JCB wants to reach ABC1 decision-makers who may place orders for vehicles. Sponsorship of a race at Cheltenham Festival provides all round brand awareness, together with hospitality at several different levels of management, from Chairman, through middle managers to the vehicle drivers themselves, who can influence investment choice by endorsement.

- To reach key prospects and influence buying decisions. - To create JCB as the brand of choice among construction & agricultural vehicle manufacturers among the racing and land owning audience. - To reward endorsers of the JCB brand.

To sponsor a race at the Cheltenham Festival, the annual "Olympics" of the sport. The race chosen - the JCB Triumph Hurdle - opens the programme on totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Day, the most celebrated day of the year for the sport. As a highly competitive race, the event is much coveted, and talked about for months in advance. An estimated £10m is spent each year by owners trying to buy themselves a suitable horse to compete in the race.

Six years on, JCB is indelibly associated with the sport, and with the Festival in particular. The JCB brand is strongly associated with the sport, enabling the brand to maintain its vehicle sale even despite the changing economic environment. Whilst construction purchase has slowed, JCB's versatility has allowed it to market vehicles for small and medium sized estates, as well as industrial equipment like lighting towers. Unlike a trade show, the appeal of live sport, especially a sport that resonates so well among a predominately Anglo-Irish audience.

Whilst the general brand awareness is key to stamping JCB's credentials on the event, the decision-making process is still made by a relatively small group of people. Moving forward JCB will be targeting individual customers even harder to make the association with Cheltenham work even harder and more productively for them.