Dogwatcher
Premiership Player
WIZARD TO PARTNER THE PIES IN THE BIG TIME
Thursday, 14 July 2005. Australia’s leading non-bank lender, Wizard Home Loans has signed a multi-million dollar sponsorship with Australia’s biggest sporting club, the Collingwood Football Club.
The sponsorship positions Wizard as a “Tier One” Partner of Collingwood in a five-year agreement believed to be the biggest in club history of Australian Football.
Wizard Home Loans Chairman Mark Bouris said the new partnership propels Wizard out of the AFL sidelines and into the main game.
“Wizard has always been a big supporter of AFL. We have partnered Collingwood since 2000 and our sponsorship of the AFL pre–season competition, the Wizard Home Loans Cup saw that competition grow from strength to strength,” Mr Bouris said.
“Now our new partnership with Collingwood provides Wizard with a powerful presence in Australia’s biggest national sport, and sets a new bar for sports sponsorship.
“Together with Collingwood we have created an innovative sports and business partnership that leverages the community and national strengths of both partners.
“The partnership will allow us to bring greater benefits to both customers and fans,” Mr Bouris said.
Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said both Wizard and Collingwood have big plans to grow together.
“It is an absolute privilege to be associated with Wizard Home Loans, one of the great success stories of Australian business,” Mr McGuire said.
“This is a tremendous coup for our club, a great endorsement of the power of Collingwood and the strength of our business in an events and sports industry that is extremely competitive.
“Already we are proud to represent some of the most powerful brands and organisations in the world and this new partnership with Wizard brings a host of exciting opportunities to Collingwood,” Mr McGuire said.
The partnership with Wizard aligns Collingwood with global giant General Electric. In October 2004 Wizard became part of GE Money, the consumer finance arm of General Electric, which has assets of over A$30 billion and more than 1 million customers across Australia and New Zealand.
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“We are currently in negotiations to enable Collingwood matches and regular highlight packages to be telecast via CNBC Asia sports channels into 40 million homes throughout the Asia Pacific region,” Mr McGuire said.
“The partnership will also seek to provide a direct link to the world leaders in sports broadcasting, NBC, giving Collingwood unparalleled access to the benefits of NBC's broad knowledge in the arena of sports leveraging.
“Collingwood is also working with the GE finance experts who have designed special finance offers and co-branded credit card programs for the National Football Club (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and English Premier League Clubs.”
Other features of the partnership include:
§ The Wizard logo will be displayed on the Collingwood Guernsey from 2006 onwards with Collingwood providing Wizard strong exposure and awareness on national television and at AFL venues around the country.
§ Collingwood and Wizard will embark on a range of business programs delivering hospitality, sales, employee and networking benefits for Wizard.
§ Wizard and GE will also host GE Education Programs for Collingwood staff and players in New York at GE’s exclusive University - Crotonville – America’s first Corporate University. Our staff will experience aspects of the world renowned Six Sigma Training and Executive Course developed by Jack Welch the former Chairman of GE.
§ Access to GE Money’s expertise and customer base will give Collingwood tremendous new opportunities to grow our membership and marketing programs.
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For further information:
Nicki Malady, Communications Manager Collingwood Football Club (03) 8412 0018 / 0419 350 711
David Emerson, Director of Marketing Collingwood Football Club (03) 8412 0000 / 0408 331 880
Jill Emberson, Head of Corporate Communications Wizard Home Loans 0438 665 542.
About Collingwood
Formed in 1892, Collingwood is the biggest sporting club in Australia and one of the great icons of Australian sport.
Collingwood is a powerhouse of Australian sport with more people watching and attending Collingwood matches than any other sporting club in Australia. The club has a long history of in field success appearing on more finals matches than any other club and successive AFL Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003.
Recently rated by BRW Magazine as Australia’s most valuable sporting franchise, Collingwood has experienced enormous growth and serious of record results over the past five years. In each of the past five years Collingwood has achieved record operating profits, record memberships, record television ratings, record sponsorship and marketing results, record attendances and record internet traffic.
Collingwood’s growth is reflected in the club’s annual turnover, which increased from $14 million in 1999 to more than $32 million in 2004.
Collingwood is the Major Partner of Australia’s premier sporting stadium the Melbourne Cricket Ground and has successfully established world-class training and event facilities at the Lexus Centre in the heart of Olympic Park, one of the biggest sports and entertainment precincts in the world. The club will benefit from a further $120 million re-development of the Olympic Park precinct beginning after the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Despite the reduced capacity of the MCG during the re-development more than one million people attend Collingwood matches each year around Australia in a series of annual “blockbusters” that include the traditional Anzac Day match.
In 2004 Collingwood was announced in B&T magazine as the Most Valuable Sponsorship Property in Australia and the club has developed close partnerships with a number of premium international brands including Emirates Airline, Lexus, Sony, adidas, Coca Cola, Carlton & United Breweries and major Australian organisations such as Telstra, Yakka, Crazy John’s and Bega.
Television ratings for Collingwood have grown in each of the past five years as Collingwood continues to be the most watched sporting club in Australia. In 2004 a total peak audience of 24 million people (up from 21 million in 2003) watched Collingwood’s home and away matches on television.
Collingwood has also generated a powerful on-line presence, recently launching Collingwood TV on broadband. The club’s internet site has over the past five years been the most popular sporting club site in Australia, and easily the most popular AFL club site with an average of over 100,000 unique visitors per month.
The passion and pride of Collingwood members is legendary and in 2004, Collingwood for the second year running recorded the largest membership ever achieved by a Victorian club - 41,216. The previous Victorian record was Collingwood in 2003 – 40,677 and Essendon in 2001 - 36,227.
Collingwood members now enjoy magnificent facilities with their own stand at the MCG for all Collingwood’s home and away matches at the stadium.
Whilst financial security is one goal, one of Collingwood’s key objectives is to be the biggest philanthropic sporting club in Australia. The most inclusive ”community “ club in Australia and CFC community programs and activities now cover local, state and national programs with a range of community partners.
About Wizard Home Loans
Wizard Home Loans is Australia's leading non-bank lender.
Since launching in 1996, Wizard has collected numerous industry awards ranging from Money Magazine’s Cheapest Home Loan, to Mortgage Manager of the Year, awarded by the Mortgage Industry Association Australia (MIAA) most recently in June 2005.
The overriding factor in the company’s growth has been the appeal of Wizard’s community-based branch model, its competitively priced, flexible loan products and superior service offering.
Wizard has created a significant point of difference with market leading loan products, available through more than 250 Wizard branches in Australia and New Zealand.
As part of the Australian Finance Investments Group, the company grew its loan book to by 16 percent to over $21billion in the year to June 2005.
Products
Wizard is a high volume retailer of owner-occupied and investment property loans as well as car, personal and commercial loans. Every year since 2000, Wizard’s Rate Breaker loan has been recognised as Australia’s lowest priced basic variable rate product. The Smart Choice loan is historically priced at 35 basis points below the banks, a price buffer that gives Wizard a competitive advantage over the banks.
Branches
Wizard has pioneered branch distribution in the non-bank sector, with more than 250 branches, supported by some 500 mobile lenders. Wizard has branches in every Australian state and territory, as well as New Zealand. Wizard people are local loan specialists, taking advantage of long-term relationships with customers. By combining the attentiveness of a small business manager with the financial product range, technology and support services of a multi-national organisation, Wizard delivers premium quality customer service.
The Wizard brand
The strength of the Wizard brand lies in its wide appeal. The bright orange of Wizard shopfront signage symbolises the company’s energetic and bold approach to business.
Wizard sponsorships
Wizard manages a sponsorship program as innovative and dynamic as the brand itself. Since 1998 Wizard has been principal sponsor of the State of Origin New South Wales side, the Wizard Blues. Since 2004 Wizard has been a sponsor of Auckland Rugby in New Zealand. And in July 2005 Wizard became a Tier One sponsor of the Collingwood Football Club. At a local level, Wizard branches throughout Australia and New Zealand manage individual community-based sponsorships, from local sports teams and personalities to schools, charities and business achievement programs. In 2003, Wizard launched its first cultural sponsorship with the Powerhouse Museum.
Thursday, 14 July 2005. Australia’s leading non-bank lender, Wizard Home Loans has signed a multi-million dollar sponsorship with Australia’s biggest sporting club, the Collingwood Football Club.
The sponsorship positions Wizard as a “Tier One” Partner of Collingwood in a five-year agreement believed to be the biggest in club history of Australian Football.
Wizard Home Loans Chairman Mark Bouris said the new partnership propels Wizard out of the AFL sidelines and into the main game.
“Wizard has always been a big supporter of AFL. We have partnered Collingwood since 2000 and our sponsorship of the AFL pre–season competition, the Wizard Home Loans Cup saw that competition grow from strength to strength,” Mr Bouris said.
“Now our new partnership with Collingwood provides Wizard with a powerful presence in Australia’s biggest national sport, and sets a new bar for sports sponsorship.
“Together with Collingwood we have created an innovative sports and business partnership that leverages the community and national strengths of both partners.
“The partnership will allow us to bring greater benefits to both customers and fans,” Mr Bouris said.
Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said both Wizard and Collingwood have big plans to grow together.
“It is an absolute privilege to be associated with Wizard Home Loans, one of the great success stories of Australian business,” Mr McGuire said.
“This is a tremendous coup for our club, a great endorsement of the power of Collingwood and the strength of our business in an events and sports industry that is extremely competitive.
“Already we are proud to represent some of the most powerful brands and organisations in the world and this new partnership with Wizard brings a host of exciting opportunities to Collingwood,” Mr McGuire said.
The partnership with Wizard aligns Collingwood with global giant General Electric. In October 2004 Wizard became part of GE Money, the consumer finance arm of General Electric, which has assets of over A$30 billion and more than 1 million customers across Australia and New Zealand.
1/2
-2-
“We are currently in negotiations to enable Collingwood matches and regular highlight packages to be telecast via CNBC Asia sports channels into 40 million homes throughout the Asia Pacific region,” Mr McGuire said.
“The partnership will also seek to provide a direct link to the world leaders in sports broadcasting, NBC, giving Collingwood unparalleled access to the benefits of NBC's broad knowledge in the arena of sports leveraging.
“Collingwood is also working with the GE finance experts who have designed special finance offers and co-branded credit card programs for the National Football Club (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and English Premier League Clubs.”
Other features of the partnership include:
§ The Wizard logo will be displayed on the Collingwood Guernsey from 2006 onwards with Collingwood providing Wizard strong exposure and awareness on national television and at AFL venues around the country.
§ Collingwood and Wizard will embark on a range of business programs delivering hospitality, sales, employee and networking benefits for Wizard.
§ Wizard and GE will also host GE Education Programs for Collingwood staff and players in New York at GE’s exclusive University - Crotonville – America’s first Corporate University. Our staff will experience aspects of the world renowned Six Sigma Training and Executive Course developed by Jack Welch the former Chairman of GE.
§ Access to GE Money’s expertise and customer base will give Collingwood tremendous new opportunities to grow our membership and marketing programs.
- ends -
For further information:
Nicki Malady, Communications Manager Collingwood Football Club (03) 8412 0018 / 0419 350 711
David Emerson, Director of Marketing Collingwood Football Club (03) 8412 0000 / 0408 331 880
Jill Emberson, Head of Corporate Communications Wizard Home Loans 0438 665 542.
About Collingwood
Formed in 1892, Collingwood is the biggest sporting club in Australia and one of the great icons of Australian sport.
Collingwood is a powerhouse of Australian sport with more people watching and attending Collingwood matches than any other sporting club in Australia. The club has a long history of in field success appearing on more finals matches than any other club and successive AFL Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003.
Recently rated by BRW Magazine as Australia’s most valuable sporting franchise, Collingwood has experienced enormous growth and serious of record results over the past five years. In each of the past five years Collingwood has achieved record operating profits, record memberships, record television ratings, record sponsorship and marketing results, record attendances and record internet traffic.
Collingwood’s growth is reflected in the club’s annual turnover, which increased from $14 million in 1999 to more than $32 million in 2004.
Collingwood is the Major Partner of Australia’s premier sporting stadium the Melbourne Cricket Ground and has successfully established world-class training and event facilities at the Lexus Centre in the heart of Olympic Park, one of the biggest sports and entertainment precincts in the world. The club will benefit from a further $120 million re-development of the Olympic Park precinct beginning after the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Despite the reduced capacity of the MCG during the re-development more than one million people attend Collingwood matches each year around Australia in a series of annual “blockbusters” that include the traditional Anzac Day match.
In 2004 Collingwood was announced in B&T magazine as the Most Valuable Sponsorship Property in Australia and the club has developed close partnerships with a number of premium international brands including Emirates Airline, Lexus, Sony, adidas, Coca Cola, Carlton & United Breweries and major Australian organisations such as Telstra, Yakka, Crazy John’s and Bega.
Television ratings for Collingwood have grown in each of the past five years as Collingwood continues to be the most watched sporting club in Australia. In 2004 a total peak audience of 24 million people (up from 21 million in 2003) watched Collingwood’s home and away matches on television.
Collingwood has also generated a powerful on-line presence, recently launching Collingwood TV on broadband. The club’s internet site has over the past five years been the most popular sporting club site in Australia, and easily the most popular AFL club site with an average of over 100,000 unique visitors per month.
The passion and pride of Collingwood members is legendary and in 2004, Collingwood for the second year running recorded the largest membership ever achieved by a Victorian club - 41,216. The previous Victorian record was Collingwood in 2003 – 40,677 and Essendon in 2001 - 36,227.
Collingwood members now enjoy magnificent facilities with their own stand at the MCG for all Collingwood’s home and away matches at the stadium.
Whilst financial security is one goal, one of Collingwood’s key objectives is to be the biggest philanthropic sporting club in Australia. The most inclusive ”community “ club in Australia and CFC community programs and activities now cover local, state and national programs with a range of community partners.
About Wizard Home Loans
Wizard Home Loans is Australia's leading non-bank lender.
Since launching in 1996, Wizard has collected numerous industry awards ranging from Money Magazine’s Cheapest Home Loan, to Mortgage Manager of the Year, awarded by the Mortgage Industry Association Australia (MIAA) most recently in June 2005.
The overriding factor in the company’s growth has been the appeal of Wizard’s community-based branch model, its competitively priced, flexible loan products and superior service offering.
Wizard has created a significant point of difference with market leading loan products, available through more than 250 Wizard branches in Australia and New Zealand.
As part of the Australian Finance Investments Group, the company grew its loan book to by 16 percent to over $21billion in the year to June 2005.
Products
Wizard is a high volume retailer of owner-occupied and investment property loans as well as car, personal and commercial loans. Every year since 2000, Wizard’s Rate Breaker loan has been recognised as Australia’s lowest priced basic variable rate product. The Smart Choice loan is historically priced at 35 basis points below the banks, a price buffer that gives Wizard a competitive advantage over the banks.
Branches
Wizard has pioneered branch distribution in the non-bank sector, with more than 250 branches, supported by some 500 mobile lenders. Wizard has branches in every Australian state and territory, as well as New Zealand. Wizard people are local loan specialists, taking advantage of long-term relationships with customers. By combining the attentiveness of a small business manager with the financial product range, technology and support services of a multi-national organisation, Wizard delivers premium quality customer service.
The Wizard brand
The strength of the Wizard brand lies in its wide appeal. The bright orange of Wizard shopfront signage symbolises the company’s energetic and bold approach to business.
Wizard sponsorships
Wizard manages a sponsorship program as innovative and dynamic as the brand itself. Since 1998 Wizard has been principal sponsor of the State of Origin New South Wales side, the Wizard Blues. Since 2004 Wizard has been a sponsor of Auckland Rugby in New Zealand. And in July 2005 Wizard became a Tier One sponsor of the Collingwood Football Club. At a local level, Wizard branches throughout Australia and New Zealand manage individual community-based sponsorships, from local sports teams and personalities to schools, charities and business achievement programs. In 2003, Wizard launched its first cultural sponsorship with the Powerhouse Museum.
