NAIROBI, February 9 – Nivea has increased its sponsorship of Kenya Harlequins to Sh6 million for the 2010 season.This is a Sh2 million improvement from last year’s deal with a cash disbursement of Sh1.8 million going directly to the club while Sh4.2 million will be in kind and will include club equipment like the gym and development activities for the team throughout the year.
Quins vice chairman Philip Jalan’go says the sponsorship will help them in their quest to become professional.
“We have set up a gymnasium and also put our players on supplements because we have realized that the game is becoming more and more physical and it is only this way that we can condition our players well and push us towards realizing our goal of winning more trophies,” he said.
The sponsorship will assist the club to participate in all KRFU fixtures in the 2010 season where Harlequins will be playing a total of 19 games.
Speaking after signing the sponsorship deal, Beiersdorf East Africa Ltd. Marketing Manager, Mrs. Faith Wanderi said the company expects to reap heightened exposure of its Nivea for Men brand which will eventually lead to measurable enhanced brand awareness among its core target market.
“Sponsorships have been shown to work,” she notes. “The return to investment is high. This is a proven fact. We hope the deal will drive increased trust in the Nivea for Men brand, which would subsequently lead to a higher propensity to purchase our products. We also believe that the sponsorship will assist with increased opportunities for the Nivea brand with sales opportunities, sampling and a unique Nivea experience.”
The money will also be used to provide branded kits for players as well as branding of the Harlequins stadium and other venues that Harlequins club will be playing at.
Apart from being the preferred product for the Harlequins’ club rugby team, Nivea will also sponsor the 2010 Christie Sevens Tournament which is hosted annually by Harlequins club.
The tournament is played at the club every year and brings together 16 teams in a week long rugby extravaganza.