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POLO: THE ULTIMATE BRAND ASSOCIATION
EVERYTHING ABOUT A POLO TOURNAMENT CAN BE FOUND IN ITS TITLE WHAT'S IN A NAME?
A PREFACE TO THE COVER STORY ABOUT LUX AFRIQUE What’s in a name? And what is a name worth? While luxury brands clamor for partnerships in the Sport of Kings – titles and presenting sponsorship naming rights – some rising tournaments resist corporate takeover and the diluting potential for decision-making. Certainly, though, polo remains the ultimate brand association in the luxury industry. Many of the world’s best-known polo tournaments – Cartier Queen’s Cup, Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, King Power Gold Cup, Land Rover Polo Open – are solidly anchored by the title luxury brand. Often, the title sponsorship creates a draw to other brands considering, and ultimately sponsoring, the three T’s: teams, tents and trophies. In the digital age, branding in polo has proliferated beyond the on-site audience. Between live streaming on PoloLine.TV, Facebook Live and Instagram Stories, the traditional polo audience – high-net-worth, jet-setting – joins the growing, aspirational audience that isn’t traditionally interested in polo. It has been in the interest of the sport for years to reach, and convert,
non-polo fans, but options were previously limited – and expensive. Hashtags and handles have changed all of that. Luxury consumers search social media for products, events and influencers. Largely undeterred by data usage or international roaming charges, they watch social media stories and online TV at a much higher concentration than users dependent upon WiFi connections. A polo tournament can attract 1,000 to 10,000 guests and attendees; social media can increase viewership and virtual attendance to the nth degree, meaning the sky is the limit. What does this mean for sponsorship and presenting brands in the polo market? Curated ad spots and videos inserted into live streaming with links and handles engage luxury consumers and polo fans with handles and links to online shopping. All consumers love the gratification of the online shopping basket; this directed marketing, paired with a code for free shipping available to polo viewers, is now far beyond the scope of traditional sporting events.
Pairing and partnering polo events with luxury brands is mutually advantageous from both marketing aspects and return-on-investment – when executed correctly. There is what’s in a name and then there’s what is that name worth; the answer lies in the careful management and balance of the two. One of the rising polo tournaments that we have followed for two years is the Lux Afrique Polo Day in the UK. After a debut Polo Day in 2018, we sent our team in for the second edition at Ham Polo Club. I had to ask myself, what’s in a name for Lux Afrique? Having seen photos of sports cars and champagne brands in the promotion, I wondered, what is this event really promoting? The answer, simply, is Africa: African brands, African culture, African polo players and home-grown African luxury. The sports cars, while shiny and beautiful, are only nominally part of the day. The event remains true to its core value. We should be so lucky to say the same about all polo opens, events and tournaments. Josh Jakobitz, editor Polo Lifestyles
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