We look at this season’s sponsors for the current Russian Premier League champions.
SPONSORS
Nike – Nike has served as Zenit’s official kit supplier since 2010, when it replaced fellow German sportswear rival Puma.
Gazprom – The Moscow-headquartered multinational energy supergiant began its affiliation with the Zenitchiki in 1999. Six years later, it had acquired a controlling stake in the club. As the principal owner of Zenit, Gazprom has invested substantially in the club, ensuring that the club not only remain in the upper echelon of Russian football but also impress in UEFA’s flagship European competitions- the Champions League and Europa League. Gazprom and its subsidiaries enjoy a grand brand exposure across the club’s assets, with Gazprom’s logo emblazoned at the front of Zenit’s kits. This has also come under a serious, almost ever-present scrutiny of the club and Gazprom, who has been accused of severe financial doping and has been the subject of multiple investigations by UEFA. Here’s a list of Gazprom’s most prominent subsidiaries associated with the club.
GAZPROMBANK – The Moscow-headquartered financial institution is the third-largest bank in Russia.
GAZPROM NEFT – Gazprom Neft is the third-largest oil producer in Russia, 96% of whose shares are owned by Gazprom. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg.
G-ENERGY – G-Energy is a premium motor oil brand from Gazprom Neft that has its products manufactured primarily in Bari, Italy. The G-Energy logo features on Zenit’s matchday shorts.
G-DRIVE – G-Drive is Gazprom Neft’s motor fuel brand which was launched back in 2011. The G-Drive logo features on the back of Zenit’s matchday shirts, right below the kit numbers.
GAZPROM MEZHREGIONGAZ – Gazprom Mezhregiongaz is Gazprom’s wholly-owned subsidiary that focuses on natural gas sales within the Russian Federation.
GAZPROM INVESTHOLDING – Gazprom Investholding is Gazprom’s wholly-owned subsidiary that was founded on July 28, 1997. The company provides securities brokerage and asset management services.
GAZPROM GERMANIA – Gazprom Germania is Gazprom’s wholly-owned subsidiary headquartered in Berlin that engages in marketing, trading, exploration and production of Russian and Central Asian natural gas across Europe, USA, Central Asia and Singapore.
GAZPROM SCHWEIZ – Gazprom Schweiz is a Zurich-headquartered Swiss subsidiary of Gazprom Germania that specializes in exploration, production, and selling of hydrocarbons.
MegaFon – Moscow-headquartered MegaFon is one of the largest Russian telecom services providers. It also serves as an official sponsor to Zenit Saint Petersburg. The sponsorship deal grants MegaFon branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets.
SIBUR – SIBUR is a Russian petrochemicals company headquartered in Moscow. It also serves as an official sponsor to Zenit Saint Petersburg. The sponsorship deal grants SIBUR branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets. SIBUR also sponsors Zenit’s basketball team’s home court.
SOGAZ – SOGAZ is a Russian insurance company headquartered in Moscow. It also serves as an official sponsor to Zenit Saint Petersburg. The sponsorship deal grants SOGAZ branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets. SOGAZ also provides medical services and insurance coverage against accidents and diseases to the club’s players and staff.
OMV – Vienna-headquartered Austrian integrated oil and gas company OMV also serves as an official sponsor to Zenit Saint Petersburg. The sponsorship deal grants OMV branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets.
IQONIQ – Fan engagement platform IQONIQ was announced as Zenit’s Official and Exclusive Fan Engagement Platform earlier this year in August. The three-year deal grants IQONIQ branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets. IQONIQ’s logo also features on the back of Zenit’s matchday shirts, right above the kit numbers.
PepsiCo – New York-headquartered American multinational food, snack and beverage corporation PepsiCo is a long-time partner of Zenit Saint Petersburg. PepsiCo’s partnership with Zenit sees its brands Pepsi and Lay’s hold branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets. PepsiCo and Zenit also work together to produce several promotional adverts.
Nissan – Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan replaced Audi as Zenit’s exclusive automotive partner in 2015. The deal grants Nissan branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets. Nissan’s logo also features on Zenit’s matchday shorts.
Gillette – Procter & Gamble-owned American personal care products brand Gillette also serves as an official sponsor to Zenit Saint Petersburg. The sponsorship deal grants Gillette branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets. Gillette and Zenit also work together to produce several promotional adverts.
World Class – World Class is one of Russia’s oldest chains of fitness centres. It also serves as an official sponsor to Zenit Saint Petersburg. The sponsorship deal grants the fitness corporation branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets.
?????????? (Rostelecom) – Long-distance telephony provider Rostelecom signed an initial three-year deal with Zenit in March 2017 worth US$564k approx. The deal would see the Moscow-headquartered company provide the club with integration services for an SAP implementation to create a relationship management platform, after which it would continue to provide the club 24/7 technical and administrative support for the established IT infrastructure. The deal also granted Rostelecom branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets.
Chistaya Liniya – Dairy products manufacturer Chistaya Liniya also serves as an official sponsor to Zenit Saint Petersburg. The sponsorship deal grants Chistaya Liniya branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets.
MEDIA PARTNERS
Dugout – International digital football platform Dugout became an official media partner of Zenit Saint Petersburg in March 2018. The deal sees Zenit work with Dugout to provide exclusive club content for fans worldwide. The deal also grants Dugout branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets.
??????? ?????? (Zenit History) – “??????? ??????” is an online platform dedicated to all things Zenit Saint Petersburg. It contains a detailed account of news, stats, and historical facts concerning the Zenitchiki. “??????? ??????” also serves as an official media partner of the club, holding branding rights across the club’s physical and digital assets.
Written By
Anshuman Joshi
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