Nunu Ntshingila, chief executive officer of Ogilvy South Africa, who has today been unveiled as the latest member of the Judging Panel for the inaugural Virgin Active Sport Industry Awards 2011, has expressed her belief that sport will continue to benefit from increased levels of marketing investment even after the World Cup has been and gone.

Speaking exclusively to the Awards’ breaking news and views website, Sportindustry.co.za, Ntshingila explained that not all of the new marketing spend on South African sport prompted by the World Cup will disappear.

‘For sure there has been an overspend on the World Cup which is quite simply not maintainable after the event. But not all the additional money will disappear. The World Cup has highlighted the possibilities that sport can offer brands and I expect an overall sustained increase on previous year-on-year levels.

‘In particular firms have realised that sport can be used to portray brand values so there’s been a huge concentration on investment in sport development and legacy programmes. These are long-term investments as well so they won’t all just end after the tournament is over.’

Ntshingila will add her substantial expertise to the Virgin Active Sport Industry Awards Judging Panel – a role in which she will be responsible for helping to choose the inaugural Awards’ winners.

Presented in front of a star-studded audience of all the key stakeholders in South African sport, the Virgin Active Sport Industry Awards will recognise and reward the best the South African sport business has to offer in categories covering marketing, PR, sponsorship, media, advertising and design.

The City of Ekurhuleni will stage the inaugural Virgin Active Sport Industry Awards which will take place on February 17th, 2011 and will be hosted by Emperors Palace.

The annual Awards ceremony will see the country’s top-performing sport brands and organisations receive recognition for their work at a glamorous black-tie event in what has become the most visible and sought-after endorsement of commercial achievement in sport.

Click here to read the full interview with Ntshingila including her views on how brands can stand out from the marketing clutter around the World Cup and the changes that the tournament has brought to South African marketing.

Source: www.sportindustry.co.za

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