Canon Sweeps and Giveaways as Part of Tennis Tourney Sponsorship
Canon has signed a deal to sponsor the Pacific Life Open tennis tournament in March.
The agreement calls for Canon to be the host sponsor, as well as the official camera and photo printer of the event, which takes place March 5–8 in Indian Wells, CA.
The deal extends Canon’s West Coast presence and continues to build on its existing portfolio tied to the game of tennis, which in addition to a deal with tennis great Maria Sharapova, includes the U.S. Open.
“Canon identified tennis as an integral part of its marketing strategy a few years back based on several criteria, including: return on investment, opportunities to develop integrated programs, the global nature of the sport and target audience reach and demographics,” Michelle Fernandez, manager of Camera Marketing for Canon, said.
During the tournament, Canon will unveil its new line of PowerShot digital cameras at an event that features Sharapov, who has endorsed the line for more than two years.
The Shoot Like A Pro sweepstakes will support the effort. Stations called “Beauty Shots” will be set up where attendees can take photos in front of tennis-themed backdrops. A booth in the Tennis Garden Village will show off the latest PowerShot cameras, as well as a timeline of the history of Canon photography and Maria Sharapova’s career. Canon reps dressed as Sharapova look-alikes will roam the grounds and take photos with fans. Beginning yesterday, through March 14, one Canon Powershot SD40 will be given away each day to a winner, chosen randomly from entries taken at the Canon booth.
The in-stadium Canon Shot of the Day promo will replay the best tennis shots of the day on the video wall.
Canon will collect consumer data via the promotions to use for future marketing efforts, Fernandez said.
“These promotions will give us a direct line of communication with new and current Canon consumers who will learn about new products and upcoming promotions,” she said.
On-court signage and a full-page ads in the tournament program as support the campaign.
Canon determines the ROI from the sponsorship through increased brand awareness among its target audience, consumer buzz, consumer feed-back onsite and beyond and p.r. impressions, Fernandez said.
The company had a prior relationship with Andre Agassi, who represented the Canon Rebel.
