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MoneyGram, a global money transfer and payment services provider, has extended its sponsorship agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for an additional eight years. It will sponsor all tournaments sanctioned by cricket’s governing body and other associated events till the end of 2023.
MoneyGram first associated with ICC in 2010, through a five-year contract that included sponsorship of the 2011 and 2015 World Cup tournaments. Based on the results, it decided on the eight-year extension.
MoneyGram’s idea is to reach out to expatriates from India in places with a strong affiliation for cricket (UK, Australia, etc). And, markets like America where cricket is not among the top sports but has a strong South Asian community that plays it at an amateur level.
“Cricket touches many lives,” observes Juan Agualimpia, MoneyGram’s executive vice-president and chief marketing officer. “Indian expats in the US differ from those in the UK and Middle East in terms of how long they have been there and the kind of work they do. However, two things are common — they send money home (to India) and are most likely cricket fans. Through the ICC sponsorship, we want to marry these two common factors and become the most preferred money transfer service. Already over the past five to six years, we have seen the brand awareness and recall grow by 80 per cent among the TG (target group).”
While details of the financials were not available, Aqualimpia said the monies invested for this association were part of the global marketing budget, five percent of the annual budget. While the sponsorship deal will give MoneyGram visibility in terms of on-ground and on-air advertising, it also intends to engage audiences on the ground.
For example, in the US, it has launched a MoneyGram Cricket Club, which engages witj as many as 4,000 amateur cricket clubs which comprise mostly South Asian expats there.
As an extension, MoneyGram will be holding bowling challenges to interact with young audiences in as many as 100 cities in India. Apart from this, the company will continue doing trophy tours and roadshows around ICC events.
“I am delighted that MoneyGram has decided to continue to support cricket by extending its relationship with (us),” said ICC chief executive DavidRichardson. “The T20 format has brought in a lot of women viewership and we hope women’s cricket, too, finds its way around the world. Sponsors are the lifeline for any sport.”
Late last year, ICC announced an eight-year association with automobile manufacturer Nissan, replacing Hyundai as a commercial partner. Oppo Mobile has also been brought in as a long-term commercial partner.
