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Etihad Wins Sponsorship Award For Manchester City Partnership |
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Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has picked up top honours at the Arabian Sponsorship Awards 2010 for its partnership with English Premier League team, Manchester City Football Club. The Abu Dhabi-based airline won the award in the ‘International Sponsorship’ category at a gala ceremony which took place on Wednesday, December 8 at the Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The ‘International Sponsorship’ award covers sponsorship projects based in the Middle East which reach a minimum of three different countries in the region and have a global media footprint. Etihad was credited for its activation of the partnership in areas that included competitions and promotions in the local market as well as the highly popular Etihad Manchester City Soccer Schools during the winter months. Earlier this year, Etihad conducted a tour of malls in the UAE with a giant replica of the Manchester City shirt that gained 5,000 signatures and messages of good luck for the club ahead of the 2010/2011 English Premier League season. Etihad was also closely involved with the “Our Country versus Our City” match last year which saw many of the Manchester City star players take on the UAE national team in an exhibition match. Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Football is the most widely followed sport in the world and the English Premier League is one of the most popular leagues globally which means the association driven by sponsorship of a team like Manchester City is huge. “When the ownership of Manchester City came to Abu Dhabi, it made perfect sense for the airline to become the club’s lead sponsor. It provides us with a great opportunity to increase awareness of the airline and our daily services between Abu Dhabi and Manchester, a key route for us, as well as the UK market and our network in general. With a huge fan following around the world, Manchester City is a truly international sponsorship.” The judges were impressed with the planning and execution of Etihad’s sponsorship strategy, the objectives of which included raising global awareness of the airline and its brand, securing additional passenger revenues, building better relationships with new and existing corporate clients and helping to showcase Abu Dhabi to the rest of the world. Etihad continues to build ties with the city of Manchester and Manchester City FC and opened its new premium lounge at Manchester airport on Wednesday, December 8. The opening was attended by Roberto Mancini, Manchester City Manager and Garry Cook, Manchester City Chief Executive. |
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