The Kazan - Sports Capital of Russia Brand Awarded Grand Prix at EFFIE 2011

MOSCOW, April 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

On 12 April Moscow hosted the awards ceremony for the winners of the EFFIE 2011 Brand of the Year prize. The international integrated marketing campaign for the Kazan - Sports Capital of Russia  brand, run by Media Arts Group holding in close cooperation with the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, the Tatarstan Government and Kazan City Hall, was awarded a Grand Prix for effective marketing communication on the Russian market.

The project team was faced with the following tasks: to secure the image of Kazan as the sports capital of Russia, reveal the city's unique sporting character and to demonstrate the high level of readiness of sporting venues and infrastructure of the city, of the Republic of Tatarstan and of Russia as a whole, to gain the right to host international sporting events. Other project objectives included creating a fashionable image for sport among schoolchildren, young people and the middle-aged population of Kazan and to enhance the region's investment attractiveness. The marketing campaign was directed both to international leaders in public opinion in the sporting community and to the local population.

One of the key achievements of this project can be seen to be the victory of Kazan's bid campaign to host the 2015 FINA World Championships, announced in Shanghai at the presentation of the candidate cities on 15 July 2011. Kazan's bid campaign was deemed the best and the promotional films, created by Media Arts Group together with Rupert Wainwright, well known English film and television director, served to further not only the event itself, but also the city and the Republic of Tatarstan as a whole.

Ilgiz Fakhriyev, Chairman of the Physical Education Committee at Kazan City Hall, commented on the project's success at the EFFIE awards: "The national award of Brand of the Year, which has been bestowed upon Kazan, is a clear confirmation that we are moving in the right direction. The sporting community has long known of our teams: AK Bars, Rubin, UNIX, the Zenit volleyball team and others. Today Kazan is on the home straight in its preparations for the 2013 World Summer University Games. We have the FINA World Championships and the football World Cup to look forward to as well. The national recognition and the award of Brand of the Year will serve as an additional incentive to achieve yet more sporting victories. Thank you to everyone who has given the investment we have made into the development of sport the praise it deserves. A special thank you goes to Media Arts Group for their help in creating and promoting the Kazan - Sports Capital of Russia brand."

Oleg Volkosh, President of Media Arts Group, also commented on the victory: "The Repubic of Tatarstan and the city of Kazan are the undisputed leaders of Russia in promoting their territory for regional development, popularization of sport and raising investment. We are delighted to have worked as partners for five years now, on the marketing and promotion, both of the city of Kazan and of the Republic of Tatarstan as a whole. Our work has already achieved great victories: Kazan is the capital of the International Universiade of 2013 and the FINA World Championships of 2015. We are confident that the leadership in the Republic of Tatarstan and the city of Kazan will continue the national and international promotion of their region for yet more victories and achievements."

SOURCE Media Arts Group