Search results

Argues that the general area of commercial sponsorship activity, while attracting increasing interest from marketing practitioners as an important strategic option in marketing communications, has not been the subject of sufficiently rigorous and comprehensive investigation by theoreticians. States the purpose is to establish and consolidate the available body of knowledge combining an overview of the standard conceptual approaches to marketing communication with an examination of the recent academic research in sponsorship, while maintaining a focus on current marketplace practice. Argues for a coherent and structured approach to the management of sponsorship expenditure through the application of a ‘management by objectives’ approach. Parameters are established in terms of a working definition of sponsorship, a review of its commercial development and an overview of current activity. Develops a commercially ration framework within which sponsorship activity may be undertaken. Views objective‐setting as the cornerstone of sponsorship management and outlines a classification of sponsorship objectives that subsumes current practice clarifies the range of potential benefits. Examines the criteria that govern rational sponsorship selection and proposes an evaluation strategy based on stated criteria. Methods of evaluating effects of marketing communications (sponsorship particularly) are examined and new evaluation techniques are advanced to facilitate the implementation of this rigorous scientific approach.

Both advertising and sponsorship are key areas of marketing communications activity, though the latter has acted as a somewhat “Cinderella” subject. In the heightened and increasing consumer‐oriented marketing communications world of the 1990s, this paper asks whether these two marketing communications methods exist in an uneasy alliance or strategic symbiosis. Given the press (both practitioner and academic) coverage concerning integrated marketing communications, it may seem self‐evident that the latter alternative is preferred, but a rationale behind this preferstment is advanced. Notably, the shared conventions of the two communications activities constitute the text of their interactions. This sharing, or as we have termed it, a symbiotic relationship, leads in turn to the what can be described as the unity of a marketing communications culture, or its objective (managerial) mind.

Respondents in 86 UK companies known to engage in the sponsorship of schools and school activities participated in a survey designed to investigate the extent to which sample firms perceived and managed their schools sponsorship programmes as commercial investments rather than as philanthropic donations. The study also examined the reasons for schools sponsorship, how closely it was integrated with other forms of marketing communications, the location of responsibility for its administration, whether it was leveraged by other marketing communications instruments and how it was monitored and evaluated. Cluster and multiple group discriminant analyses were completed to identify the characteristics of the sample businesses which adopted materialistic as opposed to altruistic approaches towards the practice.

This study explores the relationship between brand image and brand equity in the context of sports sponsorship. Keller's (1993, 2003) customer-based brand equity models are the conceptual inspiration for the research, with Faircloth, Capella, and Alford's (2001) conceptual model – adapted from the work of Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993) – the primary conceptual model. The study focuses on the sponsorship relationship between the New Zealand All Blacks and their major sponsor and co-branding partner, adidas. The sporting context for the study was the 2003 Rugby World Cup held in Australia. Data were collected from two independent samples of 200 respondents, utilizing simple random sampling procedures. A bivariate correlation analysis was undertaken to test whether there was any correlation between changes in adidas' brand image and adidas' brand equity as a result of the All Blacks' performance in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Results support the view that Keller (1993, 2003) proposes that brand image is antecedent to the brand equity construct. Results are also consistent with the findings of Faircloth et al. (2001) that brand image directly impacts brand equity.

Sponsorship's ability to help a company achieve its corporate and marketing objectives has enabled the communication tool to climb to the top of a marketer's promotional consideration set. This paper sets out to review the industry's current understanding of sponsorship as a promotional mechanism. As the medium's underlying principles are identified, marketing practitioners are provided with examples and strategic guidelines so that they are able to maximise their sponsorship investments.

Two studies were undertaken with the aim of determining the nature and prevalence of exposure to alcohol sponsorship communications associated with sport. Study 1 reports a content analysis of alcohol sponsors' leveraging across popular sporting events. Study 2 examines alcohol sponsors' activation in social media. A high proportion of alcohol sponsorship messages containing content appealing to young adult drinkers are revealed across multiple media. Events and policy implications are addressed.

The purpose of this paper is to consider sponsorship embedded within a brand strategy and how fit between the sponsor's and the sponsored brand provides a platform for the integrated communication of brand values. The importance of a service dimension to the brand in the form of retail outlets is considered.

A case study research strategy was adopted. Other methods were used in the building of data and the triangulation of the findings: documentary analysis and participant observation also provided valuable insights. In particular, the environment in which the case study strategy was adopted demanded an understanding of the discourse on which the relationship was built and developed.

Explains how the company integrated the sponsorship relationship within its communications and placed the relationship at the centre of its redefined brand strategy. The close semantic fit between the sponsoring and sponsored organisation helped to facilitate a co‐branding relationship and the service dimension of the brand provided an opportunity for a comparatively rapid redefinition of brand values.

Develops an understanding of the methods by which sponsoring organisations may successfully meet corporate objectives. The findings show the considerable value of semantic fit if deployed appropriately.

This paper conceptually structured the research outcomes within the context of existing research relating to the two issues of brand strategy and semantic fit.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the brand relationships between a mega-sports event, the Olympic Games, and its branded main sponsors, using the lens of brand personality.

The study uses the internet-based website communications of the sponsor and event brands to assess congruence in brand personality identity exhibited in the communications of sponsors and how these relate to the event brand itself. A lexical analysis of the website text identifies and graphically represents the dominant brand personality traits of the brands relative to each other.

The results show the Olympic Games is communicating excitement as a leading brand personality dimension. Sponsors of the Olympics largely take on its dominant brand dimension, but do not adapt their whole brand personality to that of the Olympics and benefit by adding excitement without losing their individual character. The transference is more pronounced for long-running sponsors.

Sponsorship of the Olympic Games does give brands the opportunity to capture or borrow the excitement dimension alongside building or reinforcing their own dominant brand personality trait or to begin to subtly alter their brand positioning.

This study is the first to examine how the sponsor’s brand aligns with the event being sponsored as a basis for developing a strong shared image and associative dimensions complimentary to the positioning of the brand itself.

Despite increasing attention in the marketing literature devoted to market orientation and relationship marketing issues, the sponsorship relationship has not been examined according to these perspectives. In this study, a number of propositions linking market orientation, collaborative communications, trust and commitment are developed and examined empirically in a sponsorship context. The findings suggest that market orientation and collaborative communication are both important determinants of sponsorship commitment, defined as a sponsor’s preparedness to leverage the association. Results concerning trust are somewhat more ambiguous. The implications of these findings are discussed in conclusion, along with directions for future research.

In a recession sponsorship could be one of the first budgets to be cut but there are arguments to suggest that it should be one of the last. Although primarily used as a marketing tool, those companies with a mature attitude to the subject have realised that it can be used to address a very wide range of business objectives that also include internal communications, staff retention/recruitment and business-to-business communications. The Guinness sponsorship of the 1999 Rugby World Cup demonstrates the wide-ranging objectives that can be met while also proving the power of sponsorship in consumer marketing.