Toshiba Australia invests in India

By Martin Vedris

SYDNEY: Toshiba Australia has set its sights on India and will be investing its money in an Australian contingent in the Subcontinent.

It’s all in the name of sport, however, with Toshiba Australia becoming an official Team Partner of the Australian Commonwealth Games team for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, which will run from 3 to 14 October 2010 in locations in and around the country’s capital, New Delhi.

It will be Australia’s biggest ever overseas Commonwealth Games team, with over 600 team members, including around 440 athletes. There are 17 sports in the 2010 Commonwealth Games: Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby 7s, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

For the past few years, Toshiba has sponsored the Australian Cyclones Cycling Team and their brand ambassador is multiple World Championship and Olympic medalist, Anna Meares.

“It was a good match,” said Toshiba Australia marketing director, Mariana Thomas, regarding Toshiba Australia’s sponsorship of cycling. “The technology and the mobility of cycling match our products.”

As brand ambassador, Anna Meares has also provided some great brand associations due to her successful and high profile comeback from disaster.

“Anna has been fantastic for us, she’s done all the right things, she’s a fantastic person…her integrity is incredible,” said Thomas. “And from January, having a broken neck, to winning an Olympic silver medal just a few months later is just incredible, she is a very strong person.”

This Commonwealth Games Team Partner sponsorship extends to the entire Australian team however, not only cycling — it gives Toshiba exclusive rights to use the Commonwealth Games logo and imagery in the computers and television categories.

Toshiba’s other recent sporting partnerships include global sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup in 2006, including the Asian qualifying rounds; the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France; and Gold Partnership of the forthcoming World Masters Games, which will be held in Sydney from 10 to 18 October 2009.

Toshiba stated that it will soon start to use the Commonwealth Games association in an advertising campaign highlighting its technology and green credentials with its IT and AV products.