Cognizant IT Services

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Cognizant is Supporting SailGP in the Race for a Better Future

In most races, it’s all about being first across the finish line. SailGP is different—because in this elite sailing competition, victory is also achieved through positive environmental and social impact. Known as the SailGP Impact League, this world-first initiative sees teams compete for a second championship: one that rewards their commitment to sustainability.

As SailGP’s official digital transformation partner, Cognizant is supporting them in their ambition to be the world’s most purpose-driven global sporting event.

A win-win for both brands

Launched in 2021, our partnership with SailGP was a natural fit as well as a strategic opportunity.

“It was a brilliant place to align our brands because we share so many of the same values, like sustainability and inclusivity,” said Kishi Dickinson, a Senior Manager in Cognizant Global Marketing. “As a sponsor, it allowed us to create a platform where we could talk about those things together.”

Bringing the Impact League to life

 Over the course of our four-year partnership, Cognizant was tasked with improving the fan experience while delivering transparent and scalable solutions across SailGP’s operations. To achieve this, the project team began by expanding the SailGP website with enhanced content, live social feeds, and more strategic targeting.  

Next, they set out to gather and present Impact League data in a way that captures fans’ imaginations and inspires them to live more sustainably. “SailGP collects a vast amount of data from teams across ten key criteria—from plastic use to team diversity to eating plant-based meals,” Kishi said. “But they hadn’t figured out how to present that data in an exciting and inspirational way.”

 The solution?  An interactive leaderboard that allows racing fans to check scores and explore the stories behind the results.

The Cognizant team also overhauled the submission process, moving away from spreadsheets to a cloud-based, scalable architecture. Not only does this improve data collection and storage, it also directly channels information to the leaderboard, giving fans instant access to team standings.

Walking the walk

Of course, if you’re going to craft a solution that’s grounded in sustainability, you’d better go about it in a sustainable way. Using our proprietary carbon calculation tool, the project team forecast the project’s carbon footprint and then took steps to minimize it. This included reducing travel and paper use, using sustainable design principles, and carefully tracking server load.

Any remaining carbon footprint was eliminated through the purchase of credible carbon offsets to Gold Standard, combat the adverse effects of climate change on the world’s most vulnerable regions. As a result, the team was able to deliver the work at Net 0.

Follow the action

For highlights, event info, team profiles and more, be sure to check out SailGP.com and follow along as the world’s best sailors race around the globe.