MAM
Waitrose is England’s cricket team sponsor
MUMBAI: UK supermarket Waitrose has signed a three-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board to become the new team sponsor of England Cricket from next year.
The Waitrose logo will feature on all England teams playing and training wear from the Investec Test Series against Sri Lanka in May 2014, and their tenure includes home series against India (2014) and Australia (2015), the ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand (2015), the ICC World Twenty20 and ICC Women‘s World T20 in India (2016), and the tour of South Africa (2016).
Waitrose has 291 branches throughout England, Wales and Scotland. It also has an online grocery service and exports to 45 countries around the world.
ECB CEO David Collier said, “We are delighted to welcome Waitrose as the new sole sponsor of our England teams. The organisation begins their relationship with the sport with one of our marquee partnerships, and as a brand with a rich history synonymous with quality, they are a perfect fit for the ECB and our values.
“They join at an incredibly exciting time for the sport in England and Wales – with a packed international schedule including Test series against the other three teams who occupy the top four spots in the ICC Test Rankings.
“The partnership will allow us to engage further with a mass, family audience which will inevitably help us achieve our aim of inspiring the nation to play, attend and follow more cricket.”
ECB commercial director John Perera said, “This partnership is especially pleasing for us as we welcome another high profile, high-street brand into our ever-expanding commercial partner family.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Brit who has been an excellent and valued partner of the ECB since 2010, and will remain as Team Sponsor until April 2014.”
Waitrose MD Mark Price said, “We currently export our products to a quarter of the world‘s countries and associating Waitrose with this great national and international sport will enable us to build our brand globally.”
Waitrose marketing director Rupert Thomas said, “Millions of people play and watch cricket in the UK and at the heart of the game is the cricket tea which of course Waitrose is perfectly placed to provide. We look forward to developing this exciting relationship and bringing benefits to our customers, the Partners who work at Waitrose and the wider community.”
As part of the agreement, Waitrose will benefit from a range of rights and assets which will include advertising in international cricket grounds, team image rights, ticketing, hospitality and access to England players for commercial and marketing purposes. The agreement also includes a community and recreational project for the sport, details of which will be revealed at a later date.
Brands
Perfetti Van Melle names BWO as Chupa Chups licensing partner in India
Partnership expands iconic confectionery brand into lifestyle categories
MUMBAI: Perfetti Van Melle has appointed Black White Orange Brands Pvt. Ltd. as the official licensing agent for its iconic Chupa Chups in India, marking a push to extend the brand beyond sweets into lifestyle categories.
Under the agreement, Black White Orange will develop and manage the licensing programme across segments such as apparel, accessories, home goods, personal care and back-to-school products. The move signals a broader strategy to tap into India’s growing appetite for brand-led consumer products.
Known for its colourful identity and instantly recognisable logo created by Salvador DalÃ, Chupa Chups has evolved into a global pop-culture icon. The India licensing programme aims to translate that playful appeal into products tailored for local consumers.
Perfetti Van Melle area licensing manager Anna Amat said the partnership would help unlock opportunities beyond confectionery, adding that the company sees strong potential for the brand’s expansion in India.
Black White Orange Brands Pvt. Ltd. co-founder and COO Mitali Desai noted that the focus will be on building a visually distinctive and design-led licensing portfolio that reflects the brand’s playful identity.
With India’s retail landscape evolving rapidly, the partnership is expected to drive collaborations with manufacturers and retailers across fashion, lifestyle and gifting segments. Product rollouts are likely to begin in phases through key distribution channels.
As global brands look to deepen their footprint in India, Chupa Chups’ move from candy counters to lifestyle shelves could add a fresh pop of colour to the market.
