SNOC enter commercial sponsorship arena for first time with Canon

By Les Tan/Red Sports

Swissotel The Stamford, Wednesday, September 16, 2009 – The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) have signed up Canon Singapore as part of the SNOC Official Partnership Programme. This is the first time that a private commercial company has participated in the programme, which up to this point, has been dominated by the presence of government-linked entities like Singapore Pools.

The deal is worth S$1million per year for four years and is a combination of cash and kind. As part of the agreement, Canon Singapore will feature six Singapore athletes in their marketing campaigns.

The six athletes are Quah Ting Wen (swimming), Tao Li (swimming), Jasmine Yeong-Nathan (bowling), Roy Tay (Sailing), Hariss Harun (football) and Jasmine Ser (shooting).

“The day has arrived where SNOC as a brand is significant enough for sponsors to come forward to want to work with us,” said Mr Chris Chan, the general secretary of the SNOC.

The athletes will receive monetary compensation for taking part in this programme.

“They will be getting something, but not like what David Beckham gets!” said Mr Chan.

This sponsorship also reflects a further move into sports sponsorship by Canon Singapore, coming on top of their five-year sponsorship of the Singapore Bowling Federation inked in 2008.

“In line with our corporate philosophy of kyosei, the partnership between Canon and SNOC serves to fulfill the common social goal of building a peaceful and better world by educating today’s youth through sports,” said Satoshi Kimura, president and CEO of Canon Singapore.

“It will be unusual to see myself,” said national footballer Hariss Harun, 18, on the prospect of seeing his own face on billboards, print and television advertisements. “It’s nice to get the attention but it’s a bit embarrassing.”

Canon Singapore is looking to help build the athletes’ profile so that they can be in a better position to start a second career after their playing career ends.

“For us, this is our way of helping the athlete,” said Lim Kok Hin, senior director and general manager of Canon Singapore. “By our sponsorship, [the athlete] will become much more famous by the time his career ends.”

“If you think about the young boys and girls looking at these athletes, saying, ‘Yeah! I’d like to be this person! [The athlete] is in the newspaper, he’s on the billboard, everywhere! I’d like to be this person. So let me practise a bit harder.’ If you think from that angle, then Canon’s sponsorship is very meaningful. It could propel the youth to want to do well,” added Mr Lim.