How do you build a brand profile in record time, taking it from zero to hero? For courier, transport and logistics company Aramex, the answer to boosting brand recognition in Australia lay in a high-profile sports sponsorship.

The Aramex brand name was new to Australia and New Zealand in 2016 when the powerhouse global business acquired locally owned and operated Fastway Couriers. After a total rebrand, the heritage courier company was suddenly part of a much larger network, with access to world-leading technology and systems. The challenge was to rapidly elevate Aramex brand recognition to match the premium business model.

Aramex Oceania chief marketing officer Cherie Kellahan explains the constraints.

“We had a tight timeline and a modest budget, with which to convey the very different positioning between the two brands,” she says.

Sharks sponsorship deal elevates the Aramex brand

The solution was found in sports sponsorship, specifically aligning the brand to a first-grade NRL team with similar values and a strong media presence.

Cronulla Sharks was picked for the sponsorship partnership over other NRL teams precisely because of its own brand values.

“We chose the Sharks because it is family-oriented, there is a strong sense of community among players and fans, and that extends to sponsors. We know the players, they know us by name, it feels less like business and more like family,” says Cherie.

The resulting Sharks principal front-of-jersey sponsorship is the biggest of its kind for Aramex, globally.

In 2022, NRL was the most watched sport on Australian television with an aggregate audience of 137.3 million viewers.

“We recognised this sponsorship as a great way to leverage our brand and get exposure as we were undertaking the rebrand.”

As part of its sponsorship, Aramex creates marketing activations at Sharks games, with popular merchandise giveaways and an annual competition to meet Sharks players in Coffs Harbour, NSW. The sponsorship also provides Aramex with the opportunity to offer hospitality to VIP customers and nurture important relationships.

“The Sharks support us in many ways, giving us important leverage through our marketing and tactical strategies,” Cherie says. “As an example, they promote RUOK Day, a mental-health charity that we support by spreading awareness.”

Brand association positions Aramex as a high-trust business

Cherie reveals the smart sponsorship move delivered eight times the investment in media value in the first two years.

“It has over-delivered on its promise of brand exposure and in terms of brand recall it helped us to raise our profile,” Cherie says. “Aramex is right up there with other NRL sponsors, including Vodafone, St George and Toyota.”

“All of those brands have high trust scores and high recognition, and there is also the trust that fans have in the Sharks. We have benefited from the brand alignment.”

Trust is a high-value element of the relationship Aramex courier franchisees have with their customers.

Small business owners rely on the same courier showing up at the same time every day; the courier is someone they know by name, someone they see as an extension of their business, Cherie says.

Aramex successfully delivers millions of parcels each year. Feedback from small business customers reveals genuine positive sentiment towards the couriers.

“We’ve been blown away by the positive things our customers say about the courier franchisees,” says Cherie. “We’re so proud of the way they take care of their customers. As a franchise business, our courier partners have a similar mindset to the people they deliver for, and their mutual success is paramount.”

Cronulla Sharks star in Aramex campaign

Naturally, Aramex wanted to harness value beyond the jersey sponsorship and include the
all-important courier franchise partners in a meaningful way.

“We wanted to look at ways to bring courier franchisees into the partnership and the obvious solution is ticket giveaways, which we did. But we also made a commercial showing a day in the life of an Aramex courier.

“We revealed in a fun way what it is like to be a courier franchise partner, with some of the key Sharks players taking part in a ‘try out’, running up and down stairs in training to deliver parcels.”

The tagline, Have you got what it takes to be an Aramex courier franchisee?, reflected the dynamic team spirit, the importance of health and fitness, and the family-feel that help drive success at both Aramex and the Sharks.

Cherie says while the campaign proved an effective recruitment drive, it also enabled courier franchisees to see themselves as champions.

“It worked really well, it brought pride and prestige to all employees within the business,” she says. “The staff are feeling prouder, the courier franchisees are seeing themselves in a new light. This sponsorship has brought positive recognition, and we see ourselves on the news and in the papers regularly.”

It has been such a successful partnership that Aramex has inked another three-year deal, and a secondary alignment with the Sharks women’s team has been signed for two years.

“The Cronulla Sharks sponsorship has elevated our brand recognition and contributed to our high-level performance over the past three years,” Cherie says. “We are proud to be the principal sponsor of the Sharks.”