By Andrew Warshaw in manchester
August 22 – An Indian tyre manufacturer has signed a three-year deal with Manchester United in what is believed one of the first football partnerships of its kind in a country far more synonymous with sports like cricket and field hockey.
A household name in India with revenues of $2.34b, Apollo Tyres is breaking new ground in order to raise awareness among international customers, business partners and consumers.
As part of the deal as United’s official tyre partner in the UK and India, Apollo will build “Go The Distance” football-based play zones made entirely from recycled tyres, to be rolled out in local communities across both countries, a smart move that will engage with audiences who may hitherto have been unaware of the company’s profile.
“Apollo Tyres is a leading player in the tyre industry and its rate of growth and development into new territories made it an attractive partner for the Club while India is demonstrating an ever increasing interest in football,” said United’s group managing director Richard Arnold at the launch of the partnership at the club’s state-of-the-art training ground which included a skills demonstration by three United players.
“With a combined fan base close to 46 million followers in the UK and India, we are confident in providing Apollo with a highly engaged audience, not only to promote its brand, but also to engage and communicate with our fans.
“This partnership also allows the Club to continue its on-going commitment to investment in and the development of young people, whether through our Academy or via the work we do in the community.”
Apollo Tyres is headquartered in Gurgaon, India, and has a manufacturing presence in Asia, Europe and Africa. The company exports to over 100 countries and its global ambitions took a huge leap when it announced in June that it was acquiring US-based Cooper Tire for $2.5b.
While both parties are refusing to divulge how much the deal with United is worth, Apollo chairman Onkar S Kanwar explained why the company had decided to move into football.
“This is a very significant partnership for us as a company and clearly demonstrates our global ambitions for our business, and the brand,” Kanwar said.”Very few sports platforms deliver a global profile and awareness and we believe the impact of this relationship will be significant in helping to make Apollo a globally recognisable brand.”
As with so many current-day marketing initiatives, the tie-up involves a strong Corporate Social Responsibility element that will see Apollo produce pitches that will be open to local communities in both countries with the aim of encouraging a more active lifestyle. It is understood the company will be free to use certain Manchester United players for their marketing and promotion campaign.
“The aim is to stimulate the next generations to go the distance, this association really brings to life our brand values of high performance, quality and excellence,” said Kanwar.
Marco Paracciani, Apollo’ s chief marketing officer, said there was not yet any time frame for the construction of pitches but added: “The act of investing in the community is critical to the partnership. We can’t say how many there will be at this stage but the idea is that they will never will be idle and will enforce the core values of both Apollo and United.”