Vendée Globe: Why are companies investing in 2024 Arnaud C., October 8 2024October 10 2024 With 40 solo sailors starting on November 10, the Vendée Globe has never attracted so many companies. But since the last edition, the profiles of these partnerships have evolved, marked in particular by a rise in patronage and the fuller immersion into “an economy of emotion” which tends to eclipse the sporting dimension alone. In 2024 what is it that is pushing companies which are often very far removed from the maritime world, to commit, in greater numbers than ever, alongside the Vendée Globe skippers? This subject was, among others, discussed on September 13 in Lorient, during a conference organized by Bretagne Développement Innovation and Audélor as part of the Défi Azimut Lorient Agglomération, which brought together in particular Cédric Malengreau, director of the general secretariat and institutional communication of Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, Thomas Gavériaux, CEO of TR Racing, and Paola Soler, team manager of the Lazare project. Over these four years there was one major change which might actually have reduced sponsors’ interest in the event: “For the first time, there was no guarantee of being at the start, since the new selection process left two sailors on the sidelines,” recalls Cédric Malengreau, who sponsors Yoann Richomme’s project 50%, equally with the recycling giant, Paprec. And this record number of 40 sailors means that “even if the cake is bigger with the growing interest in France in ocean racing, the individual shares are inherently smaller,” he continues. “Increasing the search for meaning” Despite this, sponsors’ interest in ocean racing, driven by associated values of resilience, commitment and humility in the face of nature, has continued to grow, while adapting to the challenges of our society. “Like the world we live in, there is an increasing search for meaning,” summarizes Thomas Gavériaux, CEO of TR Racing, which manages the projects of sailors Thomas Ruyant and Sam Goodchild, whose Imoca boats bear the same name, Vulnerable. That’s a name chosen by Alexandre Fayeulle, president of the cybersecurity group Advens, which funds the team, with the aim of “changing society’s view of vulnerability,” the project also continuing to support societal and environmental causes. “Advens is not looking for direct profile or visibility, but takes advantage of the unifying power of sporting events by offering this visibility to these causes. This commitment also constitutes formidable leverage for the commitment of its teams and recruitment,” continues Gavériaux. He details, “Advens benefits from a turnover of less than 10%, whereas the cybersecurity sector is more like 25%.” Supporting both a cause and a sporting project is a formula that allows many companies to assert their brand identity, by placing “the human being at the heart of their communication, over a sustained period of time”. This is how Tanguy Le Turquais’ project was born, associated since its launch with the Lazare association (which develops shared housing between the homeless and young workers) and which has managed to bring together patrons behind this cause. “Supporting Lazare allows us to mobilize more people, including those who are less receptive to the sporting dimension. We manage to get twice as many people on board compared to a classic project”, explains Paola Soler, team manager, who emphasizes that success is also due to “the personality of the sailor, who fully embodies these values”. “The race is almost just a bonus” This rise in patronage coexists with more classic sponsorship projects, such as that of Arkéa and Paprec. “For us, it’s a visibility operation to exploit different customer segments, but also an internal communication one,” confirms Cédric Malengreau. On the other hand, the method is evolving: “We are betting on the economy of emotion, by capturing all these highlights related to sport and by creating an intimacy with the teams we sponsor, to transcribe these stories over time and effectively associate them with our brand,” he adds. That development axis tends to prevail over the sporting dimension alone. “The result remains important, but it is weighted. As an investor, a Vendée Globe cycle must be profitable before the start, so the race is almost just a bonus today.” At a time when storytelling has become an essential marketing tool, the Vendée Globe offers an ideal setting for inspiring stories, carried by spectacular images and extreme situations. “With each edition, we realize that we remember the highlights more readily than the final podium position,” recalls Soler, whose skipper “does not aim for victory, but wants to give his all to do well. There will be ups and downs, it allows you to draw parallels with corporate life and to speak to everyone.” Competitive Sailing Offshore raingSponsoring