Duotone Mag 2024

Deniz, Porsche has been a long- standing sponsor of tennis and golf. Why is Porsche now also involved in Kiteboarding since 2021? Deniz: We are a company where sporting competition is not just part of our heritage. It is also close to our hearts. Porsche, for example, has stood for passionate motorsports since day one. We can only improve ourselves if we compete with others. That is why competition is deeply rooted in our self-image. And sports sponsorship is simply part of an authentic life. Golf is our customers’ number one hobby and therefore an important pillar of our sponsorship strategy. And the traditional Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart is a fixture in our calendar - we even host the WTA tournament. But of course it is part of our job to keep coming into contact with new people. So we took a closer look at and analyzed many sports - and then made a conscious decision to go for Kiteboarding. Duotone × Porsche Three years ago, the sports car manufacturer Porsche entered into a partnership with Duotone. Deniz Keskin, Head of Brand Management and Partnerships at Porsche, and Till Eberle, CEO Boards & More, describe the background and look back on what has been achieved. What is so special about Kiteboarding from Porsche’s point of view? Deniz: It’s a sport that is also very much about performance. Performance that is not dissimilar to driving a sports car: balance, feeling, physical fitness, speed. In addition, Kiteboarding is a sport that is practiced by people who are very performance-oriented, who develop an absolute passion for it. They are incredibly committed to their sport. And finally, there are enough sports that are already rather over-commercialized. With Kiteboarding, we had the feeling that we could make a real contribution here. I don’t want to be the eighteenth brand that just puts a logo somewhere. Ideally, I want to say that the sport is improving thanks to Porsche’s involvement. Till, is the sport of Kiteboarding improving as a result of Porsche’s involvement? Till: What we have really noticed: The fact that Porsche is involved in Kiteboarding helps Kiteboarding in general tremendously. The sport gets a completely different perception. Porsche is an iconic brand worldwide. When such a brand identifies with Kiteboarding, it not only gives the sport attention, but also credibility and seriousness. We can clearly see that Kiteboarding is being perceived more as a serious sport. Deniz, what does it mean in concrete terms that Porsche is making a contribution to the sport of Kiteboarding? Deniz: We have looked at the following questions: What does the Kiteboarding ecosystem look like? And who makes it possible for fans and athletes to have a good time and develop? That’s why we entered into a partnership with Duotone … ... please excuse me if I interrupt: Why did Porsche choose Duotone in particular? Deniz: We spoke to a lot of people in the sport and asked: Which brand stands for cutting edge, for being one step ahead? And who implements this most consistently? We want to work with the best, and that is clearly Duotone. And then we also realized very quickly: when you talk to colleagues at Duotone, it’s always inspiring and engaging. Because that is also part of the truth of a collaboration: How do you harmonize on a human level? And here, too, it was right. The partnership was characterized by this shared understanding right fromthe start. We are a much larger company than Duotone, but this size doesn’t help at all when you are immersed in a specialist area such as Kiteboarding. A competent partner is far more important. It’s always a conversation at eye level. How do Duotone customers actually benefit from this cooperation? Deniz: We always put ourselves in the shoes of people who enjoy Kiteboarding. What would improve their experience? If I love the sport of Kiteboarding, I want to get better at what I do. That has a lot to do with personal fitness and the best equipment. We want to provide substantial content and support personal development. So we very quickly added a fitness section to th e Duotone Academy App with the expertise of our motorsports drivers. And right from the start, we wanted to give something back to the sport by supporting the Duoton e Young Blood program. Till: The cooperation with Porsche enables us to do things that we wouldn’t be able to do without Porsche. The focus is on topics that promote the sport in general and represent added value for every kiter. Porsche is an active supporter of our Duotone Academy App. Every kiter can use it and develop with it, from beginner to semi-pro. You don’t have to be a Duotone fan. By the way, fitness coaching has one of the highest access numbers in the app. And we are systematically expanding the app. With the support of Porsche, we will next be offering the trend topic Big Air in the Academy App. 2022 saw the first limited Porsche Kite Edition, 222 units of a specially designed 911 Duotone kite. In the fall of 2023, a Pink Pig Edition of a Duotone kite and board, limited to 360 units, was launched. What are these special editions all about? Till: Porsche offers various limited special editions in the sports car sector. They sell out incredibly quickly, and passionate Porsche fans snap them up immediately. We have taken up this theme for the kite sector. How can you interpret Porsche on a kite? The first kite to appear was the 911 kite with a racing theme, inspired by racecars. Then this season there was the Pink Pig kite and board, a very polarizing and bold design, but one that has a clear derivation in Porsche heritage. We were almost more afraid of contact than Porsche... It is important for me to emphasize: These limited edition products cost no more than the comparable series model. Nevertheless, a portion of the proceeds goes to support the Young Blood project. Deniz: Yes, we think very holistically. Let me just say this about the Pink Pig: design is an extremely central brand value for us. So together we have tried to develop something that is extraordinary: an iconic design from motorsports interpreted for kitesports. Porsche was briefly involved in the King of the Air, but then pulled out again. This might raise the question: How sustainable is Porsche’s involvement in kitesports? Deniz: That’s right, we were also involved with KOTA for two years. That was important to us at the beginning in order to understand the scene. And also to plant the flag and make it clear to the Kiteboarding world that we are involved from now on. But we quickly realized that we could achieve our goals better if we worked with Duotone on topics such as Young Blood and the Academy App. Don’t get me wrong: KOTA is a great event, but our path should be clearly more geared towards the kitesurfers, not just the top athletes. What other joint activities are being planned by Duotone and Porsche? Till: It’s like Deniz says: the cooperation between Duotone and Porsche is very sustainable, together we can tackle larger and longer-term projects. That’s what characterizes this relationship. Just a thought experiment: Porsche is driving electrification in the sports car sector, and mobility in this area is currently undergoing major changes. Digitalization and electrification are part of our everyday lives - and are also becoming increasingly important in many sports. Why shouldn’t we also be able to imagine some electrification topics in kitesports? D U O T O N E D U O T O N E 80 81 W H Y P I N K P I G