Iris launches new sporting division

Iris has launched a new sports marketing division with a collective of specialists from sport, lifestyle and entertainment backgrounds.Iris SPORT will be rolled out globally across the iris worldwide network – with teams already in position in Amsterdam, Singapore and Sydney. Over the last 16 years, iris has been behind some of the most memorable and unique sports campaigns – from its seven year partnership with Johnnie Walker in Singapore for Step Inside The Circuit, to adidas There Will Be Haters, to the Force Of Black activations for the All Blacks at the 2015 Rugby World Cup and others.However according to the agency, brands and sports properties aren't harnessing the opportunities available to them. Many are still prioritising traditional media approaches rather than real innovation, and not evaluating whether activity or assets are driving any real business or brand value.Nico Tuppen (pictured), managing director, Iris SPORT said: “Sports marketing is still stuck in a 1970’s world. It is still middle-aged men talking about passion and glory, trying hard, and the joy of being a fan. A whole new generation of male and female sports lovers is bored of this. They want sport to be colourful, diverse, entertaining, social.”He added the audience now wants brands, assets and campaigns to be more creative, more provocative and more challenging.Iris Sport will work closely with the micro-network’s consulting, CRM, data and insight team, iris Concise, to add commercial rigour across all activity; from identifying the right partnership or influencer, to evaluating the activity and proving its worth. It will provide performance metrics from sponsored assets, real time analysis of the activity and better integration of campaign metrics from the start.Tuppen: “This is where the real difference (and benefit for clients) lies; our approach with iris SPORT actually understands the real commercial return of sports marketing. It is this unrivalled blend of resource, experience and capability that ensures our clients sports activations always win. We have already seen what we do completely transform our clients business and approach.”