The Jumbo-Visma sports teams may have to look for a new lender. But can those millions be found on the Dutch sponsorship market?
“You can be happy that a company like Jumbo has invested so much money in sports for so long. It is one of the most loyal sponsors. You can only praise the company for that,” says sports marketer Chris Woerts. His response comes after the news that supermarket chain Jumbo has announced that it is reviewing its sponsorship policy.
Sources from the supermarket chain have already confirmed that there is a very good chance that the company will in any case not remain the main sponsor of the skating and cycling team, but it is quite possible that the company will even disappear completely from the sport after 2024. That would mean a huge change in the top sports landscape, in which the Jumbo-Visma teams have dominated for years.
Leading
This is how the cycling formation strings together victories in an unprecedented way. In recent years, the Dutch team of millions has become a leader in the peloton, with innovations in every area. Last year it resulted in the first Tour de France victory with Jonas Vingegaard and this early season Jumbo achieved a score of five out of five in the cobbled classics. The sponsor is prominently featured in every cycling race in all media, from television to newspapers and websites. Yet there are sounds that the end of this super team is now near.
“Jumbo no longer has to do it for the reputation and extra turnover,” says Woerts. “A cycling sponsor also has no fans, as a football club does. It is more about sticking a logo and building brand awareness, but Jumbo already has that.” Woerts reports that the chain invests around 10 million euros per year in the sports teams. The fact that Jumbo lost market share last year does not help, according to Woerts.
The new CEO of Jumbo, Ton van Veen, is therefore considering a different approach to sports sponsorship. He was appointed after Frits van Eerd – son of founder Karel van Eerd – was discredited by a money laundering case and resigned his duties as CEO. Father Karel died last year at the age of 84 and was the driving force behind the sponsorship of the cycling team.
Substitute
Knowing that main sponsor Jumbo is reconsidering its position, it is logical that a possible replacement is being sought that ensures that world top players such as Wout van Aert, Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic, Dylan van Baarle, Christophe Laporte and Marianne Vos are retained. And what about the skating team including Jutta Leerdam, Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong, Merijn Scheperkamp and Thomas Krol?
According to cycling team boss Richard Plugge, there is no reason for panic. “With all the partners we have, our future is already reasonably assured. We are on the eve of the next phase. What I can confirm is that we are talking about how we are going to take the next steps. With or without Jumbo. As a team we have reached the top. Our challenge now is to stay there and get even better, to win the Tour more often. Fortunately, we can count on a lot of strong partners who want to go further.”
International party
Woerts believes there is a good chance that a new main sponsor will be an international party. “With more expansion than just the small Netherlands.” According to him, it could be a company that wants to become big in Europe. But other ambitions, of parties that are already large, could also play a role. For example, a sheikh from the United Arab Emirates took over a cycling team that was owned by Italy until 2016. “Countries like that use a cycling team to profile themselves and attract tourism.”
According to Woerts, it is hardly a shame that the ‘typically Dutch’ character of the Jumbo-Visma team is lost. Half of the current riders do not have Dutch nationality. “Jumbo is becoming increasingly international as a cycling team. Few Dutch people are still employed. The Dutch character has already worn off a bit.”