Automotive Business Review February 2015 | Page 62

Branding Beat

| by Gilbert Hogg

Audi Hits a Six
All major and minor sports in South Africa have long
relied on sponsorship to stay competitive in the global
arena. Cricket is no exception, with Castle leading the
way, having being a committed sponsor for the past
three decades. However, the more the merrier, so the
news in mid-December 2014 that Audi had become
the Official Vehicle Partner to the Proteas and Cricket
South Africa (CSA) was music to my ears.

A

s a cricket fanatic for the past five
decades, I followed the Datsun
Shield in the 1970’s (later to become
the Nissan Shield), the Gillette Cup, and
many other tournaments, all sponsored by
various brands.
Automotive brands per se are not new to
cricket sponsorship, with Chevrolet having
been involved these past few years in
provincial sponsorship. But Audi, with this
announcement coming just two days before

the start of the Sunfoil (another recent
sponsor) test series against the West Indies,
will gain branding exposure both in-stadia
and on television. In addition fans at home
and at the stad ][H