It's a fantastic opportunity to 'own' / become media partners with this very popular Fantasy Football game with the two largest circulating daily paid-for newspapers in the West Midlands (West Mids Express & Star & Shropshire Star) & their corresponding websites. The sponsorship will reach a huge audience of 655, 697 daily press readers & 380,000 monthly unique users. As well as delivering massive value to the client in terms of media over 10 months, the sponsor also has the opportunity to give the cash prizes to the winners, achieving a real local involvement in the game.

The marketing objective of the sponsorship is to provide a client with a unique opportunity for their brand to be associated closely with sport / football in this key region of the country via press & online. The sponsorship is flexible so that clients can change their creative as often as they like to run in line with any regional or national campaigns and clients can use the press space offered within the sponsorship when and how they like, so that this space can be used tactically around any key trading times or events across the 10 month football season.

The sponsorship starts in mid-July 2008 where the client's brand will be partnered with all promotional material launching the game to readers of the papers and users of the websites. This promotional activity will raise the awareness of the game within the region, ensuring that as many players as possible sign up and play. The sponsorship deal, then runs throughout the 08/09 football season, with a high volume of press and online promotional ads, plus dedicated space across both mediums where the client can use the space to communicate any tactical messages at any time.

Wickes sponsored the game for the 07/08 football season. Wickes used the sponsorship to strengthen their brand association with football / sport within the West Midlands, a key region for them. They used their partnership with Fantasy Football, to communicate to DIY shoppers but also, those that would be shopping for 'Trade' materials. They used the press space included, at key trading times to help drive footfall into stores and their constant branding across the season in press & online, also drove readers and online users to Wickes' own website, Wickes.co.uk.

The biggest benefit to any client, in terms of cost effectiveness, is that they will receive well over £150,000 worth of media value across press & online over the 10 months for a fraction of the investment. They will have a sporting partnership in an area where the population are sport / football mad! Also, one that covers a huge geographical area & reaches a massive audience and is flexible enough to provide a client with both long-term branding & tactical communications. The client can also benefit from receiving a database of email addresses from players that 'opt in'.