Mazda and North Melbourne sign historic Deal

SYDNEY – Oct 31, 2013: Mazda Australia has extended its major sponsorship of the North Melbourne Football Club for a further three years.

Maintaining its long-standing sponsorship through to the end of the 2016 AFL Premiership season, Mazda – Australia’s top selling import brand – first partnered with North Melbourne in 1999.

At the end of the current agreement, Mazda will have been major sponsor at the club for 18 years - a record for North Melbourne and one of the longest current sponsorships in the AFL.

Since 1999, Mazda has experienced immense growth which in part can be attributed to its sponsorship of North Melbourne.

“When Mazda started its relationship with North Melbourne we were selling 27,000 cars a year and ranked just inside the top 10 selling car brands, now sales have almost quadrupled,” said Mazda Australia’s marketing director Alastair Doak.

“In 2013, thanks in part to our sponsorship with North Melbourne, we are approaching a record 105,000 sales and are one of the top three brands; and Mazda3 is Australia’s best-selling car*.

“This tells us that as a brand building exercise the sponsorship has worked and worked well.”

Similar brand values have seen the two business entities grow together.

“Mazda and North Melbourne share a common DNA; both are youthful, innovative, energetic, stylish and sporty. Sharing these attributes makes staying on as major sponsor an easy decision,” said Doak.

“Our research tells us that there is a direct correlation between our sponsorship of North, improved brand awareness and familiarity, and increased purchase intent – our partnership has inspired more people to buy a Mazda.”

During Mazda’s tenure as major sponsor, North Melbourne has delivered the 1999 premiership, it has developed a top-class training facility at its Arden Street home ground, increased its membership base to record numbers and maintained its focus towards finals football. Mazda is looking forward to the road ahead.

“The next three years will be exciting for both Mazda and North Melbourne, we both have our sights set on a bigger prize,” said Doak.

“Mazda wants to experience further sales growth as we launch an All-New Mazda3 next year, remain as a top three car brand and maintain its place as Australia’s number one full-line importer, while North is striving for a premiership. Together I’m confident that these goals are possible. We wish the club all the best for 2014 and beyond.”

North Melbourne is delighted to see the relationship with Mazda continue.

“To have a global brand like Mazda aligned with our club is something that has always been humbling for us,” North chairman James Brayshaw stated.

“Mazda has been incredibly loyal to this club over a long period of time and we value our relationship extremely highly.

“They have products of the highest quality and are run by people of the highest quality and it is an honour to be associated with them.”

*Mazda3 is Australia’s top selling car according to VFACTS figures recorded between January 2011 and October 2013.