Nature Valley upgrades LTA partnership after sales uplift
The General Mills snack brand Nature Valley has doubled-down on its Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) partnership.
General Mills unveils 3 year event sponsorships
For the next three years the brand will be the title sponsor at ATP and WTA events in Nottingham, Birmingham and Eastbourne; these have been rebranded as the Nature Valley Open, the Nature Valley Classic and the Nature Valley International respectively.
The brand came into the LTA as official snack bar sponsor in 2016 and, speaking to The Drum last year, marketing head, Arjoon Bose said this work helped deliver a a 20% uplift in sales. In response, the brand has doubled down on its tennis presence.
For three weeks each summer during these events, Nature Valley will look to increase tennis engagement and participation across the UK.
Richard Williams, marketing director General Mills Northern Europe, said: “We are delighted to become the headline partner for such an iconic part of the global tennis calendar. Having more than quadrupled our investment in the sport since we first started in 2016, this elevated sponsorship deal is a demonstration of Nature Valley’s unwavering commitment to British Tennis from the grassroots right to its premier summer events and represents our largest global sports partnership since the 2012 Olympics.”
He added that there is the desire to get more Brits playing tennis but is pushing forward “with an equal ambition to have a Nature Valley bar in every tennis kit in Britain.”
Scott Lloyd, chief executive of the LTA, added: “Nature Valley has been building on its commitment to the sport and this new partnership extension highlights the tremendous success of the relationship. We both share our goal to get Britain active and healthy. Nature Valley will continue to play an important role in helping more people play tennis more often and creating more historic championship moments.’’
