America's Premier Cycling Event Announces Title Partnership With Ford
ATLANTA, Feb. 7, 2006 -- The top professional cycling stage race in North America will have a new and engaging brand identity, as the Georgia Ford Dealers have agreed to a title sponsorship for the Ford Tour de Georgia. The 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia, the premier cycling event and rolling festival conducted each spring, will take place Tuesday, April 18 to Sunday, April 23, and will continue to benefit the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060207/CLTU001LOGO )
"The Georgia Ford Dealers are excited to play a leadership role in this emerging property, and to support the event's core objectives by promoting cycling, good health and the Georgia Cancer Coalition. When we say Ford is built for the road ahead, we can clearly exemplify that brand message with a world-class cycling event like the Ford Tour de Georgia through the Ford dealers and in the communities where we live and work," said John Shoemaker, Past Chairman of the Atlanta District Ford Dealers Advertising Association. "Ford dealers across the entire route, and across the state, are eager to activate both community and customer programs for the spring."
Ford has 121 dealers in the state of Georgia and will partner with its official agency, J. Walter Thompson, for sponsorship activation. In addition to showcasing over 100 official Ford vehicles during the event, promotional plans include sweepstakes, a web-based affinity program, showroom promotions and a pre-event publicity tour. Promotions to generate consumer traffic to the local dealerships will focus on April as the promotional window, creating attention for Fusion, Escape and F150 vehicles. The Ford Tour de Georgia launches a fresh logo treatment today in conjunction with this announcement and a new web site, www.fordtourdegeorgia.com.
"We are very excited to announce this partnership and to align the event with such a favorable brand as Ford. The synergies with the communities are already very strong, and we look forward to unveiling our promotional programs that will excite people about the Tour and the Ford brand," said Chris Aronhalt, managing partner of Medalist Sports, the sports marketing company licensed to operate the Tour. The Ford Tour de Georgia is now one of the highest rated (2. HC) stage races in the world.
The Atlanta District Ford Dealers Advertising Association will take the lead with the partnership. In the Southeast, the Association has contributed to community organizations like the Komen Race For The Cure. The Ford Tour de Georgia will benefit the Georgia Cancer Coalition, and the Association looks to support the Georgia Cancer Coalition in doubling the sale of Georgia Breast Cancer license tags, which funds breast cancer screening and treatment services for Georgians in need.
"We are honored to have Ford Dealers help us to create a call to action to Georgians during the Tour, which is to win the race to defeat cancer," said Bill Todd, president of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
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