Saturday, August 07, 2010

NO TUNE FOR MALAYSIA

Read the BBC story below and while some will say well done, there are many others like me who will ask why charity does not begin at home.

I use three of their products, Tune Talk, Tune Money and Air Asia but seriously try asking yourself how we benefit from ventures such as this?

Has Air Asia ever considered painting their planes with images of Lee Chong Wei and Nicol Ann David?

Has Tune Money done what VISA does, ie sponsoring a team like the Argentina Hockey Team?

Has Tune Talk even gone 3G or provide Blackberry services to their customers?

And this list goes on. Perhaps one day we might even be charged to use the loo on Air Asia flights.

But above all Tony, let's be Malaysians first. Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country?

For starters let's see you coming out with packages for fans to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and Asian Games in Ghuangzhou.

Only then we can truly believe in the motto Everyone Can Fly.

Air Asia-owner Tune Group is to take over from its airline subsidiary as sponsor of the top referees grouping in England from this season.

The "seven figure-deal" will run for three years from season 2010-11, and install Tune as partner for Professional Games Match Officials.

The PGMO was formed in 2001 and it referees matches in Premier League, Football League and FA competitions.

Malaysian-based Tune also has a stake in Formula 1 team Lotus.

Tune's portfolio also includes the ASEAN Basketball League, low-cost long-haul airline Air Asia X, and Tune Hotels - which is set to open its first European outlet in London soon.

Continue reading the main story
Mike Riley, general manager of PGMO, said he hoped the partnership would be as positive as the Air Asia tie-up, which "resulted in significant investment in the training and development of officials at all levels of the game".

Meanwhile Tune hopes to increase brand awareness by its connection with "English football's three billion viewers globally".

The deal gives Tune Group access to 2,000 professional football matches.

Promotional rights include Tune being given shirt sleeve and training wear branding on all professional match referees, assistant referees and fourth officials

There will be other branding opportunities, including a presence on the football governing bodies' websites.