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Comperio Research – the research arm of IMG – recently conducted a valuation of the sponsorship rights to the China Tennis Open 2008. The study was commissioned by the event organisers in a bid to quantify the return on investment (ROI) which was delivered to the sponsoring brands.

Comperio’s study revealed that sponsors of the event garnered brand exposure with an equivalent gross advertising value of some US$150 million.

The China Open is an annual ATP tennis tournament and the 2008 edition played for nine days in September at the Beijing Sports Centre. The event attracted some of the biggest names in tennis such as Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Andy Roddick, and also managed to secure some of the world’s most iconic brands as sponsors including Rolex, Panasonic and Beijing Mercedes Benz; with the latter acting as title sponsor.

Comperio’s robust research programme was driven by their global sponsorship valuation product, Sponsor Return™, which calculates how brand exposure translates into ROI. The product tracked coverage of the event across television, press, internet and outdoor media, with a view to measuring the full breadth and depth of exposure delivered to sponsors.

Comperio’s methodology involved reporting not only on the quantity of brand visibility but also the quality — an approach which enabled the company to identify where, when and how the most effective ROI was achieved.

Further interesting findings uncovered by the research are:

• The China Open 2008 gained 492 hours of global television coverage, most of which was generated via live programming

• The title sponsor Beijing Mercedes-Benz received the most substantial brand exposure, achieving a gross media value of US$38 million

Commenting on the study Lawrence Li, PR Director of the China Open, said: “The China Open continues to go from strength to strength and is recognised as a critical event on the Beijing sporting calendar, which is why we always manage to attract an illustrious gathering of sponsors. However with the advent of the economic downturn, we recognise the importance of brands being able to justify their sponsorship spend. This is what makes Comperio’s analysis so relevant, as it enables us to demonstrate to our sponsors the true value of their endorsement of The China Open. This information equips us with the leverage we need not only to retain current sponsors but also to attract sponsors for forthcoming events.