Slingers' stars aim for wow factor

Singapore - The Singapore Slingers are looking to cash in on what its MD, Bob Turner, thinks very few companies in Singapore are doing effectively - utilising local athletes in the marketing mix.

Turner says he will be encouraging sponsors to use the Slingers in their marketing campaigns. He has already approached a small number of advertising agencies here, asking to be kept in mind if a client could use his team as a new strategy.

Using professional athletes to boost a marketing campaign's star power is a common strategy around the world, Turner said, but to date, it is rarely been done in Singapore.

"If we can help open the door we benefit short term. Companies who see the benefit will then be more inclined to want to do the same with other athletes," he said.

At least one current sponsor Marketing contacted agreed with Turner's direction. Devin Kimble, the MD for Menu, of which sponsor Brewerkz is a member, said "sports icons have resonance and this will definitely be something we will look at doing". Brewerkz has already sponsored the team to the tune of over $100,000, and the upcoming season will be the company's second year sponsoring.

"It's early days and relatively inexpensive for us to participate. You're not going to have to pay $5 million for them to represent your product right now. Marketers are going to be able to try it out and see if it works," Kimble said.

The initiative follows shortly after the organization announced it is adding three Asian foreign players in its starting line-up for the coming season. Filipino Jason Castro and half-Korean Eric Sandrin have been added to the roster, which includes Chinese player Darren Ng who is about to graduate from medical school. Brewerkz's Kimble said Ng could be a "phenomenal spokesperson" for a company and reckoned the team's non-Asian new draft, the 7-foot 4-inch tall Australian Sam Harris, was also very marketable.

"He's probably the biggest guy in Singapore so anyone trying to promote a jumbo product could use him," he said.

World Sport Group SVP for group sales and marketing Adrian New thinks the Singapore Slingers might be "on to something" and said "one of the keys to generating a sporting culture in Singapore, which is one of the Government's stated aims, is to give the kids here some role models that can inspire".

Recently Standard Chartered Bank doubled its sponsorship of the annual Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon from $1.05 million to $2 million, as reported by Marketing.