Bibby Offshore & Gordon Shedden

[Kiltie]

Just noticed this on LinkedIn ...

LinkedIn said:

With the official 2014 BTCC season launch yesterday, we would just like to wish all the best to Bibby Offshore's sponsored driver, Gordon Shedden. Unveiling the new 2014 Honda Civic Tourer, we have no doubt it will be a successful season for Gordon and the Honda Yuasa team when racing commences next weekend on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit!

I'd have thought odd bedfellows for a sponsorship deal. Good stuff though.

[Andrew[MG]]

Why is it odd?

[Kiltie]

Andrew[MG] said:

Why is it odd?

I didn't say it was odd.

I said they seemed odd bedfellows.

• Bibby Offshore is largely an Aberdeen-centric organisation so I'd have thought they'd have looked closer to home.
• I'm not aware of any of the senior management at Bibby having a big interest in motorsport (like "APEX Tubulars" for instance).

I just usually expect some sort of connection between sponsor and sponsee.

Yes, sometimes it's purely a commercial decision but I can't imagine someone in the crowd at Rockingham seeing his helmet design and thinking that they must get around to a subsea tie-in project that's been on their list of things to do.

To be crystal clear, I'm not expressing any kind of disapproval. I have a long standing association with Bibby and I think it's great to see them doing something a wee bit unconventional like this. I also think it's great to see an Aberdeen company having a profile in top level national motorsport.

That's all really.

Edited by Kiltie on Thursday 20th March 18:35

[bigblock]

Bibby Offshore own Bibby Distribution who have just won a major contract from Honda to ship their motorbikes to the dealers throughout the UK. Maybe they felt a small contribution to the Yuasa Honda Team was a nice way to say thankyou.

[DEKE]

Eric
Off topic but I cant seem to get on flatchat tried the question thigee but no question
Derek

[Kiltie]

DEKE said:

Eric
Off topic but I cant seem to get on flatchat tried the question thigee but no question
Derek

Email or PM me Derek.

[Kiltie]

bigblock said:

Bibby Offshore own Bibby Distribution who have just won a major contract from Honda to ship their motorbikes to the dealers throughout the UK. Maybe they felt a small contribution to the Yuasa Honda Team was a nice way to say thankyou.

My understanding is that, "Bibby Offshore" and "Bibby Distribution" are discrete divisions of "Bibby Line Group".

If the sponsorship had been from "Bibby Line Group", I wouldn't have thought it worthy of comment.

[bigblock]

Kiltie said:

My understanding is that, "Bibby Offshore" and "Bibby Distribution" are discrete divisions of "Bibby Line Group".

If the sponsorship had been from "Bibby Line Group", I wouldn't have thought it worthy of comment.

This is the only connection I know of between Bibby and Honda. It maybe that the sponsorship deal came through Bibby Offshore rather than Bibby Distribution so it was not directly linked with the division receiving the Honda distribution contract.

I am sure their CEO Howard Woodcock or even Sir Mike Bibby himself would be happy to fill you in on the details.

[Kiltie]

bigblock said:

I am sure their CEO Howard Woodcock or even Sir Mike Bibby himself would be happy to fill you in on the details.

What a very peculiar thing to post.

Anyway, last I heard, Howard Woodcock was away from Aberdeen and is now running the corner shops.

[8bit]

He was briefly sponsored by Stewartie Milne Group some years back wasn't he? I used to work there (SMG) around that time, a couple of guys from the office went to see Sheddon race and got paddock entry etc.

Apolgies, I digress; my point was that unless there's a connection I'm not aware of then Mr. Sheddon has form for possibly tenuous sponsorship links...

[Kiltie]

I didn't know that but a wee google confirms you're correct (circa 2004 when he was competing in the Cupra series I think).

[8bit]

Ah, didn't realise it was quite that long ago and I thought he was in BTCC at the time but it was a long time ago that I worked there.

[S2red]

Since when did there need to be a link on sponsorship?

Where it is on his helmet should guarantee visibity during in carr interviews see ONECALL last year

Is advertising space for sale in a visible spot and it has worked we are talking about it

[Kiltie]

S2red said:

Since when did there need to be a link on sponsorship?

Where it is on his helmet should guarantee visibity during in carr interviews see ONECALL last year

Is advertising space for sale in a visible spot and it has worked we are talking about it

I wasn't suggesting there "needs" to be a link but I'd just generally expect one to exist, that's all.

For instance, it isn't a surprise to see Apex Tubulars supporting Glynn Geddie.

Regarding the helmet space, I can imagine someone watching BTCC coverage, seeing the logo of an insurance broker and making a mental note to call them on Monday because their policy was due.

I just can't see the same demographic being in the market for hiring a DSV at £150k / day.

[bigblock]

You seem to miss the point that I was attempting to make earlier.

I suspect it is not really about Bibby Offshore thinking that the Yuasa Honda Racing Team and Gordon Sheddon are a great way to advertise their business. It is more likely that Honda asked them and other suppliers if they would like to cough up some money by way of sponsorship to help fund their various racing programs.

I imagine that Yuasa, who are Honda's main supplier of batteries, did not like to say no when asked if they would like to help Honda go racing in the BTCC.

[Kiltie]

I think we're at cross purposes or something.

Bibby Offshore is a company which runs a fleet of construction and diving vessels.

They work in the offshore oil & gas sector as well as renewables. Their core business is marine construction projects together with subsea inspection, maintenance and repair.

Further, reading the statement in the OP, it's my understanding that they are supporting Gordon Shedden and not sponsoring Honda Yuasa Racing.

[gwm]

They're doing it just for sts and giggles?

[cupofbeans]

Many personal sponsor deals don't make sense if you're looking for some sort of link. For example, Dave Newsham is backed by Clarke Energy and I can't see the link between gas engines for power stations and the BTCC or Dave himself who is the MD of a vending machine company.

[Hilts]

Bibby are involved with the extraction of oil which is then refined to make petrol which Gordon uses in his racecar.

<Insertwittylatinphrasehere>

[istoo]

also justy quite possible they have so much surplus profit, owner a car nut (which is often the case in oil industry land) and likes touring cars. Perhaps its maybe that simple. Although the distribution link is perhaps the likely largest influence.

There is no need for sponsorship to be directly linked...

However, super keen eyes to spot that one!