Tadej Pogacar wore a Breitling Endurance Pro and he was the winning cyclist of the TDF. What does this mean in terms of value for the brand?
The value is two-fold. From a product perspective, showing that our watch can perform on the wrist of the winner of the greatest cycling race in the world is the ultimate endorsement of the Endurance Pro.
From a brand perspective, it reflects Breitling’s rich history in cycling. We partnered with the Grand Tours and the World Championships, and in the 1950s, we even worked with Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, two of the sport’s greatest competitors.
It’s a heritage we are extremely proud of, and Tadej’s place on the Champs Elysees podium represents our return to the top step of the sport.
And last but not least, it’s of course visibility. Millions of people around the globe saw our Endurance Pro on Tadej’s wrist, which is priceless.
What are the main objectives for Breitling in its sports sponsorships?
We believe that sponsorships and brand partnerships can be a strong driver of our brand and our business – as long as it’s done right. We have a very specific sponsorship strategy in place, with three objectives:
- Bring the Breitling brand to life in the four segments we plan in: Air, Land, Sea and Professional. We have partnerships dedicated for each of these segments.
- Focus on accessible sports such as surfing and triathlon to shift perception towards our more casual, inclusive vision of luxury, which is the core of our brand positioning. We consciously stay away from the typical “luxury” sports such as Formula One or big yacht sailing.
- Ensure a perfect fit with our brand values, also on a personal level with each ambassador.
What kind of results might a watch brand expect from a sports partnership, and how is it good for business?
Sponsorship is a great way to achieve the type of perception shift I mentioned, because it lets watches exist in worlds that people relate to like, for example, in the world of cinema for our Premier or the world of cycling for the Endurance Pro.
Sports sponsorship specifically allows us to share in the highs, offer our support during the lows, and, in the case of the Endurance Pro, place our product at the very heart of the action as you saw during the Tour de France.
Breitling’s CMO Tim Sayler.