I don’t want to decry or be negative about what the board or associated people have done for the club from where we were a few weeks ago and what we were facing. However after the recent announcements and Wednesday LISA meeting personally I feel we have missed a massive branding, product awareness and revenue opportunity with our 2012 shirt.
Like many other supporters of this club I am very grateful for the people and organisations that paid monies to go in the draw to be our main 2012 shirt sponsor. I think there were 18 names on the list, a draw took place for one of them to be the main 2012 shirt sponsor Widdows Mason being the successful winner.
All above board wonderful, or is it?
I looked at the list and one name really stood out for me, a brand name that is recognised globally that Leigh Centurions would be associated with for the 2012 season, perhaps beyond!
Yes you guessed it TESCO and in the light of today’s announcement by the club it makes more sense than ever. Let me explain.
I don’t doubt Widdows Mason are a reputable company of solicitors many people would say like they did at the LISA meeting it makes sense to have them as 2012 shirt sponsor for the Centurions. I think you will all agree many people will recognise their name around Leigh and surrounding area.
But step out of the Leigh area and people would not have a clue or for that matter be interested in the shirt sponsor.
Change that to a different sponsor namely TESCO and wow I think everyone would know who they are from the length and breadth of the UK to around the globe! We would be associated with a global brand something the majority of super duper clubs don’t have and would die for!
The leverage and opportunity this possibly could bring having TESCO as our 2012 shirt sponsor is phenomenal to say the least.
Being a sales director in corporate organisation to have this type of opportunity in front of me like the Centurions have is a dream come true! It gives us instant brand recognition on a scale a club like Centurions can only dream of, perhaps once in a life time.
Trevor Barton was really excited last night about today’s launch of people buying goods and services through the Centurions website that the club launched today. He talked about the site traffic (hits to the centurions website) and how good it was etc, I think he quoted 2 million hits.
Brilliant but what could it be?
If Tesco were our 2012 shirt sponsor, I thank the person who introduced them to the club as it gives the club the opportunity to talk with TESCO with a different perspective. What could the hits be if TESCO made an announcement on their website something along the lines of........
“TESCO are proud to announce their 2012 shirt sponsorship of Leigh Centurions a founder member of rugby league. The Centurions are an integral part of the Leigh community in conjunction with the TESCO community promise in actively supporting local communities.
To find out more about the Centurions visit their website at
www.leighcenturions.com
If we just gained 0.1% of hits from the TESCO website you are talking a phenomenal increase to the Centurions website on a UK possibly global basis. Link that with buying products the numbers are simply staggering. (Yes I have worked them out) You would be surprised the amount of people who visit the TESCO website on a daily basis and what that could do and mean to the Centurions and Leigh as a community!
I would like to think if members of the board read this they do at least think about it perhaps do something about it because done properly this could represent a significant revenue and branding opportunity for the club and Leigh as a community!
Act locally but play globally you know it makes sense!
Just think we might even see the Leigh Centurions 2012 shirt for sale in Tesco Wigan!!!!!!!!!
