Ducati Team Partners with Kobo for 2013 MotoGP

2013 Ducati Team MotoGP News

Just ahead of the 2013 MotoGP Championship, the Ducati Team has announced it has partnered with Kobo, a global leader in eReading.

Kobo will be a major sponsor of the Ducati Team, which will field the American Nicky Hayden and the Italian Andrea Dovizioso in 2013 MotoGP, and showcase its and Ducati’s “dedication to technology, innovation, and global commerce.” Kobo is attracted to the Italian market due to its success there; Kobo reports it tripled its 2012 sales forecast due to a “tremendous uptake of digital reading by Italians.”

Hayden and Dovi will don the Kobo logo on their leathers, and the logo will also be displayed on the Desmosedici GP13 prototypes and the team’s clothing.

Jean-Marc Dupuis (Managing Director of EMEA, Kobo) says: “Kobo and Ducati share a passion for innovation, excellence, and powerful technology. We are thrilled to bring this partnership to our fans who share the same passion for the best experience no matter whether in sport, a bike, a book, or an eReader.”

Alessandro Cicognani (Ducati Motor Holding Head of Sponsorship) says: “The partnership with Kobo confirms the strength of the Ducati brand, and will help to further promote the rapidly-growing eReader segment. It contributes to Ducati’s reputation as a company that appeals to a young, knowledgeable, and technologically-minded public, as well as one that continues to attract a variety of product sponsors to racing.”

Kobo, an international eReading company with more than 3.2-million eBooks across 68 languages, brought its eReading devices and services to Italy in October 2012 through its strategic partnership with Mondadori, Italy’s biggest magazines and book publisher, owner of the largest network of stores in the country and of one of Italy’s biggest online media stores. Since that time, Kobo’s strength in the Italian market has grown tremendously with Italians quickly adopting digital reading – with 2012 sales forecasts tripling initial expectations. With its current trajectory, Kobo expects to achieve the majority market share in Italy for eReading devices and content by the end of 2013. The company has plans to expand beyond the current stores currently offering its award-winning devices, which include the Kobo Glo and Kobo Mini E Ink eReaders, and the Kobo Arc 7” Google-certified tablet, which recently won the red dot: Product Design 2013 award.