ROLEX: Sponsorship

Rolex has a long history of sponsorship. Their sponsorships reflect their pursuit of excellence and usually work closely with the brand's interests. Exploration, art and sport are three key areas where Rolex has invested much money in sponsoring events and campaigns they genuinely believe in. Rolex has a strongly accredited history, remaining at the top of the luxury watch industry since it was founded in 1905 in London, United Kingdom. The early 20th century saw a lust to push the boundaries in sport and exploration. Rolex had its first opportunity to sponsor a sporting event in 1926 to coincide with the launch of its Rolex Oyster, the first-ever waterproof watch. Mercedes Gleitze, the first British woman to swim the English Channel, wore the watch to promote its revolutionary new feature. The watch was in perfect working order when Gleitze reached the end of her cold, ten-hour swim. (Anon., 2022) This was a historical turning point for Rolex as this was the first public testimony of their excellence.

From that point onwards, Rolex engrained themselves in sport, exploration, and art transcends to the modern day. The most notable of these strong bonds are with the world of golf and tennis. However, they are also heavily involved with art and opera. Some of the greatest sporting spectacles of the modern era, such as Wimbledon and The Masters, expose spectators to Rolex, their brand, their mission and their products. (Omorodion, 2017) When we critically analyse the way in which Rolex sponsors athletes and sporting events, it becomes very clear that they use sponsorship as a positioning technique. Events as prestigious as those mentioned above are used to target a specific demographic. The company aim to attract members of high society, generally above the age of 35. This is reflected in their high price point that is only feasible for certain members of society. To maintain their luxury status and their leading role in the market, they must constantly analyse their price, promotion, place and product. Sponsorship is the way in which Rolex achieve product placement. (WatchMaster, 2018)

It should be noted that during the sponsorship of such events, the product itself often isn’t shown. Instead, they sell their name and their reputation. This reflects the exclusivity and uniqueness of each watch. Additionally, Rolex is not promoted using influencers or social media. This is because their products are not trying to engage with that type of demographic. This could harm their positioning and reputation. Instead, Rolex sees the opportunity to use athletes as its influencers. Specifically, they use athletes at the very top of their game. This represents the highest level of greatness and helps the consumer to associate the brand with quality. (Vijayaragavan, 2021) These are the strategic decisions that Rolex’s brand managers confront to achieve successful marketing.

Rolex has used its affiliation with athletes, artists and celebrities to strategically elevate itself beyond a watch-making brand. Their choices of tennis and golf are associated with the colour green which is also associated with money and affluence. Their brand has now become something that represents luxury and class. Their quality and exclusivity are represented by their sponsorship.