General Motors is working out how it will spend the money saved by scrapping ads on Facebook and pulling out of the Super Bowl.
But it has decided that at least some will go toward a five-year deal to make Chevrolet the official automotive sponsor of Manchester United, the popular British soccer club.
GM formally announced the partnership on Thursday, saying that it’s part of the plan to make Chevy an iconic brand across the globe. Under the Manchester United deal, Chevrolet will sponsor preseason matches in China against Shanghai Shenhua and a yet-to-be announced team.
The company wouldn’t say how much the deal will cost. Paul Edwards, its executive director for global marketing strategy, says it has nothing to do with GM’s decisions on Facebook and the Super Bowl.
Manchester United claims to be the most popular sports franchise in the world. Its fan base has doubled in the past five years to 659 million people, according to research done for the team. That’s nearly one tenth of the world’s population. Half of the fans are in Asia, with many in China, where GM sells more cars than in any other country.
While the deal should help Chevy globally, GM will keep strong ad campaigns and sponsorships in each of its regions, including sporting events and concerts in the U.S., Edwards says.
GM’s shunning of Facebook and the Super Bowl brought criticism from the advertising and auto industries, and it left many wondering about GM’s strategy. For instance, the Super Bowl audience would have been a perfect for the company, which will introduce new pickup trucks next year.
The Detroit company will no longer spend $10 million for ads on Facebook pages because they aren’t effective, it says. It will continue to have pages for its cars, trucks and brands. Those pages, just like ones for people, are free, although GM will still spend millions on videos and other content for them.”
The company also said it pulled out of the Super Bowl after CBS, the network airing the game, raised prices.
GM still plans to spend $4.5 billion globally on advertising this year, the same amount as last year. Edwards says regional spending also will remain steady.
The Manchester United deal “doesn’t mean we’re walking away from Major League Baseball here in the U.S., or the National Football League,” he says.
GM will spend the Super Bowl money in more places more often to attract a big audience, Edwards says. For example, GM will reach truck customers through upcoming events such as the Summer Olympic in London, baseball and football games leading up to the Super Bowl.
Manchester United got its fan base data from the Kantar research firm, which surveyed 54,000 people in 39 countries. A similar survey in 2007 indicated that Manchester United had 333 million fans, based on 27,000 responses.
HBO Inks Two-Year First-Look Deal With Sharon Horgan and Her Production Company Merman
HBO has signed a two-year first-look television deal with BAFTA-winning and Emmy®-nominated actor, writer, and producer Sharon Horgan (“Bad Sisters,” “Catastrophe”) and her multi award-winning production company Merman. HBO has also given a straight-to-series order for a new original comedy series, the first project under this deal, from Horgan and produced by Merman, with Horgan serving as writer, star, and executive producer.
This comedy series follows a 50-year-old divorcee’s search for sex and love while juggling caring for her ailing parents and parenting her should-be grown up son.
Amy Gravitt, executive VP, HBO & Max Comedy Programming, said, “We’re thrilled to be reunited with Sharon. Her willingness to offer up her own experiences through the characters she creates makes us all feel a little less lonely, that is what sets her comedy apart so brilliantly. She also has such a sharp eye for material and a strong desire to shepherd other people’s stories, we’re looking forward to the new talent she will bring into the fold.”
Horgan said, “I’m so happy to once again be working with Casey [Bloys], Amy, Francesca [Orsi] and the team at HBO, and really excited that Merman get to continue to tell stories for a company that’s been home to some of the most iconic television shows ever created.”
Horgan has created and starred in such series as “Pulling,” “Catastrophe,” “Motherland,” “Amandaland” and BAFTA and Peabody winning series “Bad Sisters,” which recently released its second season. She received Emmy® nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (“Catastrophe”), Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (“Bad... Read More