Last week, on September 12, rEvolution proudly marked its one-year anniversary since announcing our expansion into Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region, and what a year it’s been.
In February, we helped reignite a historic partnership in Formula 1 between Komatsu and Williams Racing. Our influence in the region has grown quickly, whether through sharing insights from REV/XP in a recent conversation with One ESports or participating in thought leadership events such as SportsPro Singapore and this week’s All That Matters. We celebrated these milestones with an unforgettable office launch party this summer, signaling the start of rEvolution’s exciting new chapter in the Asia-Pacific market.
“In a recent interview with The CEO Series, John Rowady, founder and CEO, provided context behind rEvolution’s expansion into Singapore, “I’m a big believer in where this business of sport goes throughout the world, and there’s a particular vein that it enters. It goes through the United States, Europe, it hits Asia, and now into the Middle East. Singapore is a key area for us and a new area for us as sport proliferates throughout the world and the Middle East have become huge investors of sport most recently and so it’s important for us to be in those regions.”
During this week’s All That Matters event, our very own Claire Ritchie, EVP International, hosted an insightful fireside chat with VISA’s regional head of sponsorship, Fernando de Matos, where they discussed everything VISA: Paris 2024, secrets to a successful sponsorship campaign, and demystified pre-conceived ideas of what brands – through VISA’s lenses – look for in high performance sports.
Here are some snippets of insights from the session.
Coming Together – it was the first time the world really came together as one to celebrate and cheer for their own. It’s a celebration of life.
Beyond a Transaction – Being a sponsor of any event brings great responsibility. With proper product integration, and as the only card accepted in the Olympics, VISA needs to ensure that the fan experience in all transactions is smooth and seamless.
Story Overpower Stardom – Team VISA was represented by thousands of athletes in the Olympics, but the way athletes are selected goes far beyond athleticism and achievements. It’s centered around values, stories, and who they are as individuals. That’s what will inspire generations and create powerful storytelling.
Paris At Home – Through storytelling and celebrating the athletes (not their achievements), brands can bring the Olympics to each market and connect with that audience.
♻️ Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – In order to push forth a strong message of care and protection, VISA showed how brands can inspire everyone to take action to things that belong to our own ecosystem. In the lead-up to the Olympics, all credit cards issued with the Olympic rings were made from recycled material.
Community is a Powerful Thing – As part of its social commitment, VISA ensured that a portion of the prizes awarded to athletes for their performances would be directed to charities of their choices. This is a way to connect athletic achievements with social impact in the athletes’ home countries. It’s about finding creative ways to bring more stakeholders together and give back to society.
Sport is a Language – and a global one for that matter. Using the Olympics as means to communicate with fans, VISA was able to establish meaningful conversations that yield business results.
Bronze! If VISA were a nation, they would have come 3rd in the rankings thanks to athlete performances…
