AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI Competitors’ Sponsorship Information 2 Seven Tough Days The Safari will start in Perth, before heading north through Geraldton. The competition starts from Geraldton before heading north for seven tough days of competition. The location of bivouacs has yet to be confirmed, but will include Kalbarri, Carnarvon & Gascoyne Junction. The Australasian Safari is considered to be one of the toughest and most challenging motoring events in the world. AUTO, MOTO, QUAD and Adventure Tour competitors from all over the world travel more than 3000km over seven tough days. In 2013 the Safari will start in Perth with a Safari Show and the traditional Ceremonial Start. It provides Perth fans with a chance to get up close and personal with the bikes, quads and 4X4 vehicles are built to withstand the tough terrain. From Perth, the Safari moves to Geraldton where the race proper will start. Then from there to up the coast and inland, using tracks in the Murchison & Gascoyne regions. Each night on the road, the entire Safari sets up at the ‘bivouac’ a word borrowed from French rally raid events which literally means ‘campsite’. The bivouac contains a catering tent that can seat 200 people at any one time; toilets & showers, a medical centre, Safari HQ, and a Media Centre. The Safari transports most of its own infrastructure but relies on local government to supply water, power and rubbish facilities. Each night there are about 500 people working, eating & sleeping at the bivouac. History The Australasian Safari started in New South Wales in 1985 and follows in the very rich traditions of the RedeX Trials and the Repco Round Australia Reliabilty Trial. Over the years the Route has covered Australia’s remotest regions and the list of competitors includes Peter Brock, Craig Lowndes, Andrew Cowan, Andy Caldecott and in 2011 Cyril Despres. In 2007 the event, while still owned by Octagon Australia Ltd and with Justin Hunt as the Event Director moved to Western Australia, when the WA Government became the major partner. In 2011 Justin Hunt set up his own company, Justin Hunt Management Ltd and bought the Safari. 3 In 2011, a total of 100 competitors, representing nine different countries across the AUTO, MOTO, QUAD & Adventure Tour categories entered the Safari. The AUTO category covers cars, 4WDs, utilities & off road vehicles and is administered by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS). In 2011 the Safari Production category was introduced and this is for showroom standard vehicles with minimum modifications. The MOTO category is for motorbikes and is administered by Motorcycles Australia. The QUAD category is for quad bikes or ATVs and is administered by Motorcycles Australia. In 2012 this will be broadened to include UTVs, or side by side quads that can carry two passengers. This is a category of competition that is increasing in popularity throughout Australia. Adventure Tour – this is a non-­‐competitive category for motorbike riding enthusiasts that want to experience the Safari without the costs or time commitment required for Safari. As well as competitors from all over Australia, countries that have been represented at Safari over the last few years include South Africa, France, UK, Italy, Sweden, Poland, USA, Japan, China, Thailand, Brazil & New Zealand. In 2012 the Australian Safari was nominated by the Dakar organisers as one of five ‘Dakar Challenge’ events globally. The association with the Dakar Rally boosted the profile of the Safari nationally and internationally and provided the winner with a free entry to the 2013 Dakar Rally. Safety and Rescue Dakar Challenge South African competitor Brett Cummings won the Dakar Challenge at the 2012 Australian Safari, and a free entry to the 2013 Dakar Rally . Safety of competitors, officials and spectators is paramount at the Australasian Safari. This is particularly important because of the remote nature of the event. There are two helicopters, three doctors and a team of paramedics on standby whenever a competitive Stage is live. Competitors are tracked using Motorola handhelds via two repeater aircraft. This data and communications link is monitored in the Safari HQ motorhome. All competitors and officials carry a radio, and one aircraft is in the air while the Stage is live enabling the Clerk of Course to communicate with anyone within the footprint of the repeater at any one time. 4 The Australasian Safari TV highlights program is broadcast nationally on Network Ten, OneHD and the SPEED Channel, and globally on most major sports channels. Functions & Events 2012 Australasian Safari - International Broadcast Distribution
Summary as at August 2012
A Safari Show precedes the Ceremonial Start in Perth. Competition vehicles are on display alongside exhibitors from the 4X4 & off road vehicle retail businesses, and spectators are free to walk in amongst them. Competitors are available for autograph signing. In 2012 the Official Finish took place in Geraldton at th bivouac. This was followed by the Prize Presentation Dinner, which was held in a purpose built marquee also at the bivouac. Other official functions will include dinner at the Director’s Table each night at the bivouac for local dignitaries, and a community function in Carnarvon to be organized in conjunction with the local community. Media Coverage Radio In 2012, 96fm were once again the official radio partner of Safari. The Breakfast Crew from 96fm MCd the Ceremonial Start at Hillarys. The station also carried live interviews with competitors leading into the event and ran an on-­‐air competition, with a prize of dinner at the Start and a merchandise pack. Television th
A one hour highlights program was shown on Network Ten on 10 November and repeated on OneHD and on SPEED (Fox Sports) channel and the Australia network. Internationally, the Safari highlights program is distributed via most of the major sports channels – ESPN, Star Sports, BSKYB, Fox Sports in English & Spanish, Canal+ and Raceworld in Europe as well as Al Jazeera in the Middle East and GDTV in China. !
Broadcaster
ACTIVE MARKETS
Australia
Fox Sports
Australia Network
Means of Transmission
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
TV Homes
2,000,000+
21-million
Currently available in 21-million homes in 41 countries across Asia the Pacific & Indian Subcontinent and in more than 200,000
hotel rooms
Channel 10
ONEHD
New Zealand
Skysports
TV3
Asia
ESPN:
China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Phillipines, India,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakiston and Sri Lanka, Malaysia,
Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.
Star Sports:
China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Bangladesh,
Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Brunei,
Indonesia, Phillipines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
ESPN STAR (Race World)
(x 29 countries)
ESPN INTERNATIONAL
USA & South Amercia & Europe
Japan
Australia Network
ESPN Star
China / Hong Kong
Shanghai TV SMG
CCTV
GDTV China
India & Sub Continent
Taj TV
Korea
SBS (Raceworld)
Malaysia
Astro Super Sport
Singapore
StarHub
South Africa
SuperSports South Africa
UK
BSKYB
USA
FoxSports World (Raceworld - English)
Foxsports Espanol (Raceworld - Spanish)
Central/South America
Foxsports Latin America (Raceworld)
Band Sports (Brazil)
Europe
Motors TV
Canal +/Sogecable
AB Moteurs ( France)
Eastern Europe
Foxsports (Raceworld)
Scandinavia
Sport Expression (Raceworld)
Middle East
Al Jazeera
International
ESPN World Wide
Free to Air
Free to Air
9,000,000
9,000,000
Cable/Satellite
Free to Air
600,000
2,000,000
Cable/Satellite/FTA
208,614,578
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
196,064,807
190,000,000
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
TBC
TBC
Free to Air
Free to Air
Free to air & Satellite
TBC
1 Billion
220million
Cable/Satellite
60-million
Cable/Satellite
3,000,000+
Cable/Satellite
3-million
Cable/Satellite
540,000
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
9,900,000+
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
20,000,000+
8,000,000+
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
20,000,000+
3,000,000
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
Cable/Satellite
20 million
2.5million
TBC
Cable/Satellite
5,000,000+
Cable/Satellite
3,000,000+
Cable/Satellite
229-million
Cable/Satellite
5 Media Coverage (cont …) “It was day seven of the Safari and I was buggered, knackered and just plain spent” -­‐ Phil Emery, 2012 & 11 Adventure Tour participant Print The West Australian ran a pre and post event feature on Safari in the Motoring section, which included the cover page. In addition to this, more than 40 community newspapers throughout Australia ran stories on the event. The magazine partner, Australian Dirt Bike Magazine ran a competition in the August edition where the prize was a free entry to the Adventure Tour. As well as local motorsport magazines, there of Safari features run in magazines published in countries as diverse as Sweden, USA, South Africa & the UK. Electronic media Facebook overtook the website this year as the primary means of communication to fans. As at January 2013, there are more than 10,000 ‘likes’ and a reach of 8 million from all over the world. Traffic to the Australasian Safari website – www.australasiansafari.com.au, is steady year on year with 48,000 unique visits to the site in the month of September. After Australia, visitors to the website are most likely to come from either China, the USA, followed by the UK, the Netherlands or France. The Facebook audience is primarily from South America and South East Asia. A regular e-­‐newsletter is sent to 1,700 subscribers. It is a mixture of the latest information about the event, information specific for competitors, a ‘sales’ section for competitors, and also features from sponsors or aout the regions that the Safari will travel through. YouTube is a medium that is well suited to Safari, because of the nature of the event – live action in a spectacular setting. In 2012, more than 50 clips were uploaded to YouTube, and these were viewed 25,000 times. Coverage on other websites came from across a very broad spectrum – local news sites such as perthnow.com. & theWest.com; motoring sites such as SPEED.com (Fox Sports), carsalescom & autoaction.com to international sites such as mega-­‐sites such as motorcycleUSA.com; and the official site of the Dakar Rally. Safari has more than 1,300 Twitter followers, these include sports journalists from all over the world, competitors and fans. 6 SPONSORSHIP What’s in it for the Sponsors? You have a good understanding of the your Safari project – the preparation of the vehicle, your training – both with the car / bike / quad and also physically, transport, service crew & vehicles, feeding everyone and the regulations (of course!). Not only will you need to describe this to potential sponsors, you will need to describe the Safari and most importantly … what’s in it for them. Be creative – the reasons that someone might sponsor a project normally fall into the following categories: Brand exposure – this is what most people are familiar with. It means gaining maximum exposure for a particular logo. Links to the Safari brand – the Safari offers a rare opportunity to associate with values such as courage, surpassing oneself, competition, human adventure,… Showcasing their own products – e.g. tyres, components, equipment. If they last on Safari they will last anywhere. Community benefits – many large publicly listed companies will support projects that are presented to them by people who belong to their local community. But doing this they are demonstrating their ‘corporate good will’. Check websites or use your local contacts. Unique ways of strengthening relationships with clients -­‐ Sponsorship may be a way for one of your suppliers/customers to build strong links before or after the conclusion of a partnership. These opportunities range from buying corporate hospitality, or simply providing them with some common ground when engaging with clients. Return on investment -­‐ spend some money and ask for a discount. It is a win / win. Examples from Safari Following are some examples of what you could offer sponsors from your Safari project Advertising on vehicles, your clothing, your helmet, your service vehicles & uniforms. Riders & drivers are free to affix any advertising on their vehicles provided that is ·∙ Is authorized by the FIM / CAMS regulations and laws of Australia (Note: All tobacco advertising is prohibited by Government law in Australia) ·∙ Is not contrary to public decency and customs ·∙ Does not intrude on those areas which are reserved for the competition plates or compulsory organisers advertising. Exhibiting the vehicle before or after the Safari, on behalf of your sponsors. “We believe that [the Safari] is ideally placed to showcase the diversity of WA and to ensure that a range of destinations and extraordinary experiences are included in the itinerary maximum number of local communities benefit”. Gwyn Dolphin, Executive Director, Eventscorp 7 SPONSORSHIP cont … Mentions in the official Safari documentation (inside back page of the Pre-­‐Event Guide & the Safari Guide). Use of Safari IP – the organisers can provide a DVD of images your vehicle both in the bivouac and in action at Safari. Leveraging – community newspapers Identify press, radio or even TV spin-­‐off in your region. Regional media are frequently looking for a potted history of amateur competitors; so do not hesitate to contact them and suggest an interview. Write a blog – keep your supporters up to date with Facebook and with links to the Safari website and other competitors’ FB pages. The Presentation Make sure what you are selling is appropriate to your level of entry. There is no point in talking about your potential sporting achievements if you are taking part in your first Safari! Your aim should be to finish, not to be placed! So, assess what you say and in particular your media exposure. Other than the top finishers, competitors will be the subject of one-­‐off reports. They are frequently mentioned in the local and regional media, but the TV package that is produced will sell the story of the Safari and cannot hope to run features on every competitor. Prepare a presentation that is no more than five pages, using images of yourself and of Safari. This presentation must be clear, concise, persuasive and imaginative; it must make them dream of the Safari but also convince them of your personal qualities. Mention the Dakar Rally connection and the Dakar Challenge, most people are familiar with the Dakar Rally and it makes the project global. Talk about yourself – why your entry is different from others (if it is), why you are passionate about motorsport and about endurance racing, what previous experience do you have in other endurance events or activities – not just motorsport. Put yourself into the Safari, using past statistics that are available from the website -­‐ in terms of age, type of vehicle, number of entries, status (professional or amateur). Stress your region! Write a very quick and easy to deliver media plan – contact with your local media prior to the start of the Safari, Facebook mentions, even Twitter feed. But make sure you are able to deliver what you promise, bearing in mind the limited access to mobile phone & internet Being a part of the Australasian Safari is a natural fit for Isuzu UTE. It provides us with the opportunity to showcase our product against the awesome backdrop of the rugged Australian outback, and it is delivered with a high degree of professionalism – no other event in this country presents a tougher test for man and machine which suits our brand perfectly.” Dave Harding
Senior Public Relations Manager Isuzu UTE Australia 8 As a brand, the Australasian Safari is easily linked to an image people have of Australia and the outback, which is tough, challenging & remote. By competing in Safari, people can test themselves to the limit. A Alignment with the Safari brand “Not everyone can compete in Safari, but everyone should want to”, -­‐ is the Mission Statement of the Safari. It is the ultimate off-­‐road adventure, an international off-­‐road endurance race through the Western Australian outback, renown as Asia Pacific’s equivalent to the Dakar Rally. The core audience is the working man, but also the armchair motorsport fan. Showcasing Examples of sponsors who have used Safari to showcase their products are Tourism WA, City of Joondalup, City of Kalgoorlie-­‐Boulder, Britz motorhomes, & Motorola. There are opportunities to include features on the use of sponsors products on the TV program and YouTube. Community engagement The Safari relies on the goodwill of the communities that it passes through. Opportunities are taken whenever they present themselves to interact with people and to educate people about the event and also the event stakeholders. Examples are the Safari Show in Hillarys and also on the foreshore in Geraldton; local spectator points; tours of bivouac and the interaction with schools en route. Corporate Hospitality Guests at the Ceremonial Started were hosted in a VIP tent that overlooked the Safari Show and the formalities of the evening. They were treated to a selection of WA food, wine & beer as well as softdrinks. Each night during the Safari, local dignitaries were invited to the bivouac for a guided tour and dinner in the catering marquee, having an ‘authentic’ Safari experience. Exposure The Safari TV & YouTube packages are only one way to offer exposure for sponsors. There are opportunities for logo placement on vehicles, your clothing, your helmet, your service vehicles & uniforms. If they request it, the organisers will also include a list of the sponsors of competitors in the Pre Event Guide and the Safari Guide. 9 For more information Australasian Safari C2/4 King Edward Road OSBORNE PARK WA 6017 Tel: +61 (0) 8 9445 2645 Em: info@australasiansafari.com.au; www.australasiansafari.com.au Justin Hunt Event Director Em: Justin@australasiansafari.com.au Mob: 0415 100 992 Sally Higgins Event Manager Em: sally@australasiansafari.com.au Mob: 0400 445 118