First Southeast Asian MotoGP Rider Hafizh Syahrin appoints Dentsu Sports Asia as Commercial Partner

Dentsu Sports Asia has announced its official appointment as the exclusive commercial partner for Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia’s top motorcycle racer and the first rider in Southeast Asia to compete in the Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP), the premier motorcycle world championship.

24-year-old Hafizh, who rides for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 squad, made his debut in the premier class this season.

After strong top-10 finishes at the Argentina MotoGP and Japanese MotoGP, he is currently in a tight battle for the esteemed ‘Rookie of the Year’ title.

Standing in his way is fellow rookie rival, Italian rider Franco Morbidelli, but with two more races to go, including the Malaysian MotoGP this Sunday (4th November) at Sepang International Circuit, where Hafizh enjoys home ground advantage, Hafizh might just have the edge over his peer in the race to be crowned ‘Rookie of the Year’.

Ahead of the Malaysian MotoGP race this weekend, Hafizh took the opportunity of being back in his home country to share his thoughts on the importance of having the right marketing partner to help manage the commercial aspects of his growing career in motorsports.

“Dentsu Sports is one of the biggest sports agencies in the world, and in South East Asia, Dentsu Sports Asia are led by individuals who are passionate about sports in general, including motorsports, particularly, the two-wheel variety.

“Working together with former national athletes who are now with DSA, such as Olympians and former national swimmers Jeffrey Ong and Khoo Cai Lin, gives me great confidence in their abilities to manage my commercial interests and I believe they will do an excellent job,” Hafizh said.

As the exclusive commercial partner, effective 1 November 2018, DSA will be managing all of Hafizh’s non-motorsports-related commercial contracts globally, including endorsements, promotional contracts, non-MotoGP media activities and event appearances.

Commenting on the appointment, Jeffrey Ong, Vice President of DSA, who also heads the agency’s sports marketing business in Malaysia said,

“We are delighted to have signed Hafizh. He has already had an impressive debut season so far, and if he were to win the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title this season, it would be the icing on the cake.

“In any case, he is certainly an exciting young talent with the potential to become one of the best MotoGP riders in the world.

“We see plenty of opportunities for DSA to help develop Hafizh’s career by managing his commercial partnerships and sponsorships, which will free up his time and enable him to focus on his training and racing.

“By leveraging DSA’s sports business expertise and experience, we hope to be able to assist Hafizh in achieving even greater heights in motor racing.”

Other athletes managed exclusively by DSA are gymnast Farah Ann, swimmer Welson Sim, taekwondo athlete Sara Yap, triple jumper Hakimi Ismail and Para-athlete Ridzuan Puzi.

“Sports marketing is one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with dedicated fans and the general public alike.

“When companies are associated with popular sporting events, sports teams, individual athletes, and even venues, they are able to increase their visibility and elevate their profile effectively.

“The passion and emotional connections that are associated with sports increase the levels of engagement, and DSA can advise brands on how best to maximise these in order to raise awareness and ultimately grow their business,” Ong concluded.

MARKETING’s CMO Conference Returns with a Stellar Line-Up

Last year’s sold out conference is back! BIGGER, BETTER and with a NEW awards show to celebrate Malaysia’s best marketers.
Now in its 7th year, the Chief Marketing Officers Conference is a gathering of trailblazers in the Malaysian Marketing sphere.
With a bold yet relevant theme of ‘Goodbye Marketing, Hello Engagement’ this year’s conference will bring you up to speed with what’s going on in the Malaysian marketplace.

The change makers who will take the stage on the 16th of November include:

• Damien Crittenden, VP Client Strategy, Xaxis
• Ben Mahmud, Head Strategy, Business Dev, Petronas Dagangan Bhd
• Dato’ Dr.Hussamuddin Hj. Yaacub, Chairman CEO & Group MD, Karangkraf Media Group
• Lim Imun, General Manager-Marketing Munchworld
• Juliana Chua, GM of Marketing, Pavilion KL
• Tai Kam Leong, Head of Branding & Partnership, Maxis
• Rishi Pahwa, Head of Marketing, Wipro Ginvera Marketing Ent Sdn Bhd
• Schrene Goh, Head of Marketing (Global Market) Malaysia Airlines
• Kenny Wong, CMO Sunrise Berhad ….and more!

The 7th Malaysian CMO Conference & Awards
Date:16th November 2018
Venue: The Grand Ballroom, Sime Darby Convention Centre

For further details on the conference and awards visit: www.marketingmagazine.com.my/cmo2018/conference Or contact Amira/Ruby for further details: 03 7726 2588