Atlanta, GA. (April 1, 2002) Helikon Media just completed a four month brand assessment and strategic positioning assignment for the Australian Rugby Union. The ARU engaged Helikon to help it define and refine Rugby Union’s brand image in the Australian marketplace in order to better differentiate it from competitive sports codes and to develop better marketing tools for the Australian Rugby community and their commercial partners’ use.

“Helikon brought professional objectivity and rigor to the process,” said Geoff Parmenter, Marketing Director, Australian Rugby Union, “their methodology has created a set of brand tools that will not only ensure greater consistency in our marketing efforts but will also ensure these efforts are enhancing the value of our brand - for Rugby itself, for the fans, and for our sponsors. Helikon cut through the clutter and helped us understand what makes Rugby unique from competitive codes.” Helikon directed a multi-agency team, completing qualitative and quantitative research across Australia, and then built the brand position and strategy out of the research.

On its final trip to Sydney, Helikon presented the brand program to ten distinct groups, including staff, several tiers of sponsors and broadcast partners. As an initial visual expression of the new brand strategy, Helikon designed a new identity for the annual Rugby Series, creating a composite system for sponsor co-branding in the process. “The opportunity to work on the Rugby brand was irresistible,” said Terrence Burns, Helikon Principal, “we had an opportunity to learn about a great sport of which most Americans have little knowledge or understanding and at the same time, reinforce the power our of branding methodology by applying it to yet another great sporting tradition.”

The ARU is currently reviewing a series of next step implementation strategies proposed by Helikon as a lead up to the 2003 Rugby World Cup, which Australia and the ARU are hosting.

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