FirstBank breaks centenary record in sports sponsorship, undertakes to go another century
Sponsorship is an element of the integrated marketing communication mix which is mainly used in the introduction, growth and maturity stages of the product life cycle. But when a brand consistently sponsors an event for a century, it then transcends the growth and maturity of the brand’s life cycle and becomes a tradition and heritage. And the great potential of sport has prompted many companies and business organisations to select sport as an important arena in their business activities.
To leverage the power of collective credibility and reach a quality audience, First Bank Nigeria Limited has been sponsoring the Georgian Cup, Nigeria’s most coveted trophy in polo, in the last 100 years. The sponsorship which began in 1919 recently hit the centenary mark and may be a world record in sport sponsorship, according to analysts.
What’s more, FirstBank has pledged to sponsor the annual tournament for the next 100 years.
Speaking at 100th edition of the glamorous Cup in Kaduna recently, the Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Dr. Adeola Adeduntan said the value of passion, heritage and excellence had helped the bank to sustain the sponsorship.
“We are happy to be a longtime partner of Kaduna Polo Club. It is a rare opportunity and we want to thank the club. We will continue to support the club and Georgian Cup for the next 100-years,” he assured
This year’s Georgian Cup coincides with 125th anniversary celebration of FirstBank.
The 2019 edition of the epoch-making sports championship ran from October 12 – 20, 2019 at the Kaduna Polo Club, Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna. The Cup which was donated by the Bank to the Kaduna Polo Club is the oldest and most respected Polo trophy in West Africa.
Interestingly, the 2019 finals lived up to its billing as the final teams put polo fans including government functionaries and Royal fathers on their toes throughout the Six Chukker round. The finalists, Abuja Rubicon led by Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika and Lintex Agad led by Bashir Dantata, saw Rubicon fought back from 3-goals deficit to win the competition by 7-6 at full time.
FirstBank’s sponsorship of the Georgian cup is perhaps the longest standing sports sponsorship in the world, a reflection of a long-lasting partnership that aligns with heritage, shared values, elite performance and quality, all attributes worthy of celebration. This record sponsorship has been filed by the Kaduna Polo Club for consideration by the Guinness Book of World Records under the longest main sponsorship of a sporting world championship title.
Expressing the Bank’s delight on the sponsorship, the Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Folake Ani-Mumuney said: “2019 is indeed an eventful year for us and one of the many highpoints since we were founded 125 years ago. Part of our excitement stems from the pride we feel at having supported the Georgian Cup Polo Tournament for 100 years consistently. We are indeed proud to achieve this feat as it reinforces our leadership role as an institution committed to the continued growth and development of sports and the economy at large.
“The Georgian Cup Polo Tournament is one of the many heritage sporting sponsorships supported by FirstBank over the years. Another example is the FirstBank 58th Lagos Amateur Golf Open tournament, in partnership with Ikoyi Club 1938 holding in November this year which we have also supported for 57 years. We dare say perhaps another record in sports sponsorship.”
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