Nokia India enters sponsorship alliance with FC Barcelona

In its first sponsorship deal signed in the Indian market, Spanish football club FC Barcelona (FCB) has joined hands with Nokia India. For Nokia, after high profile associations with cricket, this underlines its interest in football, according to a senior company official.

“While we already have deep relationship with cricket, owing to our association with Kolkata Knight Riders and Champions League T20, we are now looking to tap into the next most popular sport – football - in India,” said D Shivakumar - senior vice president, Nokia IMEA (India Middle East & Africa). “Unlike cricket which has been developed bottom up from the grassroots, I believe football will grow top to bottom. Football is gaining significant traction in India and the youth is following club football with a lot of enthusiasm. And with Nokia and FCB being equally hungry and creative in their respective fields, this association has become particularly special.”

As per the agreement, Nokia will be the official mobile device for FCB in India and all the football marketing promotions for FCB in India will be jointly done by Nokia and the Spanish club.

Nokia India has also unveiled plans for a brand campaign to announce the alliance as well as broaden consumer engagement around club football. Titled ‘Tiki Taka’ – based on FCB’s famous style of short passes – the campaign will engage consumers through various touch points including digital, television and activation. The campaign, including the TVC, are yet to be launched.

“While the ‘Tiki Taka’ campaign will run for six months, the immediate objectives will be to launch a mascot, tag the FCB flag through an extensive digital campaign and unveil an exclusive mobile app on Nokia Lumia smartphones,” added Shivakumar.

As part of the campaign, a contest will see 11 winners being flown to Barcelona to get to know the team’s players and watch a game at the Camp Nou.

“Asia is very important region for us and we are confident that this association with Nokia India will create an excellent platform for the Indian youth to engage with us, and bring the club closer to its Indian fans,” added Antoni Rossich, CEO, FCB.