Investment in eco-competence
Coop can shape its commitment more freely and without regard to the visions of its founders. Nevertheless, the up-and-coming and increasingly self-confident number 2 in the Swiss retail trade seems determined not to leave the image-enhancing field of socio-cultural commitment to its main competitor alone. The close linking of sponsoring activities with the increasingly ecologically oriented competence of the Coop brand appears to be an extremely clever move. In recent years, this brand has clearly established itself as the driving force behind the booming organic market in Switzerland. With a bundle of sponsoring initiatives, Coop is currently trying to consolidate its leading role in the areas of ecology and fair trade.
Over the past ten years, the retail group, together with Remei AG
In central India, we established the organic cotton project with the highest international turnover. Further agricultural projects in developing countries are supported in cooperation with the Max Havelaar Foundation. And just in time for the 10th anniversary of Coop-Naturaplan, the Naturaplan Fund was set up in spring 2003. Between 2003 and 2012, this fund will spend ten million francs a year - in addition to the existing benefits - to promote sustainable projects in the areas of nature, the environment and fair trade. The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick will receive a considerable portion of the money. With an annual financial injection of one million Swiss francs, the institute aims to establish itself as a world-leading research and innovation center by 2012. Other substantial contributions from the newly created fund went to the Swiss National Park, Bio Suisse and the Pro Specie Rara Foundation.
Both Migros and Coop invested enormous sums in their appearances at Expo.02 last year. With a contribution of around 18 million Swiss francs for the "Strangers in Paradise" project (a journey through the cultural diversity of Switzerland), Migros made a major contribution to the Expo.02.
of the most comprehensive Expo.02 sponsorships ever. Coop was present with the giant walk-in pudding "Manna", a reflection on the theme of food and drink.
Despite these efforts, Migros and Coop did not reduce their sponsorship activities in 2003. On the contrary, the sponsorship budgets were even increased slightly. Both major distributors pursue their more socially motivated commitment (Migros Culture Percentage, Coop Naturaplan Fund) completely independently of traditional sponsorship. There is a clear trend towards popular events in the areas of mass sports (Migros sponsors skiing and running, Coop sponsors swimming and running) and entertainment (open-air cinema, rock concerts, musicals, pop festivals). It only makes sense to promote such events with a "majority appeal" via the wide-ranging communication channels (e.g. the in-house print media such as Brückenbauer or the Coop newspaper) and, for example, to offer customers discounted tickets.
Sophisticated insider events
Increasingly, events for an insider audience, such as an avant-garde jazz concert or an author's reading, do not fit into this grid. It is also increasingly important that the selected sponsorship projects can be combined with other marketing activities. For example, Coop was the main sponsor of the Engadine Ski Marathon with a 50-strong team on site, organized a wheel of fortune game in the "Marathon Village", distributed 13,500 organic bread rolls to the runners and ran a VIP tent in the finish area.
Migros has a similar presence at the Grand Prix Migros. Thanks to this commitment, the talent factory of the Swiss skiing nation, where Pirmin Zurbriggen and Michael von Grünigen celebrated their first successes, is on the upswing again. Both major distributors are supplementing their commitment to popular sports with a pinch of "fun" and trend sports. Migros does this as the main sponsor of the "Monday Night Skate" in six German-speaking Swiss cities and the "Swiss Inline Cup" (SIC), the world's most important inline skating tour. Coop is involved in the beach volleyball scene with the Coop Beach Tour (in seven Swiss cities), a Junior Beach Tour and a tournament for top international teams (Worldtour Gstaad).
Sponsoring open-air events is very popular with Migros and Coop: brand logos can be prominently displayed.
Where the money goes Migros
- Classic sponsoring
50 % Sport (Alpine Ski Junior Grand Prix, running,
inline skating)
50 % popular culture (pop festivals, open-air cinema)
- Culture Percentage (expenditure in 2002: 123 million francs)
50 % Club schools
20 % Culture
10 % Leisure and sport
10 % Eurocenters
10 % Miscellaneous
Coop - Classic sponsoring
50 % Sport (running, swimming, beach volleyball)
30 % Culture (open-air cinema, Cirque du Soleil)
10 % Social, environmental ("The Cotton Campaign")
10 % Miscellaneous
- Coop Naturaplan Fund (around CHF 10 million annually from 2003) 100 % sustainable projects in the areas of ecology, fair trade, etc.
Thomas Vaterlaus
