Spirit of the sport and the competitionTaking place across the Schattenbergschanze (Oberstdorf, Germany), Große Olympiaschanze (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany), Bergiselschanze (Innsbruck, Austria) and Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze (Bischofshofen, Austria) the series is unlike other events in the World Cup calendar and looks back to a 60-year tradition.
The champion is decided by whoever scores the most points over all four events – World Cup points or the respective rankings are not decisive.
Rights opportunities
Based on an agreement with the German Ski Association (DSV) and Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV), through to 2013/14, Infront markets the sponsorship and advertising rights for the Vierschanzentournee.
Marketing and activation
The Vierschanzentournee is a highly exclusive sponsorship platform, the sport appeals most to the core markets of Germany, Finland, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Switzerland and Norway with approximately 100,000 spectators on-site over the course of the 2011/12 series. It is characterised by its high class, traditional and international appeal. The sport itself is entertaining and exciting to watch.
In 2010, Infront created a new visual identity for the series introducing a number of enhancements that included a new logo concept. A new, streamlined sponsorship concept introduced a reduced number of five sponsor packages (down from nine in 2009/10) delivering more exclusivity and more exposure for every sponsor which led to higher media value and stronger impact.
The concept developed includes, one Presenting Sponsor and four Main Sponsor packages from the 2010/11 event through to the 2013/14 season. In addition there is an Official Car Partner for the event series.
Each partner benefits from comprehensive advertising opportunities in prime locations at the event venues with guaranteed exposure in camera view. Additionally, depending on the package, the principle contractual rights include; BIB numbers, starting installations, LED board advertising at the night events in Oberstdorf, Germany and Bischofshofen, Austria and a rotating board system at the events in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany and Innsbruck, Austria. In addition there are inflatables along with promotional and marketing activities on site at the events together with a VIP ticket and hospitality component.
As a result, the sponsorship inventory has been marketed with great success – sponsors have lined up to associate their brands with the popular series. For 2011/12 they included; Actavis (manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals), Jack Wolfskin (outdoor apparel company), Vattenfall (Swedish energy company), bet-at-home.com (leading sports gaming and online gambling company) and ABT Sportsline (automobile tuner from the Volkswagen Group).
Exposure
The 2011/12 Vierschanzentournee achieved a total cumulative audience of 183 million across 15 core markets that included; Germany, Austria, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Finland and Switzerland and a total of 263 television broadcast hours.
The highest numbers came from Germany where the events hold huge acclaim and popularity. National public broadcaster ARD/ZDF aired live to an audience of over 6 million viewers for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen event (2nd heat) on 1st of January 2012. Per live broadcast across ARD/ZDF the events gauge over 4 million (4.4 million on average in 2011/12). Also, notable is the popularity in the Polish market, gauging an impressive average live audience of 3.4 million viewers per event day.
Background appeal
The new brand character, developed by Infront Sports & Media’s in-house designers for the start of the 2010/11 season reinforced the tournament as a top, international event, while making it much easier for sponsors to associate their products and services with a unified series that has a single identity. The new logo was designed to represent the dynamic, athletic, elegant characteristics of ski jumping. The graphic identity is omnipresent throughout the four single events - amongst other design enhancements two kilometers of boards in the new Four Hills design contribute to the high recognition and value of the tournament. Each event has a dedicated colour version of the new logo, combining unity with a degree of individuality.
Upcoming Events
61st Vierschanzentournee 2012/13
Opening Event:
• 30 December 2012 – Oberstdorf, Germany
• 1 January 2013 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
• 4 January 2013 Innsbruck, Austria
Closing Event:
• 6 January 2013 Bischofshofen, Austria
