FRANCE. The 2004 Grand National will be the last to be sponsored by Martell Cognac as the brand begins to introduce new marketing plans in major markets around the world.
2004 is the final year of the current six-year agreement between Aintree Racecourse and Martell Cognac, who have sponsored the internationally renowned three day meeting since 1992. Dating back to the original Seagram sponsorship in 1984, the company has annually injected £650,000 (US$107,000) prize money into the premier UK race meeting and have spent the same again marketing the race worldwide.
Martell Cognac international marketing director Eric Benoist explained: “Our priorities have changed in recent years and we are now working more closely with individual markets to refine and adapt Martell’s international brand positioning to take account of local requirements and circumstances.”
Details of a new campaign for Martell in the US were announced recently and Martell said there will be more news in the coming months about developments in other major markets. The “Rise Above” promotion for the US, scheduled for the first half of the year and put on ice during the Iraq War finally broke in October and November. The campaign featured magazines such as Black Enterprise, Savoy, Trace and Vibe. The ads featured famous African Americans including recording artist Sanford Biggers and chef Gerry Garvin.
Benoist confirmed: “Martell Cognac is committed to reasserting its reputation and distinctive appeal to consumers, and that all new marketing initiatives follow careful consideration of the requirements of customers and the trade in individual countries.”
“The Grand National has been an outstanding sponsorship and we are fully committed to making the 2004 event a memorable finale. We would like to record our gratitude to Aintree Racecourse for being such a willing partner. Given our close relationship, we were determined to make a firm decision in good time to allow them to find a suitable new sponsor for 2005 onwards.”
Aintree Racecourse managing director Charles Barnett paid tribute to Martell Cognac for their part in making the event what it is today. “We would like to record our huge gratitude, on behalf of ourselves and the racing industry in the UK, to Martell for their support and commitment.
“The Grand National meeting, and indeed Aintree Racecourse, has been transformed in large part thanks to Martell Cognac but we understand that in business, as in life, you have to move on.”
According to Duty Free Intelligence Centre (IWSR) Martell Cognac was the 14th ranked leading spirits brand in global duty free and travel retail in 2002, with sales of 212,300 nine-litre cases.
