While interest in cycling in Germany fell from 40 per cent in 2006 to as low as 19 per cent in 2014, 24 per cent of respondents said they were interested in cycling this year. This is according to a representative survey conducted by the sports consultancy Repucom.
Stephan Schröder, Managing Director at Repucom, says: "ARD's return to coverage of the Tour de France has given the sport a greater media presence again. In addition, local top riders such as John Degenkolb, Tony Martin or the winner of the second stage, André Greipel, are competing for daily and overall victories. Although sprint star Marcel Kittel was not nominated for the Tour, a positive trend is recognisable."
According to the Repucom expert, cycling is becoming more exciting again, not only from a fan perspective, but also from a sponsor perspective: "The image of a rider on the podium is picked up by the media worldwide. There are only a few international events that offer a similarly large media platform." Cycling sponsorship could therefore definitely be worthwhile for companies.
"Due to the sport's current market position, the prices for sponsorship are comparatively low," says Schröder. "This starting position makes it easier for a company to become a sponsor, and its involvement can contribute a great deal to the positive image of teams and riders." With brands such as Bora and Alpecin, German sponsors are once again leading the way in cycling. "If you look at the sums they invest in the respective Tour teams Bora-Argon 18 and Giant-Alpecin, the slight trend is definitely confirmed," says Schröder.
In addition to the teams and top athletes, those interested in cycling in Germany are themselves the focus of the advertising brands. They have a positive attitude towards sports sponsorship and a strong interest in the products of the sponsoring brands. They also have a higher net household income compared to the average income of the population. "If you add to this the fact that people interested in cycling regularly inform themselves about sport across all media channels, there is enormous potential for sponsors to communicate their commitment," says the Repucom expert.
If you look at the frequency of social media activities, German cycling enthusiasts are lagging behind like-minded people in Italy, the UK or France. Nevertheless, in Schröder's opinion, advertising brands in Germany should also utilise social networks in cycling: "The Tour de France is not only a big topic on TV, but also on the Internet. Cycling fans use the various social media channels remarkably often to find out about their sport. Content such as live streams on the internet or exclusive images with a look behind the scenes will strengthen this development."
