Commercial Goals in European Football

Air Malta and the current Italian Serie A Champions, Inter Milan FC, have successfully concluded a one-year commercial agreement. The deal, signed this week, sees Air Malta becoming the official supplier of the high profile Italian Football Club. This agreement paves the way for both organisations to work together on various joint marketing opportunities.

Air Malta and Inter FC have agreed to drive together a variety of co-marketing and advertising opportunities during the Italian Serie A Campionato. The advertising opportunities vary from perimeter advertising at the club’s Stadio Giuseppe Meazza also known as San Siro when Inter play home matches, advertising on backdrops during Inter FC interviews, right to use respective marks and logos, visibility of Air Malta logos in commercial areas, Air Malta TV spots to be shown on the mega screens at the stadium before matches, websites links and specific airline promotions both online and during matches, brand marketing at the training grounds, and on a host of other marketing communications opportunities.

Commenting on this agreement Air Malta Chief Executive Joe Cappello said, “We are excited to have concluded this commercial agreement with Inter FC. This is the second agreement we have recently finalised with a top football organisation. Last year we signed a similar two-year agreement with the UK Premier league club Portsmouth.

“This strategic agreement is part of the extensive marketing campaigns being undertaken by the airline to promote Malta across Europe especially in the core markets of UK, Germany, Italy and France. Through this agreement, we have secured global TV coverage through the extensive exposure that the Italian Serie A has around the world. Eighty percent of our market is incoming and thus we are committed invest heavily in promoting the Maltese islands abroad.

“This summer we have increased the number of scheduled routes in Italy and are now operating to seven routes; Milan, Rome, Catania, Reggio Calabria, Bologna, Palermo and Verona. The growth in the number of routes was also reflected in the increased passenger figures where, if the current trend continues till the end of this year, the Italian market will surpass the German one in terms of passenger arrivals. This year, despite the international financial situation, we have transported almost 250,000 passengers on our Italian routes; an increase of 2% over last year. On the Milan route alone we saw an increase of 6% in traffic.

The consistent performance of our Italian routes during these last years did not materialise by chance but was the result of number of initiatives undertaken at commercial level to enhance marketing, pricing, distribution and service levels. These positive results have given us the drive to finalise this agreement with Inter FC so as to continue investing in the Italian market and strengthen Malta’s presence in the Italy market,” added Cappello.

“This agreement continues to show the initiative that Air Malta consistently takes to promote Malta abroad and to increase tourism arrivals to Malta. Our commitment to Malta and the island’s advertising and promotion initiatives overseas is second to none,” concluded Air Malta Chief Executive.