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Comperio Research – the research arm of IMG – recently conducted a valuation of the sponsorship rights to the JB Group Classic 2008. The study was commissioned by The Hong Kong Tennis Patrons’ Association (TPA), who as organisers of the tournament required research to help them quantify the return on investment (ROI) delivered to sponsors.

Comperio’s study revealed that the event generated over HK$400 million in sponsorship value for the sponsors.

The JB Group Classic, is a Hong Kong based annual tennis tournament and the 2008 edition played for four days from January 2nd to January 5th. The event attracted six of the world’s top eleven tennis stars, including Maria Sharapova, Venus Wiilliams and Ana Ivanovic. JB Group, which is one of India’s foremost business conglomerates came on board this year to replace Watsons Water as title sponsor. The tournament also managed to attract an impressive line-up of principal sponsors such as Canon, Cathay Pacific Airways and Maserati.

The TPA recognise that the sponsorship industry is becoming increasingly results-orientated and were therefore keen to help their sponsors evaluate the ROI they had achieved. To this end the company approached Comperio Research, who was known to them through their work with the ATP Tour.

Comperio devised a robust research programme that was driven by their global sponsorship valuation product, Sponsor Return™, which computes how sponsors’ rights translate into return on investment. The product monitored coverage across all forms of media, outdoor branding and event collateral, with a view to measuring the full breadth and depth of the brand exposure achieved by sponsors.

Comperio not only reported on the quantity of brand visibility, but also the quality, and was able to identify the most successful sources of exposure.

Further interesting findings uncovered by the research are:

• The event was broadcast across the globe for a total of 244 hours
• The quality of brand exposure achieved by the JB Group, was 20% more effective than that obtained by your average title sponsor

Commenting on the study, Terry Catton, Co-Tournament Director of the Hong Kong Tennis Patrons’ Association said : “Comperio’s sponsorship evaluation is an essential piece of research. After securing such a prestigious roster of sponsors we felt it only right that we communicate to them the true benefit of their investment, which fortunately Comperio’s research has enabled us to do. Additionally, we are now not only aware of where we have performed well in terms of media coverage, but also where we can possibly generate additional coverage. This information is vital in outlining how to deliver value to sponsors at future events.”