Motorsport PR

CLIENT

Noble Group-GruppeM Racing

EVENT

The Noble Group-GruppeM Racing team was set up with the sole aim of becoming the first ever Hong Kong team to take part in the world’s greatest endurance race, the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Spearheaded by Hong Kong racing driver Matthew Marsh, the team was backed by two Hong Kong-based multinational companies, Noble Group and the William E Connor Group, and the Chinese-owned GruppeM Racing team based in the UK.

Noble Group-GruppeM Racing was formed in April 2005 with the intention of campaigning in a series of endurance races in Europe, the US and Asia in an effort to secure an invitation to race at Le Mans in June 2006.

THE BRIEF

To handle PR on behalf of Noble Group-GruppeM Racing on a local, regional and worldwide basis, beginning with the team’s formation through to the 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours. This would include planning and organising the team’s official launch party.

OBJECTIVES

1. To mount an innovative and resourceful PR campaign that would attract and sustain media and public interest.
2. To propel Noble Group-GruppeM Racing – and Hong Kong motor racing – into the global spotlight.
3. To capitalise on the widespread public interest and gain maximum exposure for the team and its sponsors.

TOOLS

Due to its vast experience in sports media and its extensive networking, Two Up Front had built up a worldwide distribution list of more than 1,800 motorsport media contacts – in newspapers and specialist magazines, terrestrial and satellite TV, radio and new media. It was also decided that press releases would be distributed in English and traditional Chinese in a determined effort to reach out to Hong Kong and Taiwan’s significant Chinese-language media and that, when appropriate, releases would also be translated to simplified Chinese for the mainland China market.

PR CAMPAIGN

This began on 20 April 2005 with the first press release – containing quotes from Matthew Marsh and leading sponsors – announcing the formation of the team and its goal of competing at Le Mans. A supplementary release about the Le Mans race, containing historical facts and figures, was also distributed.

Over the following weeks, the team was kept in the media spotlight with further new releases about support for the team from former Le Mans champion Allan McNish and the Hong Kong Automobile Association, while feature stories about Matthew and team sponsor Chip Connor, of the William E Connor Group, were also distributed and published. Further publicity came with the announcement that Hong Kong-based driver Darryl O’Young would be one of Matthew’s co-drivers.

Official Team Launch: On 24 June, Noble Group-GruppeM Racing was officially launched with a press conference and VIP cocktail party at one of Hong Kong’s trendiest nightspots, “1/5”. Almost 50 media personnel attended the press conference – the highlight of which was the unveiling of the team’s Porsche GT3 RSR racing car outside the venue. The car remained on display for the duration of the cocktail party, which was attended by almost 300 guests, including sponsors, sports personalities, leading socialites and key figures from the world of business and commerce. The event attracted widespread coverage on the evening television news and in the next day’s print media.

Two Up Front planned, organised and executed the press conference and VIP cocktail party. This included: invitations to the media and VIP party guests; securing the venue; overseeing F&B arrangements; arranging police and local government permits for the racing car to be brought to and parked outside the venue; overseeing delivery of the car and arranging security; overseeing venue set-up, including seating, lighting and light show, video screens, sound and press conference backdrop; writing and producing bilingual (English and Chinese) press packs that included press release, driver profiles, car specifications and a CD-ROM of photographs; providing a celebrity MC and interpreter; providing and briefing the event photographer and videographer; and staffing the reception area to welcome guests.

The following month, Two Up Front maintained the PR campaign by issuing press releases and photographs from the team’s test drives at Snetterton circuit in the UK and subsequent appearances in high-profile endurance races in Italy (Monza), the UK (Silverstone) and Germany (Nurburgring).

Media trip to Zhuhai International Circuit: On 23 October 2005, Noble Group-GruppeM Racing took part in an FIA GT endurance race at Zhuhai in southern China. Two Up Front arranged and supervised a day-long press trip for 15 selected sportswriters and photographers to attend the race as guests of tyre manufacturer Michelin Motorsport, see the team in action and speak to the drivers. Two Up Front organised press permits and VIP passes, arranged transportation from Hong Kong and ensured access to key areas of the circuit. The press trip resulted in outstanding media coverage.

Car display and driver autograph session: On 8 December 2005, the team’s car went on display inside Hong Kong’s newest and most prestigious shopping centre, IFC Mall, with drivers Matthew and Darryl on hand to sign autographs for fans. Two Up Front sent out personalised media notices, resulting in widespread newspaper coverage and a tremendous turn-out from the general public, who were keen to meet the drivers and see the car.

The PR campaign continued in January 2006 with a press release announcing Hong Kong racing legend Charles Kwan would be coming out of retirement to join the team as co-driver.

Eventually, Noble Group-GruppeM Racing was unable to secure an invitation to the Le Mans 24 Hours, but Matthew’s performances for the team and his increased international profile saw him invited to join a top team in another of Europe’s great endurance races, the Nurburgring 24 Hours in Germany. Following the race, Two Up Front wrapped up the PR campaign on a high note with a press release announcing that Matthew, sharing a Porsche with three German drivers, had finished 10th overall out of 220 cars and second in his class.

SUMMARY

The Hong Kong Le Mans project resulted in more than 230 newspaper and magazine stories in Hong Kong alone, with thousands more mentions in regional publications. Further, the campaign resulted in several hundred articles on international motorsport websites.