The brief was to revitalise the 34th edition of the next America’s Cup, to create a highly engaging, dynamic event with wide public appeal and attractive to sponsors.
Working for the Marketing Director, Liz Rushall undertook an analysis of the America’s Cup, benchmarking against other sports. Liz came up with a series of radical changes to help make the new event more spectator-friendly, increasing media appeal and drive a larger audience of general sports fans.
Recommendations included simplifying the start procedure, the rules and courses, as well as the addition of floating 'perimeter' branding for sponsors. All of which are being implemented already in this year's new and dynamic AC World Series. Plus, the ACEA has announced the introduction the Youth America’s Cup – another key strategy proposed by Liz to engage younger audiences in the sport. We look forward to seeing this event grow and grow!
The America’s Cup is one of the world’s oldest sporting trophies and is one of the pinnacle events in yachting. The event has a complex history, and the last two editions of the event were not without controversy.
As holders of the 33rd America’s Cup (2010), BMW ORACLE Racing, had a strong vision to change and modernise the event, and set up the America’s Cup Event Authority to manage the new event for 2013.
Liz Rushall developed the new America’s Cup branding proposition and managed the creative agency brief and pitch process, to reposition the AC brand as a compelling and engaging event.
As host city for the 2010 Ryder Cup, Newport City Council staged the Newport Festival a series of sports and cultural events to promote the city’s association with the Cup. Liz Rushall developed NCC’s sponsorship strategy and rights proposition enabling them to appoint a sponsor search consultancy to sell the event sponsorships.
As sponsors of Skandia Team GBR, the British Sailing Team and the UK’s leading Olympic sports team over the last 3 Olympiads, Bollé UK were seeking to further exploit their association with the Team and build their profile within sailing.
Liz Rushall worked with Bollé and proposed a series of new activation activities including client hospitality, additional sponsorships to engage directly with sports participants, and new PR, web and social media activities. Working within tight budgets Bollé sponsored the ever growing Dartmouth Regatta Week, and are developing additional projects in the build up to 2012.
A division of the Informa Group (exhibition and conference providers) the entrepreneurial ISG are developing a portfolio of events in the sports and leisure market. Liz Rushall has provided proposal and bid writing services, feasibility research and business plan development services for a number of new project bids.
Liz Rushall undertook a major internal evaluation of the impact of the Group’s marketing programme on the employees across its three businesses. The results indicated some significant differences between employee and customer perceptions of the corporate brand. The research recommendations led to the Group undertaking a brand repositioning exercise, with a strong internal focus.
Liz led and managed a major internal experiential employee programme to re-inforce brand values, including teams of employees sailing a 65 foot yacht from Southampton to the Group HQ in Scarborough. The programme was oversubscribed by 50%, and 75% attendees identified the company brand values.
Following their success in winning the 33rd America’s Cup, ORACLE Racing engaged Liz Rushall to prepare marketing strategy presentations, identity design and branding briefs and to review the team’s social responsibility requirements.
SYS Wessex was an offshoot from a yacht manufacturing company, which had developed a niche business supplying secure and safe bathroom suites and furnishings to the prison and security sector. SYS wanted to expand, but were finding it difficult to break into new markets.
Liz Rushall conducted a full strategic review, including conducting market research with existing customers, suppliers and into new sectors. SYS Wessex adopted all the strategic recommendations that were presented. And, as a result, Liz project managed the brand repositioning, and identity change to System Wessex, development of new sales collateral and internal staff training – enabling the company to successfully tender for PFI contracts in new sectors.
Liz Rushall acted as Duty Officer for the duration of Oman Sail's Indian Ocean 5 Cape's Race, handling all the media and editorial content as it was beamed ashore from Majan, the enormously powerful 100' trimaran. Running 24/7 for this three month event, Liz ensured web and video content was distributed rapidly to all media and news channels. One of the peaks demonstrating the phenomenal power of technology and content management role, was being able to distribute video of the crew surviving hurricane force winds in the roaring forties, within a matter of minutes of it being received.
When Clipper Ventures PLC acquired the solo ocean race, now known as the VELUX 5 Oceans Race, Fast Track Events needed help to attract new entrants to the event. As part of the strategy, Liz Rushall was appointed to run a series of sponsorship seminars, and provide a tool kit of supporting materials, to help all potential competitors secure their race funding and provide their sponsors with good ROI.