Project brief & development
Sixteen international rugby teams, quick-fire 15 minute matches, an audience of thousands of fanatical fans and a global audience of millions are the most visible ingredients of the popular HSBC Sevens World Series.
Behind the razzmatazz of the 2017 HSBC Singapore Rugby 7s (SG7s) was Pico, engaged by organizer Rugby Singapore Pte Ltd to provide full event management of the tournament.
Though Pico had successfully managed the previous year’s SG7s, the 2017 edition would be different, with greater emphasis placed on “building” the event in terms of branding, anticipation, and extending appeal for the whole family.
Social media emerged as an important element of the solution. The team created an active, multifaceted online presence encompassing ticketing from a purpose-built website, and specially generated content – the mix including interviews, regular updates, videos, contests and more – for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
To integrate with the family-friendly online activities and boost audience engagement with the upcoming tournament, the team also planned a pre-event “activation” held at the Velocity shopping mall. Resembling a mini-tournament with games for kids and parents alike, it provided an exciting preview of things to come at the SG7s own “Fun Zone”.
The brand and the event were refreshed further with a distinctive colour splash, a new visual identity whose energy reinforced the SG7s’ “Rock, Ruck and Rumble” theme.
Execution
Running parallel with the online campaign was the team’s on-the-spot effort to dress the venue and establish a fine-tuned management and logistics capability that could cope with both the crowds and the fast match turnover. Temporary overlay solutions were used in many cases as a quick and effective way to stamp the Sevens brand onto the National Stadium. The “Sevens touch” was also brought to the venue via such elements as A-boards, media walls, a flash interview wall, the players’ tunnel walls, the team room building, and even a custom-made prize presentation arch and podium designed to World Rugby’s specifications.
For the duration of the event, the Pico team’s responsibilities also extended to team room support functions such as ice bath management, as well as managing the important, family friendly “Fun Zone”.
Testimonial
“Thank you for your sterling support for every request made, much of it at short notice, and of course the excellent overall management of the Singapore Rugby Sevens event.” - Jai Mukherjee, Media & Communications - Rugby Singapore
Results
• 1,648 followers on Twitter (a 34.3% increase)
• 2,213 followers on Instagram (a 38.4% increase)
• 52,556 followers on Facebook (a 14.5% increase)
• 290,557 page views for official Rugby Sevens website
• 500 Platinum tickets to the event were sold via the online presence, the majority to corporate buyers.
• The event drew an audience of 50,000 to the venue during its two-day duration.
Pico’s comprehensive and energetic online support paid off and helped provide the SG7s a higher online profile and greater audience engagement in the run-up to the event.
