By Martin Vedris
BRISBANE: Wow Sight & Sound will once again have a presence in the V8 Supercar Championship Series as they sponsor a car in the 2008 series as part of the WPS/WOW Racing Team. They will also be associated with basketball, the Brisbane Broncos and Australia Zoo.
WOW Sight & Sound advertising and marketing manager John Karibalis said sponsoring the V8 Supercars is working for his brand. Karibalis indicated that since the retailer commenced its sponsorship in the V8 series in 2005, the company had enjoyed “tremendous brand exposure around Australia and New Zealand”, and as the 2008 season gears-up they look forward to attracting even more customers to their retail chain as it expands into regions outside it’s traditional Queensland home base.
“It’s great exposure for us and fits in well with our target audience,” Karibalis said.
“The WOW brand is all about excitement and fun, just like motor racing is, and this year we believe WPS/WOW racing will be more competitive than ever. We’ll be introducing new livery very soon and I know driver Max Wilson is keen to get behind the wheel again and improve on the 2007 season.”
The car will make its first on-track appearance at Queensland Raceway in Ipswich on February 14.
WOW Retail Director Con Nicolas said WOW Sight & Sound was also achieving equally great returns from other sponsorship away from motor sport. The retailer is a major sponsor of leading NRL team the WOW Brisbane Broncos and NBL favourites the Cairns Taipans, and in 2007 became a Platinum Sponsor of the world famous Australia Zoo.
“All of our sponsorships are working together to deliver an extraordinarily high level of brand awareness for us,” he said.
“At Australia Zoo we are supporting the conservation and humanitarian efforts of the organisation and the work of the Irwin Family. We’ve managed to marry our community goals with our desire to help the environment and protect Australia’s unique biodiversity. We are now Australia Zoo’s technology partner and an honorary member of the Australia Zoo team.”
Nicolas said with 12 WOW Sight and Sound stores operating along the eastern seaboard, and several more expected to open in the 2008 calendar year, the company’s sponsorship initiatives were important to exposing the retail brand in new markets around Australia.
“From the WPS/WOW Racing team to the WOW Brisbane Broncos and Australia Zoo, we have high profile investments in place to connect with our customers and grow our brand. It’s as exciting for us as it is for those who shop at our stores. It will definitely be a year of new people experiencing the excitement and entertainment that WOW Sight and Sound is famous for on and off the track.”