Visma has signed an agreement to extend its title sponsorship agreement with W Sportsmedia. Visma has been the title sponsor of the long-distance skiing championship since 2015, and the renewed agreement is set to last until May 2022.
"Sponsoring Visma Ski Classics over the last four years has been a success story for Visma. The ski tour continues to grow in popularity, giving our brand great exposure and positive attention," said Øystein Moan, CEO of Visma.
Close to 20 million viewers across the world watch the televised events each season. The media exposure has also been significant; the total readership of online articles amounted to over 150 million worldwide.
Visma part of the development
"Continuing with Visma as title partner for the upcoming years is very positive for the tour, they are a strong partner in the development of Ski Classics. The way Visma activate their engagement in Ski Classics can be used as a role-model of how sports marketing can be a great tool to engage an entire organisation, build brand recognition and brand positioning," said David Nilsson, CEO Ski Classics.
Visma has collaborated closely with W Sportsmedia on the development of Visma Ski Classics during its four years as title sponsor. By adding new awards to the collection of prizes, Visma has put its own mark on the ski tour. Visma Nordic Trophy, Visma Alp Trophy and Visma Skier of the Day are all awards sponsored with prize money by Visma.
Introducing Challenger races
A new season is right around the corner. This year, Visma Ski Classics has introduced the concept of Challenger races. The Challengers series will include all events showing an interest in being part of Visma Ski Classics, in order to create one world of long-distance skiing. Pro Team athletes, competing alongside amateurs, will be able to collect important points for the yellow champion bib in these races to encourage them to take part in local events.
The Challengers series will add to Visma's exposure and make the brand even more visible outside the pro tour. The Challengers series is set to include local events in several European countries, but also events in more far-reaching corners of the world such as Asia and North and South America. So far, 25 events worldwide have become part of the Challengers series.
Promoting an active lifestyle
"We couldn't be more happy with the progress of Visma Ski Classics. We are proud to sponsor a sport and series of events that promote health and an active lifestyle across the population. What makes Visma Ski Classics so unique is that it is open to the public and everyone is invited to participate," Moan continued.
CEO Øystein Moan is an eager skier and has participated in several races along with many other Visma employees. The sponsorship has created a wave of internal engagement; Visma hosts season openings, kick-offs and events at the race sites where hundreds of employees participate and join in on the excitement.
Visma has also launched an internal campaign, #Vismaactive to promote the importance of health and wellbeing across the organisation. In addition, each of the Nordic countries hosts Visma Ski Classics 4 kids, which are local skiing events for kids where almost 4,500 kids have participated to date. The events are open to the public and are popular happenings for employees and their kids.
"It has been a great journey, and we have met so many people along the way. To see the crowds cheer on both amateurs and athlete skiers and to be able to meet up and talk to them at the events has been great fun for us. We look forward to continuing our support through the next three seasons," said Moan.
Visma is involved in several sports sponsorships with the goal of bringing people together and contributing to a healthier society. In addition to Visma Ski Classics, Visma sponsors Team Jumbo-Visma, one of the world's best cycling and speed skating teams. To learn more, visit our sponsorship page.
For more information, please contact:
Øystein Moan, CEO Visma, +47 92 08 00 00
David Nilsson, CEO W Sportsmedia, +46 709 181 578
About W Sportsmedia:
W Sportsmedia is an international sports marketing firm based in Sweden. They operate across the sport business value chain with international media productions, media rights distribution, management of international sporting events and athlete representation.
