It has been unanimously agreed that the third year of the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix has been the most successful and impressive event compared to the previous two races held in Bahrain and one of the reasons behind this is the rigorous marketing plan that was skillfully planned, managed and run by BIC’s Marketing Manager, Samer Al Shaikh.
“This year’s F1 Marketing Campaign was unprecedented and its uniqueness was due to a number of reasons, most importantly its new strategic approach, said Al-Shaikh. “The marketing team launched the campaign three months prior to the event, slightly later than anticipated by the public, in order to create a shocking affect and attract maximum attention within a specific time period. This year’s campaign ran for 14 weeks compared to the 24-week period implemented during the two previous F1 races. When it comes to media spent, the campaign focused on quality, not quantity.”
The studies and research significantly contributed to the success of the marketing campaign as most of the F1 advertising decisions were based on comprehensive studies on quality and quantity. The research helped the marketing team to become aware of the public’s demands and base their strategy on these findings.
“This year we maximized our marketing vehicles to cover several markets (Bahrain, KSA, UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon and part of Europe). We have used more than 17 TV stations, 40 regional magazines, more than 15 newspaper, 6 radio stations and 20 cinema screens, more than 60 outdoor faces, internet and many more. Different messages were communicated based on the region, which has resulted in a stronger impact and immediate reaction from each target market” added Al-Shaikh.
The marketing team didn’t classify the community according to the age, income and gender. Instead, the classification was based on demands and wishes of F1 aficionados and families who were looking for fun and family entertainment.
Talal Al Zain, BIC Chairman, said “Samer Al Shaikh and his team worked hard and exerted diligent efforts to make this event successful and a unique experience for the audience.”
“The public was talking about the event with eagerness and anticipation before it was even kicked off. Our focus was on the family and fortunately they were amongst the majority of our audience during the race. Samer and his team ensured a great event and we hope we will build upon this success to make future races even more attractive”, he said.
All members of the BIC’s marketing team are lovers of creativity and innovation. Their motto is “If you want to be distinguished, you need to be different”. The entire team has significantly benefited from the experience gained during the F1 races and they are committed to organizing events of international standards.
“Working on this year’s campaign was a challenge that we all enjoyed and learned from. I can’t think of another brand to promote which impacts a whole nation to feel proud,” said Al-Shaikh.
Shaikh Salman Bin Isa Al Khalifa, Head of Public Relations and Government Affairs in the BIC attributes the success of the event to the marketing plan. He highlighted that Samer Al Shaikh and his team benefited from the studies carried out following the two previous races and they exerted great efforts in overcoming all obstacles they faced in the past.
“The entire audience realized the remarkable difference this year. They also noticed that the marketing campaign focused on four different aspects including the sports fans, celebrities and glamour, the family, and the race. This made the race a festival and the service zone in the BIC the best, thanks to the marketing team’s dedication and loyalty.”
The marketing and promotion activities for the 2006 Grand Prix exceeded anything that the circuit had achieved in previous years and received plaudits from people from throughout the region as well as visitors from around the world.
“Indeed, you know when your marketing programme is working when people start talking about it,” said Martin Whitaker, General Manager of BIC. “By focusing on a strategy that targeted the enjoyment, spirit and family values associated with Formula One, we were able to attract the consideration of a much wider audience while going to the market place later than in previous years and with a much more vibrant campaign we were able to increase the overall awareness in a much stronger manner.”
“The marketing team at BIC should be applauded for the way in which it brought enthusiasm and verve by colouring the whole region with a unique campaign that made the Kingdom of Bahrain proud to be hosting the opening round of the world’s most watched sport,” he added.
Last year, the BIC managed to organize more than four international events, besides the national championships. Any organization requires miraculous efforts to launch five worldwide campaigns. The marketing skills of the team have greatly improved over the years, hence, making them able to make the right decisions at the right times.
“All members of the team worked hard and exerted long hours but they enjoyed every second of this campaign. We were inspired by the support we received from the Crown Prince H.H Shaikh Salman bin Hamad, BIC’s Board Members and BIC’s Management team” said Al Shaikh. “Next year our challenge is not to maintain the same success rate but rather to double it through better planning.”
“With such wonderful success stories, Bahrain has reaffirmed its unique position on the worldwide map, making the country a leader in this sector” concluded Al-Shaikh.
