Manchester United and Aon launched the start of a four-year sponsorship deal at Old Trafford on Tuesday 1 June. ManUtd.com caught up with Aon president and chief executive Greg Case to get the lowdown on the club's new principal sponsor...
It’s almost a year to the day since the deal was first announced. You’ve been waiting a long time for this…We could barely be more excited. Walking into Old Trafford to officially begin the partnership was such an incredible thrill. We’ve done a lot of work over the last year, working together with our friends from Manchester United, to get to this stage, but there’s no substitute for the real thing. Nothing prepares you for the sight of Aon and Old Trafford combining together – the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I walked into this incredible, iconic stadium. It’s a big thrill.
Why Manchester United?
Manchester United is the number one club in the number one sport in the world. It has 90 per cent brand recognition in China, which is incredible. It has 100 per cent in Korea, 90 per cent in Latin America… and everyone knows just how big United is in England and Europe. That kind of brand recognition is simply unmatched, so that’s why this is such a great opportunity for Aon to get involved.
And what about Aon’s credentials?
We work with more companies – big companies, medium-sized companies and small companies – in the area of risk than any other insurance firm in the world. We help companies understand risk, prevent risk and deal with risk… in Chile, for example, we’re currently putting more companies back on their feet than anyone else in the world. Where there’s trauma in the world we help companies recover from that trauma, and we do more of that sort of work than anybody else. Whether it’s insuring a cup of coffee or making sure some of the biggest companies in the world understand risk, Aon is there.
Why Manchester United?
Manchester United is the number one club in the number one sport in the world. It has 90 per cent brand recognition in China, which is incredible. It has 100 per cent in Korea, 90 per cent in Latin America… and everyone knows just how big United is in England and Europe. That kind of brand recognition is simply unmatched, so that’s why this is such a great opportunity for Aon to get involved.
And what about Aon’s credentials?
We work with more companies – big companies, medium-sized companies and small companies – in the area of risk than any other insurance firm in the world. We help companies understand risk, prevent risk and deal with risk… in Chile, for example, we’re currently putting more companies back on their feet than anyone else in the world. Where there’s trauma in the world we help companies recover from that trauma, and we do more of that sort of work than anybody else. Whether it’s insuring a cup of coffee or making sure some of the biggest companies in the world understand risk, Aon is there.
Just how attractive is the chance to advertise on United’s shirts?
We see it as very unique. As I’ve already outlined, Manchester United’s brand recognition and market penetration is unrivalled around the world. So when you marry that with Aon’s local presence – we’re in 120 countries – we feel it’s a very, very strong partnership.
Were there ever any doubts during the tender process? Or is this the sort of opportunity you’d be mad to turn down?
We were obviously very excited initially and we felt very privileged that we were one of the few companies the club invited to pitch for this sponsorship. We know Manchester United invested a lot of time and money into doing their research on the companies they felt they could potentially work with. But we also did a lot of our own investigating. And I have to say, every stone we turned over, every new piece of information that came to light… they all reaffirmed the power of Manchester United and the potential this partnership could have. Now we hope to fulfil that potential.
Is there more to Aon’s involvement than shirt sponsorship?
Absolutely. We’re also investing in communities all around the world. At Old Trafford on Tuesday we had people taking penalty kicks for charity, raising money for The Christie cancer facility in Manchester. Meanwhile, in 120 countries around the world, Aon staff are investing back into the local communities. We’ve got more than 500 offices and each one has picked their own charity to support during our time with Manchester United.
Have charitable projects always been part of Aon’s vision?
We operate out of more than 500 offices around the world, so we like to think of Aon as a very local firm, as well as a global firm. And part of the Aon legacy has always been to invest back into the communities. With this partnership with Manchester United we want to continue to uphold that ethic and get out there and make a difference. It’s one of the great things about this deal – we’re looking forward to continuing what we’ve always done, but doing it alongside Manchester United, which is the biggest name in global sport. I'm sure a lot of good will come out of this.
For more information on the Aon Manchester United sponsorship, visitwww.aon.com/unitedin2010
No comments:
Post a Comment