ANTENNAETREND REPORT

MAY 2010

NO40

SPORTS CULTURE

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MAY ANTENNAE

This issue explores the world of sport, uncovering new innovations that expand the reach of sport into new markets, shifts in sports cultures, and crossovers from the pinnacle of sport into our daily lives.

SPORTS CULTURE

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CONTENTS

FOCUS

08 Energizing Sports The continued growth of energy drinks

has been highlighted as one of the success stories over the last year, despite the recent recession

FEATURES

16 It’s a Woman’s World Sports nutrition target

the new market - women

24 Race for Innovation Filtering down technology

from the sporting elite

32 A Spectators Sport The future of sports broadcasting

38 Social Media & Sport Encouraging participation

through networking

SPOTLIGHTS

14 Chanel Sports Collection 22 Nike Football Shirts 28 Puma’s Clever Little Bag

36 Wenlock and Manderville

42 Nike Store, Tokyo

44 World Cup South Africa

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14

24

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The growth in active lifestyles is providing brands with new markets – seeking out these opportunities and identifying consumer needs will be key to growing new product offerings

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Thecontinuedgrowthofenergydrinkshasbeenhighlightedasoneofthesuccessstoriesoverthelastyear,despitetherecentrecession.

Consumers don’t regard sports and energy drinks as luxury purchases, but as necessities to help them maintain their lifestyle. So even during a tough economic climate the products still remain relevant to consumers’ daily lives and as a result the category continues to thrive and the products continue to demand a premium price.

The market for functional drinks has expanded rapidly in recent years and is gaining momentum as consumers become more concerned with what they eat and drink, and as fresh research is produced that supplies the need for new, technically advanced drinks.

In addition, the sports and energy drinks market has benefited from the increased consumer interest in health, fitness and wellbeing. This trend is set to continue with high profile media campaigns and government initiatives in the UK focusing on this area in order to encourage more active lifestyles. A trend assisting growth in this market, is the membership of health and fitness

EnErgizing sportsENERgETiC LifESTYLES ANd ENERgY dRiNkS

clubs in the UK which is set to double the 2002 level by 2012, creating a growing market for these products.

The sports nutrition drinks market has morphed from a niche segment that only concerns a small number of serious exercisers, to a much more generalized market where anyone who exercises or wants to lead a more healthy lifestyle is a potential customer.

Sports and energy drinks are now massive markets – last year in the UK, sales of both Lucozade Sport and Lucozade Energy outstripped sales of Pepsi Cola or Pepsi-Max (according to Nielson). Within the sports nutrition category we are witnessing a diversification of portfolios as brands attempt to increase consumption. Whereas other drinks have been aimed at before and during sport, the after-sports sector is a fast growing market as athletes, sportsmen and women, and casual exercisers begin to understand the added benefits that a ‘recovery’ drink has to their fitness.

Improved recovery time helps muscles adapt faster to training and increase strength and endurance. As well as building bigger, stronger muscles, fat loss is also accelerated, giving improved body composition.

Consumers don’t regard sports and energy drinks as luxury purchases, but as necessities to help them maintain their lifestyle

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Left:Neuro Drinks from Los Angeles

www.drinkneuro.com

Below:Aviara’s 24 nutritional drinks that help you face the day and unwind at night

www.aviaralife.com

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The after-sports market is not the only opportunity being presented to sports drinks brands, and it is not the only sector where there is a drive towards healthier alternatives. There is a growing desire for natural and ‘healthy’ energy drinks among non-sports drink consumers who have been deterred by the scientific nature of the products. Furthermore, casual exercisers have been dissuaded by the high calorie and sugar contents.

Designed to sustain and enhance active lives, Neuro Drinks are made from natural ingredients without the sugar or caffeine found in other energy drinks. They sell several variants designed to meet the varying needs of active consumers 24/7. Appealing to the savvy customer looking for a sophisticated and functional drink, Neuro Drinks offer “different benefits to the mind, body, and spirit”. NeuroSport is designed to replenish the body during and after exercise helping improve endurance and increase fitness levels, while NeuroTrim is designed to promote weight loss, aiding in burning fat and increasing satiety.

To meet this gap in the market and help address the sports performance needs of more athletes, Gatorade recently expanded their product line for before, during, and after sport with Gatorade Prime 01, Perform 02, and Recover 03. Previously only available to athletes at specialized training facilities, it went on sale in GNC stores in the US this month.

However, in terms of rehydration and reducing muscle damage induced by exercise, milk has been shown to be more beneficial than specially formulated sports drinks. This year there has been a drive from dairy manufacturers and brands to highlight the natural benefits of milk over isotonic drinks.

There are now a number of flavored milk drinks enriched with vitamins and minerals, such as Mars Refuel, For Goodness Shakes, and Sport Shake, that are also targeting the ‘recovery’ sector of the sports drink market. Whole grain cereal and milk could even be the next sports supplement given the right messaging.

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The sports nutrition drinks market has morphed from a niche segment that only concerns a small number of serious exercisers, to a much more generalized market where anyone who exercises or wants to lead a more healthy lifestyle is a potential customer

Left:Gatorade drinks for before, during and after sport

www.gatorade.com

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Marathon. One bag is designed to be consumed during a 30 minute run to help keep fuel levels topped up.

The jelly beans join the growing market of ‘sports confectionary’ competing with PowerBar, one of the world’s leading sports nutrition brands, who released Ride Shots last year. These energy chews provide quick energy in a resealable pouch for easy consumption on-the-go.

Despite the increased growth of the market, only a third of the British population actually consumes sports and energy drinks. There has been a failure to grow penetration, and has instead succeeded by increasing frequency of consumption amongst existing consumers with new products that meet the needs of different occasions.

As well as promoting increased uptake by core consumers there is potential to grow the market size by targeting non-consumers. Extending appeal beyond the functional role could help these drinks appeal to more consumers. At the

In addition NeuroSonic increases high level mental functioning: better memory, alertness and concentration helping to meet the demands of today’s high stress living, whereas NeuroBliss promotes happiness and eliminates stress without affecting energy levels.

Lucozade, the UK’s number one sports drink brand, found that many people who were exercising did not purchase their product because of the calorie content. As a result of this insight they have launched a light version that contains just 50 calories. It meets a gap in the market where traditional sports drinks are viewed as for ‘serious’ athletes, and are only recommended for intense activities. Lucozade believe this introduction will drive millions of pounds of incremental category sales this year.

In addition to expanding their product line, Lucozade have diversified their portfolio with new ways to consume energy. Lucozade Sports Jelly Beans went on sale last month, and proved to be very popular with participants during the London

The sports and energy drinks market

is reported to be worth over £1bn (Datamonitor)

In 2009, 525 million litres of sports and energy drinks were consumed (Mintel)

The energy drinks market has grown

by more than 20% over the past five years and similar growth has been projected over the next three years (Datamonitor)

Lucozade made £382 million sales in 2008 (Nielson)

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centre of this target should be females, who only make up a small number of current consumers, but are the largest growing segment in the sports market with increasing participation. This, paralleled with the shortage of healthy and natural alternatives for the casual athlete, presents large opportunities for sports and nutrition brands to grow the size of the market. Additionally, general consumers looking for healthier alternatives to traditional soft drinks offer huge market potential.

As well as promoting increased uptake by core consumers there is potential to grow the market size by targeting non-consumers

All:Lucozade’s new Lite version sports drink and Body Fuel jelly beans

www.lucozade.com

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www.chanel.com

At the end of last year Chanel launched their 2010 Sports Collection.

The collection comprises a wide range of items synonymous with sports, including everything from branded snowboards, surfboards, basketballs, and even a boomerang.

For the affluent among us, the luxury brand now offers everything needed to compete in style. The designs are stylish and simple, managing to showcase the brand’s simple and uncomplicated, yet elegant design mentality.

Chanel have a long history of developing outdoor leisurewear for chic women, and their recent move into sports equipment is a logical step. However, their credibility in the more extreme sports equipment markets seems like a stretch too far, as there is little association between their core market and the participants of these activities, other than skiing. They may well be reaching out to new consumers – but they risk alienating their existing market.

Chanel sports Collection

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Thesportsnutritionmarketiscurrentlyestimatedtobeworth$27-32bnglobally–andyetwomenspecificproductsareonlyatinypartofit.

Despite a rise in women participating in sport and exercise, very little in the way of sport nutrition products are being targeted at them. However, this could soon change as global drinks brands seek to stretch and broaden their product lines and appeal to increasingly diverse consumer needs.

The sports nutrition market used to be dominated by products that were all for bulking up and enhancing performance – dominated by masculine product lines and sports, such as bodybuilding and contact sports. Now these brands are looking to diversify their product lines to appeal to a broader, mass market. An increasingly wider range of consumer sports and lifestyle needs, has led some brands to focus on the female market – seeing it as an untapped source of revenue, with the possibility of strong year-on-year growth. Women are one of the fastest growing consumer sectors in sporting events – female membership in US triathlon races has grown from 11% in the early 1990’s

it’s a woman’s worldSPORT NUTRiTiON bRANdS TARgET ThE NEw MARkET - wOMEN

to around 29% now (according to USA Triathlon)Current offerings include low calorie, fitness waters such as Glaceau’s Vitamin Water. Aimed at the gym going female, these products are clinical in nature – with design cues more familiar with cosmetics than traditional beverage brands.

Other brands have taken a similar approach; creating products that are female in nature but still maintain a level of unisex appeal. However, one of the largest sports nutrition brands in the UK, has taken the step to enter the female market with a dedicated line of products. Maxitone is a women-specific product range, aimed at supporting weight loss, body toning and the maintenance of a healthy body alongside regular exercise and a healthy diet. Combined with a slick advertising campaign, Maxitone runs with the tagline ‘Whatever Your Ambition’, highlighting not only the universally beneficial nature of its product, but also the diversity of its new range. Using a variety of formats, such as shakes, cereal bars and capsules, Maxitone aims to appeal to women who want to lose weight, as well as those who want a supplement to aid in their everyday exercise or training.

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An increasingly wider range of consumer sports and lifestyles needs has led some brands to focus on the female market – seeing it as an untapped source of revenue, with the possibility of strong year-on-year growth

The sports nutrition market is currently estimated to be worth

$27-32bn globally(Opportunities and Key Players in Sports Nutrition: Emerging ingredients, key trends and market forecasts)

Maximuscle has a 32% share of the UK Sports nutrition market(marketingweek.co.uk)

8.7 million of UK women currently hold a gym membership or have held one in the past year.(telegraph.co.uk)

Left:Women are leading more active lifestyles – becoming an increasingly attractive market for sports nutrition brands

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Women are also more likely to engage with supplements to their diet, and so Maximuscle is attempting to tap into that routine. In a similar way to the men’s products, Maxitone also leverages the clinical expertise of the brand on the pack with substantiated product claims. This is vital in appealing to the female consumer, who will be highly skeptical of excessive and far-reaching claims, preferring instead to turn to expertise and transparency.

We should expect a steady increase in the women’s sport nutrition market, as major global food and drink brands seek new opportunities to diversify their products and marketing. An increasingly wider range of consumer sports, activities and lifestyle needs will provide these brands with new markets and new needs. Women will be integral to this, as their changing lifestyles and more specific nutritional needs demand more dedicated product lines.

This is a bold step for a brand not closely associated with the weight loss market, which is dominated by big brands like Slim-Fast and WeightWatchers. The brand equity of the Maxitone range is based around helping women achieve their ambition, whether it be weight loss, a better physique or a faster lap time in the pool. This creates a flexible position in the market for the brand, enhancing their credentials as a product that will help empower women, whatever their goals.

According to MarketingWeek, Maximuscle has a 32% share of the UK Sports nutrition market, focused mainly around its more masculine, performance-enhancing products that are promoted by well-known sports stars. However, this is a strong statement of intent from the brand to extend their appeal into new areas, leveraging its credentials as an established high quality manufacturer to gain female consumers. Maximuscle have realized that a strong and trusted brand is vital in appealing to the women’s market, which is becoming increasingly brand loyal.

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Combined with a slick advertising campaign, Maxitone runs with the tagline ‘Whatever Your Ambition’, highlighting not only the universally beneficial nature of its product, but also the diversity of its new range

Above left:Various drink brands have targeted active women with ‘cosmetic’ offerings – such as vitamin waters

Above right:Maxitone is a new sports nutrition range from Maximuscle – targeted solely at active women

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Stretching the boundaries of a brand through research and innovation can help companies either deliver new offerings, or reinvent their current ones to suit changing consumer needs

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www.nike.com

At this summer’s World Cup a number of teams, including Brazil, will take to the field wearing shirts made of recycled plastic bottles. The Nike shirts, made from 100% recycled polyester, are made with up to eight plastic bottles each. This move is expected to save 13 million plastic bottles going to landfill this year alone, and will save 30% of the energy used in production.

The delivery mechanism is also a great use of packaging design. Each t-shirt being released at the press-launch was housed in a plastic bottle that helped drive home the story behind the product.

The national team kits represent a new phase for Nike as they aim to make all their products more sustainable.

nike Football kits

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Technologiesdevelopedatthepinnacleofsportshavebeenfilteringdownintotheproductsthatweuseeveryday.NowhereisthismorevisiblethanthetechnologicalrelationshipbetweenFormulaOneandroadcars.

Following on from innovations such as semi-automatic gearboxes, smaller capacity turbo engines with integrated energy recovery systems are being proposed for Formula One from 2013. This change is likely to shift our expectations that a high-performance car requires a big-capacity engine, and in turn result in us driving road cars with smaller and more efficient engines.

While advances made in Formula One tend to filter down to the cars we drive, motor racing has benefited a varied range of unrelated industries. In today’s world, Formula One has a similar influence on society to that the space industry had a few decades ago.

The outcome is not only a formidable presence on the grand prix track, but a stream of products and innovations that spin out into the world

raCE For innovationfiLTERiNg dOwN TEChNOLOgY fROM ThE SPORTiNg ELiTE

around us, improving our quality of life.Earlier this year London’s Science Museum demonstrated how Formula One has influenced and benefited many innovations in everyday life. The exhibition, titled Fast Forward: 20 ways F1 is changing our world, showed numerous innovations ranging from light yet strong protective clothing worn by the British Army, to helping anglers catch more fish.

Ron Dennis, Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group, is quoted as saying “This incredible engineering asset is available to other fields of research and innovation to the benefit many people in their everyday lives”.

One of the most seemingly mundane innovations to come out of Formula One technology are the Guardian anti-slip wellington boots, which utilizes an anti-slip sole based upon the compounds and tread patterns used in Formula One tyres. The new design greatly reduces the risk of accidents for those who have to work in slippery conditions.

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A stream of products and innovations that spin out into the world around us, improving our quality of life

Above:The Factor 001 bicycle

www.factor001.com

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on the handle-bars, displays biometric data, such as the heart rate of the rider and analysis related to the speed and road conditions. Like in Formula One this helps improve their performance.

Also exploiting the developments of telemetry made in motorsports McLaren have been working in partnership with UK Sport since last year to see how live telemetry could improve the results of Great Britain’s cyclists, canoeists, sailors and rowers. This work is also being shifted into everyday healthcare issues, such as tracking the heart rate of a patient recovering from a heart attack. A patient could be released from hospital but still be monitored by their clinicians wirelessly, by employing sensors the size of sticking plasters that are currently being used to monitor the conditions of the McLaren drivers, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, during a race.

NHS Surrey expect to be using this new technology by the end of the year. Maitland Hyslop, the director of market management and development at NHS Surrey, said: “If we can use

Borrowing principles used in hydraulic dampers and lightweight construction, McLaren Applied Technologies, the arm of McLaren set up to exploit technical advances made in the team’s quest for success on the track, developed a leg brace for the US Marines that minimizes the impact of repeated shocks to the legs suffered travelling at sea. The leg brace is also expected to aid the healing of patients after knee surgery.

Another revolutionary design incorporating a host of innovations seen in Formula One is the Trekinetic wheelchair. This design utilizes a carbon-fiber seat fitted to a monocoque frame resulting in a strong, but light wheelchair that is particularly suited for use on rough surfaces.

At the top-end of design, looking more like something you would expect to see from Formula One engineers, is the Factor 001 bicycle. Borrowing the expertise in telemetry from Formula One riders and coaches can collect and analyze laboratory data in real-world environments. The LCD touch-screen, positioned

Ron dennis, Chairman and CEO of the McLaren group, is quoted as saying “This incredible engineering asset is available to other fields of research and innovation to the benefit many people in their everyday lives”

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the sensors in this way, we can anticipate a lot of our patients’ requirements and give them better and more individual care. We would have a better way of looking after people and save a lot of money. It’s a win-win situation.”

Technologies being developed in elite sporting environments are important for everyday lives, helping to make our lives easier, simpler and in some cases safer.

Companies should look at how investing in R&D not only greatly benefits their core business, but how the innovations developed can be utilized in other categories, helping develop diverse revenue streams.

Far left:Guardian anti-slip wellington boots

Near left:The Trekinetic wheelchair

www.trekinetic.co.uk

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vision.puma.com

In line with their mission statement to be ‘the most desirable and sustainable sports lifestyle brand’, Puma have revisited the design of the humble shoebox and developed a reusable bag which uses 65% less paper. They claim this move will save 8,500 tonnes of paper each year. The lightweighted pack will also save on transportation costs, and the design replaces plastic carrier bags given out at the checkout, potentially saving almost 275 tons of plastic.

The bag, made from sustainable cotton, fits the structure of just a single sheet of cardboard, and will go on the market in 2011.

The packaging stands out from competitors and the designer Yves Béhar is quoted as saying “Packaging for me is very strategic. Sustainability is often seen as a place where products get stuck, but for me it was a great opportunity. It takes courage for a firm like Puma to reinvent itself, reinvent things that, initially, the consumer doesn’t even see or realize is there.”

puma’s Clever little Bag

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Brands should engage and connect with consumers across multiple touchpoints – it gives consumers the opportunity to feel closer to the brand and its values, as well as aligning the brand with current consumer trends. It can encourage consumers to participate and interact with the brand further, and more regularly in the future – providing valuable data that can be used to innovate product lines and the consumer experience

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a spECtator’s sportThE fUTURE Of SPORTS bROAdCASTiNg

Watchingsportingeventsonthetelevisionissomethingengrainedinourculture–thisyear’ssuperbowlbecamethemostwatchedTVshowinUShistory,with106.5millionpeoplewatchingitontheAmericannetworkCBS(Reuters).Thissummer’sFIFAWorldCuplookssettobreakpreviousviewingfigurestoo,asthepopularityofthesportincreasesinAfricaandAsia.

But we could soon see a change in how these events are watched – the technological advances in broadcasting, and an in increasing consumer need for information whenever and wherever, have started to diversify the outlets.

The growing availability of high-speed broadband globally has encouraged many broadcasters to move sporting events online. The last World Cup qualifying match by England was broadcast solely online – over 500,000 people paid a small subscription fee to watch the game live. Although seen as a minor success, other sports and networks have succeeded pulling consumers away from the TV and onto online broadcasts. This is a major shift in viewing behavior, and of intense interest to both broadcasting corporations and advertisers. The increase in the users of the BBC iPlayer for example, has partly been attributed to its coverage of popular sporting events, such as Formula One. A recent study by Unicast found that 44% of US consumers who wanted to keep up with the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) basketball tournament this year, would do so via video streaming on sport sites like ESPN.com

and Yahoo!Sports. However, just as interesting was that the same study found over 10% of the people asked would watch the games via mobile devices.

The advancement in mobile technology, as well as the size and quality of the screens, has meant consumers are increasingly comfortable with watching video content on-the-go – particularly sport. The rising prevalence of high-speed networks and wi-fi has made streaming live video to mobile devices easier and of a higher quality.

Broadcasters are also building their online portals and live content for mobile devices, aiming to gain the lucrative revenue gained through highly targeted advertising. We should expect this year’s soccer World Cup to be the first major sporting event that fully utilizes mobile technology – could this year’s tournament be the most watched on-the-go event in history?

The biggest leap in technology that will be in evidence at this years FIFA World Cup, will be 3D

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The growing availability of high-speed broadband globally has encouraged many broadcasters to move sporting events online

television. Sony, in conjunction with FIFA, will be filming 25 of the tournament’s matches in 3D for various networks in the US, Europe and Australia. Sports or live news broadcasts are a good commercial fit for 3D, since the networks don’t have to commit to retrofitting syndicated shows to work with the technology. A live sports or news network can deploy its own equipment to events if necessary, vastly reducing the need for them to wait for studios to adopt the technology. In the UK, Sky is promoting its 3D service through its coverage of sporting events, such as its Sky 3D pub service – allowing you to check the location of your nearest pub that uses the technology. The service is advertised as giving you a more atmospheric experience, bringing you closer to the action and the feeling of actually being in the stadium.

However, the 3D TV market is in its infancy with few brands releasing models to date – LG will enter the market this month, with Panasonic and Sony releasing their own products in June. As with all new and emerging technologies, the

Left:3D screenings of sports games are now available in pubs

Below:The streaming of live sporting events has increased usage of online services like the BBC iPlayer

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retail prices will also be quite high. The technology also suffers from the stigma of having to use glasses or goggles, seen as an inconvenience by many consumers. 3D TV will find a limited audience at this years FIFA World Cup, but we should expect that to grow in size as the technology becomes more accessible to consumers, with a higher level of content and lower equipment prices. Perhaps the 2012 Olympics in London will prove to be the major turning point in 3D TV becoming the standard for sporting events.

Despite being relatively new to market, a successor to 3D TV is already being developed. As part of their bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Japan emphasized their technological prowess as a key benefit to the competition. Among some of the more hi-tech projects proposed by the bid is one to broadcast the tournament using 200 high-definition cameras that would not only capture the movement of the ball but also the players from all angles in an attempt to crate the ultimate 3D experience, that puts the viewer in the middle

of the action. This 3D vision system would allow viewers to see games in 3D on large flat screens without the need for glasses – a major consumer pain point with the current technology.

The future of broadcasting sporting events will be about diversification and added value – consumers no longer expect just a color picture and good sound. They want high definition; to feel part of the crowd, feel closer to the action than ever before. They want access to live games on their TV, laptop, phone and games consoles. Whenever and wherever they are. Advancements in visual technology will provide this, but it must be combined with a strong and competitive infrastructure that provides value and content – it is providing consumers with a suitable platform to access this new information that will be the biggest area of opportunity for brands.

Right:Sony plan to film 25 matches at this years World Cup in 3D

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The future of broadcasting sporting events will be about diversification and added value – consumers no longer expect just a color picture and good sound

In October of last year, 70 million video requests were made to the iPlayer service 12.5GB of data was processed per second by the iPlayer service in Oct 2009(isuseful.com)

An average of 93 million viewers watched each match during the 2006 World Cup(worldcupblog.org)

FIFA has generated $2.15 billion from international TV rights to this years World Cup(nytimes.com)

Left:Mobile devices have become more popular among consumers as a way to watch live sporting events.

During April of this year the BBC

iPlayer received 6m requests from mobile devices(BBC news)

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www.london2012.com

The official London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic mascots have been unveiled this month.

The animated characters, Wenlock and Manderville, are designed to engage children and tell them the story of the UK’s Olympic history. In addition, throughout the animated series that can be watched in the build up to the games, the two characters will be learning to play different Olympic sports – hoped by the organizers to inspire children to be Olympians of the future.

Each of the characters are adorned with Olympic motifs, as Wenlock wears five friendship bands representing the five colors of the Olympic rings, whilst Manderville wears a personal timer to help keep track of performance.

In a representation of London, both characters have a yellow light on their forehead – similar to the ones found on London’s taxi cabs.

The mascots are central to the games, and it is hoped that they will contribute up to 20% of the £70 million merchandising campaign target through sales of memorabilia.

wenlock and manderville

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soCial mEdia & sportENCOURAgiNg PARTiCiPATiON ThROUgh NETwORkiNg

ForyearsUStrackandfieldeventshadseenadecreaseinattendances,sponsorshipandmediacoverage.Aseriesofdopingscandalsthathavewreckedbothcareersandrecordbooks,havefurtherdisillusionedadwindlingfan-basewithnodominantAmericanathleticsherotopintheirhopeson.

Yet athletic events have seen a huge increase in attendances during the last couple of seasons – US televisions ratings are up, as are membership numbers to various amateur clubs. What many officials believe has brought this about has been the rise of social networking. Using sites such as Twitter and Facebook has allowed athletes to foster a new, stronger connection with fans – making our athletic hero’s more personable and easy to identify with. This new connection has

helped soothe the pain of years of scandal and disillusionment, making the sport and its participants appear more transparent and ‘like-us’, encouraging more of us to take up similar sports.

At the recent indoor athletics championship in Qatar, over 17 athletes in the US team sent out live tweets from their Twitter accounts – detailing everything from their experiences of the events, to their hopes and dreams. This openness has worked in parallel with a variety of very dedicated specialist blogs and websites for athletics, particularly short distance running. Running, or jogging, has seen a massive uptake in the US – supported by a growing infrastructure of technology. Seen increasingly as a social sport activity, Twitter and Facebook groups have formed to replace, or at least support, traditional running clubs. Cell phone applications have helped provide runners with detailed, digital information that can be shared, ‘tweeted’ and used on online forums.

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Left:A number of the US atheletics team now use Twitter to connect to fans

The world Cup is expected to be the single biggest event to hit Twitter, Facebook and YouTube in history due to the sheer popularity of the game and its reach across the globe, eclipsing the last American election, the Oscars and the Superbowl

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brands. We should expect to see an explosion of data consumed and produced throughout the tournament – ranging from the main sponsors having their own dedicated blogs and fan sites, to the numerous tweets from players, staff, pundits and fans. The World Cup is expected to be the single biggest event to hit Twitter, Facebook and YouTube in history due to the sheer popularity of the game and its reach across the globe, eclipsing the last American election, the Oscars and the Superbowl. This will make this year’s tournament the most personal and transparent as well, with superstar players connecting to fans through their Twitter or Facebook accounts in the same way that the US Athletic team has – fans will have never felt closer to their idols.

Social networking will be increasingly used by not only big names sport brands to advertise themselves, but also by sporting associations to encourage a new audience to participate. Fans will use new social media to debate and share opinions, giving advertisers and marketers a rich source of consumer information. But most of all, social networking gives fans an exciting and accessible arena to get together, or to get closer to their idols in ways that weren’t possible before. Perhaps this will make their achievements more attainable, encouraging us to take up more sporting activities.

However, athletics is not the only sport to be benefitting from social networking and media. NASCAR racing has seen a huge section of its fanbase increasingly keep in contact with the sport through Twitter. As with athletics, NASCAR fans are finding the new level of personalization in their sport a welcome change – drivers, their teams and their sponsors are now more accessible than ever before. Using Twitter to create ‘tweet-ups’ has helped fans keep in touch, enhancing their love of the sport as they meet up with other like-minded individuals. The NBA also has a strong presence in the social media – it has over two million Facebook fans, with various players regularly tweeting to fans from their personal Twitter accounts.

The rise of social networking in sport has not gone unnoticed by brands and marketers. Online blogs, forums and fan-sites now provide sports marketers with a level of data unaccessible before, enhancing their understanding of fan sentiments. We should expect brands to increasingly attempt to align themselves with certain social networking sites that appeal to the sports fans they’re targeting, such as Twitter for NASCAR fans.

This year’s FIFA World Cup is expected to be the first major sporting event where new social media will play an intrinsic role for both fans and

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Using sites such as Twitter and facebook has allowed athletes to foster a new, stronger connection with fans – making our athletic hero’s more personable and easy to identify with

Above left:NASCAR fans have utilized Twitter to get closer to their idols and to organize events

Above Right:A variety of global sports stars now use social media to connect to their fans

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www.nike.com

Nike’s flagship Japanese store opened in Tokyo last year. The store exemplifies Nike’s brand, incorporating a unique design that makes it more like a playing field than a conventional store.

As well as a running track painted on the floor, black rubber soles cut into square tiles make up one wall, while waffle molds, similar to those used to make the first Nike running shoe tread, are the backdrop to their latest trainers. The store’s centerpiece is a chandelier that hangs over the stairway. It is made from 400 pairs of various white Nike trainers.

nike store, tokyo

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www.fifa.com/worldcup

This year’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa will take place in 10 stadia across the country, with five of them built expressly for the tournament. The Soccer City Stadium will be the host for both the opening game and the final – both are expected to be played out in front of 94,700 capacity crowds. The stadium is design to evoke the look of a traditional native ceramic cooking pot, with a ring of lights positioned around the outside of the base to give the appearance of a cooking fire.

Other stadiums, such as the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, are beautifully designed with graceful curves and excellent seating positions throughout. Many of the stadia are flexible in terms of their capacity, with a look to the long-term future of these buildings. The Moses Mabhida Stadium has a nominal capacity of 54,000 but can be expanded to 80,000 if needed.

Other eye catching stadia include the Green Point Stadium and the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium – both include state of the art facilities, and are intended to have a long term future in the country’s sporting culture. Combined with these beautiful stadia is an extensive infrastructure of public transport and roads that will deal with the huge crowds expected over the course of the tournament. It is hoped that the tournament will produce exciting, showpiece games that will do justice to the architecture.

world Cup south africa

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Copyright © 2010 NewEdge Consulting Limited The entire content of this document, both physically and intellectually, remains the property of NewEdge Consulting Limited. Please apply to us for written permission required to copy, or amend, in full or part. Opinions, conclusions, and other information contained within are not necessarily expressed by NewEdge Consulting Limited.

Copyright © 2010 NewEdge Consulting Limited The entire content of this document, both physically and intellectually, remains the property of NewEdge Consulting Limited. Please apply to us for written permission required to copy, or amend, in full or part. Opinions, conclusions, and other information contained within are not necessarily expressed by NewEdge Consulting Limited.

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