André Richelieu

Brand Strategy in Professional Sports: The Case of French Soccer Teams

Abstract Sports teams generate an emotional response from their fans that is stronger than in any other industry. In an effort to capitalize on the emotional relationship they share with their fans, professional sports teams try to position themselves as brands. This paper examines the strategies and actions four French soccer teams have implemented in order to build and exploit their brand. Our results underline that the development and implementation of a brand strategy should be profitable for most professional soccer teams. However, sport managers need to see the relevance of building strong brand equity for their club. Admittedly, performance on the field remains important in the development of the team brand equity. That is why professional sports teams need to build a strong brand that will enable them to go through performance cycles.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Football Club Barcelona: how two legendary sports teams built their brand equity

This paper looks at how two sports teams, hockey club the Toronto Maple Leafs and Football Club Barcelona, have each built and leveraged their brand equity. The main differences between the two clubs lie in how they position their brands. For TML, the affective and experiential sides of the product are emphasised to make the brand grow; for Barcelona, the cognitive and affective dimensions of the product are prioritised to nurture the brand. Differences between hockey and soccer also contribute to branding discrepancies in terms of exposure and global influences.

The internationalisation of a sports team brand: the case of European soccer teams

Today, in the sports arena, the status of a sports team brand is vital. The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain how a team can become an international global brand. Following a conceptual approach, it articulates a model for a teams brand internationalisation and proposes four strategies relevant to the sports arena - Brand Reputation; Brand Affinity; Brand Challenger; and Brand Conquistador. It illustrates this internationalisation process via three case studies: Football Club Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille.

Reconciling Managers' Strategic Vision with Fans' Expectations

This study presents a multi-method based approach to matching fan expectations and needs with a franchises strategic vision. This approach is demonstrated by looking at a Canadian team in the National Hockey League. The needs of the customers are assessed through a questionnaire survey and an indepth interview with the franchises marketing vicepresident. Results are discussed, discrepancies between the two positions are analysed and recommendations are made.

A post modern conception of the product and its applications to professional sports

In the post modern era, a product or service has four potential representations: experiential; social; democratic; and an element of an organisation, a network or a universe. This paper looks at post modern product representations in the sports industry that are supported by marketing decisions. These decisions could provide guidelines to sports managers who want to strengthen the emotional connection between the team and the fans.

Sports teams and equipment manufacturers going international: the strategic leverage of co-branding.

Purpose – The purpose of this is to analyse co‐branding as leverage for both teams and equipment manufacturers in their internationalization endeavours. In other words, how can teams and equipment manufacturers benefit from their association in order to expand internationally?Design/methodology/approach – The study involves four football cases for the 2009‐2010 season: Paris Saint‐Germain and Nike, Olympique de Marseille and Adidas, Olympique Lyonnais and Umbro, and the French national football team and Adidas. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with managers involved with the four teams and their respective equipment manufacturers. The managers were marketing directors, VPs of marketing, sales managers or presidents of their respective organization. Sponsors, university professors and journalists who interact closely with the teams and equipment manufacturers were also interviewed.Findings – It seems as if the team and its equipment manufacturer do not have a formal strategy to jointly benefit fro...

Long gone the glory days: Is branding of any help? The case of formerly successful European football teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the catalyzing factors team managers of previously successful European football clubs could capitalize on in order to build or rebuild the brand identity of their respective team via the Europa League. Design/methodology/approach – The authors followed a case analysis method. The authors selected teams that have had a history of good performance in European competitions in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s, before falling off the radar. A total of 19 teams, representing 15 countries, accepted the invitation. Findings – The managers underlined eight major catalyzing factors. The managers specifically emphasize the importance of branding and how it can crystallize the promise these teams articulate to their fans, on and off the football pitch. Moreover, the values that a team encapsulates and communicates through its daily actions seem to represent the essence of the brand. Research limitations/implications – One risk relates to the respondents who co...

Internationalisation of sports teams brands: the consumers’ perspective

This paper tries to explain how consumers (fans) deal with an increasing offering of sport brands that tend to internationalise. In particular, we aim at better understanding how fans’ brand’s perceptions are affected by the internationalisation process of their favourite sports team. Building on previous studies and using an empirical qualitative data collection performed among sports fans from three teams at various internationalisation stages and from different countries, emerging themes are presented. Results are also analysed and discussed.

Toward a Better Understanding of Crowded and Scarce Sporting Events: Do Fans think as much as they Feel?

Recent studies (Tombs and Mc Coll-Kennedy, 2003; Rosenbaum and Massaiah, 2007; Machleit et al., 2000, Eroglu, Machleit and Barr, 2005) underline the importance of considering different types of crowding (human versus spatial) when interpreting results on a crowd’s impact. They also insist on the potential moderating role of the service encounter and the values at stake (leisure versus utilitarian) (Eroglu, Machleit and Barr, 2005).

Innovations in Major League Baseball catalysing factors: when winning is not enough

Major League Baseball (MLB) is facing stiff competition from fast growing global sports, yet little is known about how teams maintain their privileged position in the hearts and minds of fans. In-depth interviews with senior managers were analysed to better understand catalysing factors used by MLB teams to build their brand identity and crystallise the emotional bond with their fans. Moreover, we discuss some innovations that influence a teams ability to make its brand transcend the on-field performance and help create more distinctive marketing strategies.