RILEYS & RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2010
Case Study 18
RILEYS & RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2010 PRESENTED BY
DEEP RE D C REATIV E
RILEYS & RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2010
INTRODUCTION
the sport. Snooker is fast spreading its wings as a global sport, particularly in the Far East, where a passion and interest in the game is not only producing rising stars of their own, but also gaining a much talent could be unearthed and given genuine encouragement to become a leading player within the professional ranks. As one of Rileys’ sporting ambassadors, three-time World Snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan was for the game that set the foundations for launching a tournament that would focus on the core skills
In conversation with O’Sullivan, the idea of ‘Future Stars’ was born and the concept of attracting players and understanding what it really takes to be a top-level player took root. It was above all Ronnie’s experience as a young player himself that set the precedent for the event.
got out of being the last man standing out of 128 was amazing, and a real test not just of your playing ability, but also your mental strength and durability,” he said. no idea where things would end up, but you knew you were on the way and being a contender, building to the game, and opening people’s eyes to what it takes in terms of skills to be a top player. We’re looking Chairman of the World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association (WPBSA) Barry Hearn added:
grassroots of the game. What a fantastic opportunity for the youngster who comes out on top and gets way.” For Rileys it set the perfect tone for bringing young players into its clubs and establishing the venues that had come a long way from the perceptions of snooker clubs from the “old days”. With venues these days providing facilities for active leisure time, the grassroots of cue sports still sits at the heart. SPONSORSHIP OBJECTIVES
In sponsoring Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Future Stars of Snooker Rileys wanted to:
RILEYS & RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2010
• Engage with and attract new junior members into its 120 clubs throughout the UK • Support grassroots snooker and emerging talent in the game • Position the Rileys brand as the largest and best snooker operator in the UK with true passion and commitment to developing the game
• Develop an annual tournament, with the potential for future media development, working with the top professionals in the game
• Provide sponsorship and mentoring to the Future Stars winner to help them play professionally • Use the campaign to generate media coverage for both snooker and Rileys. HOW THE SPONSORSHIP PLAYED OUT
Rileys’ vision was to create a series of local and regional in-club competitions, culminating in a Ronnie, thus maximising media interest and exposure for the brand. With World Snooker as a support partner, entries were opened and youngsters were contacted via email, websites, national press coverage, trade advertising and in-club promotion. All promotional materials carried the Ronnie O’Sullivan’s Future Stars of Snooker branding alongside Rileys general branding.
‘Rocket’.
tournaments and provide cover for expenses. For Rileys it remained important that they could be proactive in developing a player’s career beyond, and hopefully into, the professional ranks. After a six-week window for entry, the competition attracted registrations from over 1,000 young players aged 16 and under, via the Rileys website, social media, in-club posters and entry forms in addition to both local and national press coverage. Local club qualifying rounds produced 120 winners who played a standard format of the game to ensure players of a competent standard could emerge as potential winners. From this point, eight operation as players were set a number tasks to establish their all-round skills within the game itself. Ronnie O’Sullivan, in conjunction with Rileys, set about creating a number of innovative tasks to playing out snookered positions. Rooney’s Street Striker’ – perfect for the targeted age group. Points were awarded on the basis of their skills rather than the standard conventions of a straight forward snooker frame.
RILEYS & RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2010
interest in the competition and give additional opportunities for the Rileys brand to be aligned with this new angle on the game. with the last eight securing their ticket to the Grand Final, and the chance to be crowned Ronnie
brand exposure were enormous.
with the exposure that TV can bring. front of a live crowd, TV cameras and with the BBC studio in the background – a real experience for the youngsters and perhaps a glimpse into the future if they make it as professional players. Rileys was able to brand the playing area with temporary stands and also promote to the audience
additional Rileys brand exposure. Once again, the players took part in a series of skills challenges, scoring points and also being judged by O’Sullivan on poise, temperament and ‘star quality’ – that certain something about their all round play and demeanour that could mark them out as something special. TV presenter Rob Walker, pro player Nigel Bond and Ronnie O’Sullivan brought the celebrity angle
audience at the Crucible by Ronnie himself. Walker also had the thrill of being interviewed by the BBC and online media. THE RESULTS OF THE SPONSORSHIP
Winner Joel Walker said of his win: “It was a great experience. Getting this support from Ronnie and Rileys is fantastic and just getting this encouragement from a great player like Ronnie was a massive boost.” Ronnie O’Sullivan commented: produced more than one professional from this group, but Joel stood out. His temperament, his potting
with winning a frame of snooker but the tasks were more about seeing how a young player had all the right skill sets to move forward and make a genuine challenge in the pro game.”
RILEYS & RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2010
RILEYS & RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2010
RILEYS & RONNIE O’SULLIVAN’S FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2010
Subsequent to the event Ronnie and Joel have met and carried out a number of coaching sessions. in Scotland, where Joel not only won his opening round, and therefore prize money, before being narrowly beaten by an established and world ranked star in Malta’s Tony Drago. Support continues for Joel in his quest to become a full-time professional player. intervals on the BBC’s coverage of the World Championships.
National publication exposure: PR value of £91,000
Daily Star Sporting Life
Media exposure: BBC
1.75 million viewers
BBC London
Online: World Snooker Sporting Life Pro Snooker Snooker Scene YouTube
Over 50,000 views of the video coverage.
Trade Press: Snookered Magazine Snooker Scene Over 40 regional press titles
Total PR value of £160,000.
Membership analysis: March 1, 2010 to September 1, 2010 Under-18 membership increased by 55 per cent from 50,000 to 77,000. Deep Red Creative
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