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Blogvent Calendar Day 9: Panasonic looks back on 9 years with Toyota in F1

Sponsorship | Sport

The withdrawal of Toyota from Formula 1 last month brought to an end one of the most enduring title sponsorships in the sport in recent times, that of electronics giant Panasonic.

From Toyota’s first year of F1 testing in 2001 right up until what would be the team’s final race in Abu Dhabi at the start of November, the recognisable blue Panasonic logo adorned the Toyota F1 race cars. The sheer longevity of the partnership spoke volumes about the mutual benefits that the compatriot Japanese corporations share by collaborating with each other on a global stage.

But for Panasonic it was much more than a sticker on the car, as we found out when we were invited by Panasonic to compile a case study review on their partnership with the Toyota F1 team.

The simple, yet clear objective of the sponsorship was for Panasonic to enhance its brand image and reputation.

The overarching aims were translated into a large number of tangible business objectives in key areas from brand awareness and reputation to stakeholder engagement and from sales promotions to corporate social responsibility, demanding the sponsorship worked on many levels.

The 2009 season was actually Panasonic’s most holistic approach to its sponsorship, working seamlessly with the Toyota team to activate the sponsorship in new and engaging ways. Using above and below the line activities, Panasonic was able to use its sponsorship of Panasonic Toyota Racing to fulfil its internal communications and CSR objectives, while fully exploiting the partnership in branding, advertising, trade fairs and media events.

Perhaps most critically, the company was able to immerse itself fully within the team, using the team members and drivers themselves as brand ambassadors through their actual use of the Panasonic product range. The Panasonic Toughbooks were actually used to start the F1 car on the starting grid – what more direct and crucial role could a company’s product play in a Formula 1 team?

A lot has been written about the sudden departure of the Toyota Formula 1 team from the grid, but from a sports business perspective the news is the more regrettable given the way that Panasonic demonstrated how successful and beneficial Formula 1 sponsorships continue to be for brands wishing to operate on an international scale.

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