Zoom A relatively small investment for a lot of exposure

Virgin has emerged as the big winning sponsor of the season, pulling off brand exposure that far exceeds the cost of its deal with the Brawn team this year.

Sir Richard Branson penned the deal before it was clear that the team had a championship winning package. The contract signed was for US $400,000 per race, or less than $7 million for the entire season. It is likely, however, that a slight increase on the original rate was negotiated at some point during the year.

A much more comprehensive deal was speculated earlier this season, but Brawn's success ramped up the price tag, and Virgin is now expected to link up with the new Manor team for 2010.

But Virgin will make the switch having notched up about $60 million in brand exposure, through Brawn's nearly nine nine hours of international television coverage, according to the media analysis experts Margaux Matrix.

E.A. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM