30 Nov The power of fandata in the sponsorship model of Team Jumbo-Visma
The cycling team of Jumbo-Visma is the number one team in the world, winning on 48 occasions in 2022. The most remarkable being of course the Tour de France victory by Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark. It’s important for Team Jumbo-Visma (TJV) to not only rely on the traditional way of sponsoring with a name featured on the jersey, but to also make the most out of the most recent technical possibilities. That’s why they teamed up with Dutch digital sportmarketing consultant Techonomy four years ago to create a fanbase model. A growing portion of Team Jumbo-Visma’s budget is now derived from that database.
How can a team like Jumbo-Visma develop a business model in which they aren’t fully relying on the logos and names of companies on the jersey? Which value models are created by all the new digital possibilities? And how can the growing, international fan base be optimally deployed? Those are the questions that brought Techonomy and TJV together. Techonomy has vast experience and knowledge in the field and came up with the fanbase model. This consists of several solutions that help build TJV a sustainable income flow from other sources.
The database of Team Jumbo-Visma fans and cycling enthusiasts had to be filled and enriched. TJV would not only benefit from knowing who their fans are, but also what kind of fans they are. Are they themselves avid cyclists? Or just amateurs who ride once a week? Do they follow the team intensively? Or just now and then? What is their level of engagement? The more you know about the people in your database, the more you can cater to their wishes. And for sponsoring purposes, the more efficient your campaigns can be.
The fanbase model has several subsections. Team Jumbo-Visma firstly took control of their e-commerce by selling their own gear and accessories from a shop on their website. That way it was possible to utilize the database and send specific offers. Next to that TJV increased fan activities. Exclusive gatherings around cycling races, where (former) pro cyclists give clinics, workshops or share inspiring stories.
A third section of the fanbase model is sponsorship. It has developed into an attractive way of connecting with new and existing sponsors. For example; a sponsor focused on cleaning supplies for racebikes knows its campaigns will have a higher result when they target (together with the marketing team of TJV) a group that are avid cyclists, rather than the fans that just follow the team and don’t cycle themselves, in order to have a higher return. In this way, Team Jumbo-Visma can simultaneously conduct a second campaign aimed at other target groups. Simply because they know the people in the database.
Team Jumbo-Visma now gets a sizable portion of their revenue from the fanbase model, ensuring an income with many partners. Interested in finding out more of the solutions Techonomy has to offer for your business? Check in with Damian François, business director. Send him an email at [email protected] to discuss your business opportunities.
