WAA helps clients prepare for a flying start to 2012

24th October 2011, by Dan Clifford

Putting together an annual marketing plan might be more of a marathon than a sprint, but our clients were given a 2012 insight into how to dart from the blocks at a recent Alexander Stadium event.

Next year is set to be a big one for many reasons, with the economic picture becoming clearer and a host of key sporting events in the calendar - headlined by the Olympic games which begin in July.

So to that end, WAAs ‘Flying Start to 2012’ event had a distinctly athletic theme - with former Olympic 400 metre runner Daniel Caines delivering a speech which highlighted:

The mindset of an athlete and how business can learn from their preparation and planning 

The focus on performing all the time but peaking on the most important occasions 

How businesses can link with athletes ahead of 2012 to achieve mutual goals

With that in mind, we also invited leading legal firm Browne Jacobson to outline the various different legislation surrounding marketing activity around the Olympic Games in London, with Sara McNeill walking attendees through the major dos and don’ts.

By using live examples of marketing materials that either complied or breached the IP rules, Sara was able to address many of the questions and concerns raised by clients about how they support the games and engage their audiences without enraging the powers that be!

And finally on the speaking front, WAA’s master of creative Chris Bailey delivered a thought provoking piece on standing out in a crowded marketplace.

He said: "Everyone is fighting for the same pound now - and you cannot win that fight by simply shouting louder and louder.

"Brands need to find an ownable space and the show customers how they can add value and provide them with a great experience. It is too easy to get sucked into marketing the same way as everybody else to make sure you don’t miss out, but in truth that does nothing to get you selected."

And with high performance at the forefront of their minds, everybody headed to the Alex’s indoor athletics centre where World and Olympic champions Darren Campbell and Philips Idowu were joined by London 2012 high jump hopeful Tom Parsons and world renowned coach Toni Minichello for a session of insight and demonstrations.

Within just a few short minutes, Tom and Philips had willing participants (including WAA founder Andy Wilson) leaping like Salmon while Toni Minichello and Darren Campbell trained their own sprint sides in a team challenge.

Andy said: "The event was a great balance between planning and creative tips for 2012, insight into Olympic opportunities and the chance to get into the minds of some of Great Britain’s most successful past and present athletes."