By Mark Baber
May 5 – The Premier League’s new ‘clean brand’ strategy took a big step forward as Carling was announced as Official Beer Partner of the Premier League in a new deal which will cover the three seasons from 2016/17 to 2018/19.
For Carling the deal marks a continuation of a long-standing association with football – having been the first ever title sponsor of the Premier League in a relationship that lasted eight seasons from 1993 to 2001, and title sponsor of the Carling Cup for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012.
Premier League managing director Richard Masters commented on the new deal saying: “We are very pleased that Carling has chosen to partner with the Premier League for the next three season, They have some exciting plans for engaging fans in pubs and homes across the country and their track record of sponsoring top-level football, including the Premier League itself, will make them a great fit as our Official Beer Partner.
“The compelling football put on by our clubs this season is providing a fantastic platform for the League to take forward its new sponsorship strategy.”
With Barclays title sponsorship coming to an end, the Premier League has put in place a revamped structure built on seven sponsors instead of one so that, in the words of Masters, it is possible to have “interesting conversations” with a breadth of partners which may yield more revenue than a single title sponsorship and which will give clubs more freedom to strike their own commercial deals – with the Premier League able to focus developing its own brand rather than that of a title sponsor.
Jim Shearer, Carling Brand Director for Molson Coors said: “Carling and the Premier League are both great British brands who are proud to play a role in the nation’s conversations. This is the perfect partnership for us as it represents a point of passion for our consumers, can deliver scale, and is befitting of a number one brand within its category.
“Together with our large network of retailers and pubs, as well as the partnership we have with Sky, we’ll be finding ways to use our unique access to the Premier League to give Carling drinkers more reasons to get together and keep the stories going long after the final whistle has blown.”
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