CorpComms Magazine

Anybody ringing to book tickets for La Bohème or Hansel und Gretel at Opera Holland Park might be forgiven for thinking they had dialled the wrong number. This year, as indeed they have for the past two, assistants at the booking office have answered callers with the words 'Korn/Ferry Opera Holland Park'.

It is just one of the additional touches that Korn/Ferry discovered when the international executive search consultancy signed its sponsorship deal with the summer opera company, which performs an annual season under a canopy in London's leafy Holland Park, two years ago.

It was Korn/Ferry's first sponsorship deal and the fee paid is undisclosed. The consultancy replaced property company Cadogan Estates, which had been principal sponsor for six years. When the deal was first announced, Giles Crewdson, then head of Korn/Ferry's London office, said: 'We deal in people at Korn/Ferry and people are judged on how they 'behave' for want of a better word. Cultural interests often define how a person portrays himself or herself. It is a slightly abstract principle but then our commodity is not easily graded or rated. We use all sorts of strategies to express this somewhat philosophical notion but one way is to align ourselves with a company who also deal on a daily basis with overtly talented people.'

Three benefits

For Iain Manson, current managing director and senior client partner at Korn/Ferry, there is a clear parallel between the role of the conductor and the chief executive - both oversee lots of separate parts working together - but he also believes the sponsorship deal offered three main attractions.

'We have a very senior executive clientele, many of whom have an interest in opera, and this was a good vehicle to get them together in a low key but pleasant way,' he says. 'Opera Holland Park also encourages young and up and coming talent, and we liked the idea of this. Our role is to identify talent and to nurture people throughout their careers. It is also a lovely venue and a very pleasant setting. Non-UK residents fully appreciate both the spectacle and the Englishness of it all.'

Even Britain's unpredictable summer weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of Manson and Korn/Ferry's clients for the event. 'At one of the evenings last year, there was a biblical storm with rain and thunder and lightning and at the same time cannons were going off on stage,' says Manson, who was 'reluctantly won over' by opera.

Over the three year sponsorship period Korn/Ferry anticipates that it will have invited more than 2,400 clients, employees and associates to productions. 'We invite between 200 and 300 guests of Korn/Ferry to three events each year, including the premiere,' says Manson. 'The nights are broken down between the different practices in the company; each night is owned by two practices.'

As the lead sponsor, Korn/Ferry is able to entertain clients in a prime position on a mezzanine floor, directly behind the auditorium. After each performance, its guests have the chance to meet the cast backstage. 'Our clients love the opportunity to talk to the performers,' adds Manson. 'It is a very important piece of added value.'

The aim of the sponsorship deal was to establish Korn/Ferry's name among a wide and valuable audience, such as chief executives and non-executive directors. 'There have been a small number of new introductions, but the main benefit has been with existing relationships,' says Manson. 'Somebody who has not dealt with a client meets them in a social setting. Everybody has enjoyed a very positive connection. There is a certain caché to being one of our guests at the performances.'

He adds: 'We know which of our clients like opera but our invitation list is quite extensive.' Clients who might not have thought they would enjoy opera have also found, to their surprise, that in the Holland Park setting they become converts.

Staff have also benefited from the sponsorship deal. While many will already be attending with clients, others have been unexpected beneficiaries of last minute call ups to replace drop outs.

Opera Holland Park completely rebranded all publicity material, its website and letterheads to include the Korn/Ferry brand and all mentions of the Opera Holland Park summer season include the search consultancy's name. Its name also features heavily in the opera's media partnership with Classic FM, in critics' coverage of the performances in newspapers such as Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times and Wall Street Journal, and lifestyle pieces in magazines such as Tatler and Vogue International.

Name recognition of Korn/Ferry has dramatically increased, with national media coverage reaching an estimated five million people over the past two years. Similarly, its brand has directly reached more than 135,000 theatregoers and 1.2 million visitors to the opera's website. Around 50,000 programmes have also been sold, featuring Korn/Ferry's logo.

But this is the final year of Korn/Ferry's sponsorship deal, and the consultancy has no plans to renew. 'It is viewed as discretionary spending,' explains Manson, adding that in the current economic environment might be seen as inappropriate. 'But we have thoroughly enjoyed the association.' 

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