This is the new advertising campaign of Babolat.

How can you explain it?

Rafael Nadal has signed a new contract with Babolat that wil equip him with raquets, strings, grips, and a lot of accessories for a long time, that is to say, for the next ten years. According to Eric Babolat, this new contract is “a true sign of confidence” and he is really proud of such a collaboration with the best tennis player of the world. So, Eric Babolat bases its avertising campaign on this contract to enhance the new product “the new Aeropro Drive with cortex”.

What is the thinking of the slogan and the sales message?

The new message is “Rafael Nadal, with Babolat for the next ten years”. This message is really clear. There is a double meaning.

On the one hand, it talks about the new contract for ten years between Babolat and the tennis player. Such a slogan enhances the brand since, there is no denying that the champion and his racquet brand are definetly “united by a solid confidence”.

On the other hand, Babolat is a lasting brand which gives you performance to be the best for the next ten years.

What about my opinion?

I really think Eric Babolat was right to base its advertising campaign on the new contract with Rafael Nadal. Indeed, no doubt that Rafael Nadal has always played with a Babolat racquet. Babolat works a lot to develop an innovative product for Nadal and tennis players. Eric Babolat manages to offer a new product which allows you to be competitive and passionate on the court.

Throughout the new contract, Babolat can incite a consumer to trust in Babolat brand as Nadal who is really confident.

Rafael Nadal perfectly embodies the attributes of Babolat brand.    

• Babolat, head of number one series

Babolat offers the rope, the rackets, the balls, and today shoes to tennis players of any countries. No doubt that the small firm of Lyon is going to be the best one of the tennis market. 

• Some figures about Babolat

Creation: 1875

Turnover: 60 million euro

Growth: + 14 % with regard to Actual 2004

Export: 80 % of the CA outside France

Advertising Budget : 10 % of the CA

• A successful diversification

Rackets in 1994, balls in 2001, shoes in 2003. So, within ten years, the SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FIRM OF LYON led a diversification while remaining focused on the tennis framework.

• The shop window of the champions

To be successful thanks to its diversification, Babolat supplies and sponsors the biggest players. The Chairman of Babolat said that “the vistory of the champions is our best shop window”

• Our innovation for the tennis players

To seduce the players, sponsorship is not enough. It is necessary to offer them equipments ahead of those of their opponents.

Within the company, twelve persons work in the research and development department, in Lyon and in Asia. The budget used for the R and D department reachs 10 % of the turnover. Moreover, the SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FIRM developed partnerships with universities or laboratories as the technical center of the leather in Lyon to target more and more tennis players and satisfy their demands.
 

It appears that Rafael Nadel is a good means of improving the brand image of Babolat. Indeed, he is one of the best tennis player of the world and he can be a sort of advertising on the court when he plays against another player who uses another type of racket. Everyone has an interest in such a partnership.

On the one hand, Rafael Nadal can benefit from good rackets and receive subsidies if he uses Babolat rackets.

On the other hand, Babolat can cut its above-the-line costs and be competitive on the market. Indeed, there is no denying that for many of consumers, if Nadal is the best player it is thanks to his rackets. In that case Babolat can promote all of its products just on the court without relying on a commercial and target a large kind of people interesting by that sport.

All people who plays tennis want to be identified to Rafael Nadal. As a general rule it is important for tennis players to get a large range of products of the same brand like Babolat. It is a means of being motivated on the court.

When you look at the following pictures you can see that Rafael Nadal is used to play tennis with a Babolat racket:

The lattest picture shows the victory of Rafael Nadael in one of his hand and on his other hand you can see his racket. Throughout this picture, Babolat manages to enhance its products because Nadal is victorious and powerful with his racket which does not stray from him… 

All these pictures taken by many people can cut down the Babolat advertising budget because Babolat does not need to schedule commercials to promote its products. That is why, Tennis Magazine could be a good partner for Babolat since it broadcasts a lot of pictures on Nadal and his racket.

Tennis magazine is a very good means of improving the brand image of Babolat and promoting all Babolat products. There is no denying Tennis magazine talks about anything when it comes to tennis. You can read Rafael Nadal’s complete Player Profile for instance and get some information about several tennis products.

If you look at the following sentences you can see a kind of site on Rafael Nadal and his products:

• Rafael Nadal and his products

Birthdate: June 3, 1986
Birthplace: Manacor, Mallorca
Residence: Manacor, Mallorca
Height: 6′0″ (1.82m)
Weight: 165lbs (75kg) lbs.
Plays: Left
Turned Pro: 2001

• Andy Roddick and his product

Birthdate: August 30, 1983
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
Residence: Boca Raton, Florida USA
Height: 6′1″ (1.85 meters)
Weight: 180 lbs (81 kg)
Plays: Right
Turned Pro: 2000

Babolat is partnered with Tennis Magazine to enhance all its products thanks to good players as Rafael Nadal or Andy Roddick. It appears that all victories of players who use a Babolat raket are taken into account to improve the brand image. Indeed, if everybody can see that Nadal is everytime a winner thanks to his raket, they are going to buy such a product to be better.

For instance, Babolat organised an exceptional day of pure tennis with “the Grand Slam in Grand Central” in New York where the media was invited to meet Team Babolat players in order to discover all new products launched by the brand. On the other side all tennis players were invited to answered questions from their fans.

You can visit the two following websites if you want:

www.tennismagazine.fr

www.babolat.com

Babolat is one of the best partner of Andy Roddick

I am really addicted to tennis!! I practice it every weekend with a female team. It is a great sport which allows me to chillout at the end of the week.

Besides, you can share a lot of values when you practice such a sport. It is not only an individual sport but it could be a team sport that is really important to develop a team spirit and respect. So, I chose this theme to talk about it and show you that tennis is a major sport.

Particularly, I am going to talk about Babolat which plays an important role for tennis players and because it is an innovative brand.