UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
FINAL MATCH - ENJOYED
BY FANS FROM AROUND
THE WORLD
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
As an example, Smyth points to the number of Latin Americans now living
in the States. "They all follow either the Central and South American
players in the Champions League, or Spain," he says. "Think of how many
Italians we have in New York... and Irish and British."
Ever-enthusiastic about his favourite sport, Smyth says that "thousands and
thousands of kids are playing soccer now' in the US. "And it's not because
of the Major Soccer League over here, nor because of the national team.
It's all down to the Champions League."
Since its inception in 1992, UEFA has grown in stature year by year, and it
has showcased the most prestigious teams and the best players in the
world. "The large number of international players who represent the
participating clubs naturally creates widespread interest all around the
globe," says William Gaillard, UEFA's Director of Public Affairs. "But the
competition is much more than a collection of the thirty-two clubs that
make up the Champions League. It's a real brand, with a very strong
emotional element."
The continuing search for new ways to service fans worldwide is a key
element in the competition's global success, Gaillard believes. "The
Champions League has its own anthem, for example, which helps to give
the competition its uniqueness." Recent new channel introductions have
included broadcasting matches in High Definition TV, live streaming over
the Internet and a bi-monthly magazine.
These developments make sense when seen from the global perspective,
says Philippe Le Floc'h. For UEFA, it is very important to work with brand
partners who have global reach, he says. "We want to make sure our
partners have an ambition to be global and can work on activities
promoting both brands around the world."
Heineken is a perfect partner for UEFA, says Le Floc'h. "Heineken reflects
the premium brand and global reach of the world's leading football league.
We're a European competition, but we now have a global mindset."
This is an approach wholly endorsed by Heineken's Niki Schilling. "Heineken
and the UEFA Champions League have a symbiotic relationship that
promotes both our global and premium brands," she says. "We help each
other and we profit from each other. Our new advertising campaign,
launched in time for the start of the knockout stages in February, conveys
the message that both brands are enjoyed all over the world."
The trend is likely to increase as the Champions League continues to
expand globally and the world's best players continue to flock to European
football pitches. The competition may be European by name, but it is one
the biggest sporting brands in the world. Companies with global brands
powerful enough to be associated with it, like Heineken, will surely grow
with the sport.
On Wednesday May 23, Liverpool FC and AC Milan
clashed in the final match of the UEFA Champions League
2006/2007 season. Staged in the Olympic Stadium in
Athens, the match was enjoyed live by an audience of
72,000 and watched on television screens around the
world by an estimated 200 million people. AC Milan won
the match 2-1.
As part of the Champions League celebrations in Greece,
Heineken hosted more than 1000 VIP guests from around
the world at the final, where they were also able to enjoy
exclusive hospitality at the Champions Village, built next
to the Olympic Stadium.
In the run-up to the match, Heineken also promoted a
range of activities for football fans on the city's world
famous Syntagma Square and at the UEFA Champions
Festival, as well as offering a range of integrated bars.
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