Zurich, 15 December 2004: Beverage Partners Worldwide (a joint venture of Nestlé and Coca-Cola and in charge of the NESTEA ice tea brand as well as the Ready-To-Drink NESCAFÉ) had looked for the perfect platform for quite some time to transport its NESTEA ice tea brand further into the public mind.
For Hans Savonije, CEO of BPW in Zurich, finding the best communication vehicle for their NESTEA ice tea brand was a matter of the heart. Two years ago, his perseverance was rewarded: The company discovered Beach Volleyball and paired the young, dynamic, upcoming sport with the soft drink giant NESTEA.
‘Beach Volleyball is the perfect platform for NESTEA to reach active, spontaneous people who are looking for natural refreshment and do not make compromises when it comes to taste’, Savonije explains. NESTEA has been the Tour Main Partner of the European Championship Tour for the past two seasons and this cooperation together with an extensive analytical process and research programme has confirmed that Beach Volleyball and NESTEA complement each other perfectly.
Based on the positive experience of the past two years the Tour organisers at Global Sports Marketing (GSM) in Zurich and BPW’s management decided to expand and intensify the thriving partnership. And so the idea was born to take the sandy joint venture to a new level in the coming season. NESTEA is in an expansion phase with additional presence in Europe’s and the world’s most important markets with an enlarged assortment of products in the ice tea sector.
The soft drink giant is on the way to become a truly global brand, something one of the leading ice tea producers has in common with the sport of Beach Volleyball. The sand artists celebrated their third performance on an Olympic stage in Athens 2004 (following Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000) and received euphoric reviews due to the unique combination of world-class athletic achievements and the easygoing Beach Volleyball lifestyle. The NESTEA headquarters followed this development with great interest and took the decision to expand its on-sand activities.
NESTEA confirmed to upgrade its involvement in the European Championship Tour from Tour Main Partner to Tour Title Partner with a long-term commitment. The package of marketing rights and benefits was expanded as well as the on-site responsibilities. NESTEA will continue to supply all tournaments of the Tour with ice tea and non-alcoholic beverages. And last but not least: The entertainment group from Gran Canaria, which caused massive attraction during the past two seasons, will continue to be an important part of the Tour’s entertainment programme.
The legendary ‘NESTEA-Fun-Girls’ will perform on and off court at every tournament of the NESTEA European Championship Tour. The dancers left such positive lasting impressions on the NESTEA European Championship Tour that they were also invited to perform in the entertainment programme of the Beach Volleyball competitions at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. So the fans of the NESTEA European Championship Tour will continue to enjoy the well-liked combination of talented athletes, spectacular world-class matches and the high quality entertainment programme – presented by NESTEA.
The message is clear: The NESTEA European Championship Tour is expanding – just like its Tour Title Partner.
‘We are very proud of the trust NESTEA is providing into our entire team and the NESTEA European Championship Tour’, Christian Scholbrock, Managing Director at Global Sports Marketing, says: ‘A real and solid partnership has developed for the NESTEA brand, for the NESTEA European Championship Tour and the sport of Beach Volleyball in Europe.’
Hans Savonije is also very pleased with the cooperation: ‘The NESTEA European Championship Tour provides us with a platform to communicate the values of the NESTEA brand through a wide range of sponsorship activation programmes. For the implementation of these programmes we can rely on the extensive support of the entire Coca-Cola organisation in the various countries.’
Background information on the European Championship Tour
The European Championship Tour is the highest ranked series of European Beach Volleyball tournaments that promotes the sport and its star players on a European level. The series of tournaments culminates into the European Championship Final as the season’s highlight.
For further information please visit www.eurobeachtour.com and/or contact the Communication Managers of the European Championship Tour Klaus Wegener and Felix Meininghaus at communications@eurobeachtour.com.
Background information on the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball
The CEV is the FIVB supporting institution responsible for governing 54 National Volleyball Federations throughout Europe and is recognised as such by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) for Volleyball and Beach Volleyball. The CEV has the authority and responsibility for organising all European Competitions, especially the European Championship Tour (Men & Women).
For further information please contact the CEV Head Office in Luxembourg, Olivier Mottier at olivier.mottier@cev.lu or + 352 25 46 46 25.
Background information on Global Sports Marketing Ltd. (GSM)
GSM is dedicated to the development and implementation of innovation in sports and entertainment. The company positions and markets international sports and entertainment properties on behalf of the respective rights-holders. Besides, it offers all services related to the marketing of commercial rights – media, sponsorship and licensing/merchandising rights as well as development of sports brands. GSM, based in Zurich (Switzerland) develops, promotes and markets the European Championship Tour within a long-term partnership with the European Volleyball Confederation CEV.
For further information please contact Global Sports Marketing, Christian Scholbrock at christian.scholbrock@gsmglobalsports.com or +41 43 244 9977.