In terms of the naming rights agreement, Clover will provide sponsorship of about R4.5-million this year with an additional operational investment of approximately R2-million for activities and services related to the festival, which takes place in Potchefstroom in the North West Province.

The annual naming rights sponsorship of R4.5 million will be increased in line with inflation each year, and with the total investment over five years valued at more than R30-million, this is regarded as the biggest investment in the South African arts industry in recent years. The festival will be renamed and rebranded as the Clover Way Better Aardklop National Arts Festiva and Clover will receive extensive umbrella marketing and commercial rights at the festival. At the end of the five-year term, Clover will also have an option to renew the agreement.

“Investing in our communities has always been an important philosophy for Clover and we are happy to play our part in expanding the reach of one of South Africa’s leading arts festivals,” said Clover chief executive, Johann Vorster. “We have sponsored the annual Huisgenoot Skouspel music festival since 2003, for example, and believe that there is a strong appetite for arts festivals across the country. We are excited about the potential for Aardklop going forward. It has a professional and dedicated management team, is an ideal fit with our overall brand, and complements Clover’s broad target market.”

While Clover has for many years been involved in sponsoring local and regional events around the country, the company was looking for an opportunity to invest in the arts and culture sector that would complement its brand positioning and marketing strategy. After listing on the JSE last year, Clover believes this sponsorship also reflects the company’s higher public profile.

Commenting on the Clover sponsorship agreement, Aardklop chief executive officer, Andries Vrey, said: “This is a significant vote of confidence for the festival and for South African arts and culture generally. Welcoming Clover as Aardklop’s naming rights holder gives us the opportunity to develop the brand into a leader in the South African arts and entertainment sector, while continuing to further grow and improve the annual festival in Potchefstroom.

“Corporate investment is often the lifeblood of the arts and without the involvement of all our sponsors over the years, Aardklop would not have grown into the success story it is today. By investing in Aardklop, Clover once again confirms its status as a dynamic market leader and clearly demonstrates its commitment to the development of local creative talent.”

Now in its 14th year, Aardklop has grown significantly and has built a reputation as one of the country’s premier festivals. It receives high praise from all quarters for its performing arts, music and visual arts programme – not only for the variety and quality of the programme, but also for taking risks by staging daring and controversial new works. In 2010 almost 182 000 tickets were sold over five days, putting Aardklop strongly in the lead as one of South Africa’s largest arts festivals in terms of attendance. This year the festival will host more than 100 productions, including debut productions commissioned by the festival. The total annual economic impact of Aardklop is estimated at about R82-million, which makes the festival a major contributor to the North West Province’s economy.

Says Chris Lerm, Clover’s executive director in charge of brands: “We are already making a substantial investment in brand communication, corporate social responsibility and investment in arts and culture. Our long-term strategy is to position ourselves as a custodian of the arts and our Aardklop sponsorship brings this to life. Aardklop is a family-friendly festival and our major market is women with children. It makes economic sense to be involved with Aardklop since festivals of this nature offer highly focused access and exposure to our target market.

“Through our relationship with Aardklop, which already contributes significantly to the local arts and entertainment industry, we intend to leverage an existing successful business model which offers us an opportunity for direct engagement with communities in other regions,” concluded Lerm.