How a social media post proved Hamilton’s financial value to Ferrari

Wet weather and fog did not stop fans from coming to see Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel of a Ferrari for the first time in his long and distinguished career.

He may not have set record times as he completed 30 laps around Fiorano on Wednesday, but, having spent two days at Maranello previously, Hamilton’s run in the SF-23 was the spectacle fans of Ferrari wanted since his departure from Mercedes was announced almost. a year ago.

However, his true value to the Italian team is not only counted on the track, but also off it.

To be clear, Ferrari was fully capable of securing huge partnership deals and attracting sponsors, as well as selling lots of merchandise, before Hamilton arrived – but he will change his mind.

This became abundantly clear earlier in the week when a photo of Hamilton alongside a Ferrari F40 supercar became the most liked Formula 1 post in Instagram history.

On Tuesday, Hamilton then posted a photo of himself dressed in a Ferrari racing suit for the first time on his own social media and analysis of that post – seen by more than 11 million X users as of Thursday evening – by Sponsorlytix showed the impact of these impressions. on the team’s sponsors.

The AI-powered sports big data analytics company works with companies such as the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to measure sports sponsorship and sports data using real-time data tracking.

“Each logo placement on Lewis’ kit provides incredible value, showcasing the synergy between the athletes’ social media presence and the team’s sponsors,” said Omar Al Raisi, CEO and Founder of Sponsorlytix.

Using its AI and algorithms, Sponsorlytix measured the post when it reached the eight million impression mark and calculated the brand values ​​generated for Ferrari sponsors.

He found the individual position was worth $62,100 to title sponsor HP as well as $50,000 to Ferrari itself, while companies like Shell, IBM, VGW, Ceva and PUMA all topped the $40,000 mark .

These figures were generated from a single post, just hours after Hamilton posted it online and before he had even started a grand prix for Ferrari.

So while debates over how he will fare alongside new teammate Charles Leclerc this season will rage, the business aspect of his arrival is already bearing fruit.