Joe Cobbs

Managing a Sponsored Brand: The Importance of Sponsorship Portfolio Congruence

The congruence or fit between a sponsored brand and sponsoring firm is a central tenet of sponsorship research. The influence of such congruence on the sponsored brand however, has received scant attention. This question is important because the strength of a sponsored organisation’s brand equity is the basis for many sponsorship alliances. The two experiments undertaken in this paper empirically evaluate the dynamic effect sponsor portfolio congruence has on perceptions of the sponsored organisation’s brand equity. The results of Study 1 indicate sponsor incongruence is particularly detrimental to the brand equity of the sponsored organisation at the title sponsor level. Study 2 shows this adverse effect can be attenuated by increasing the number of congruent sponsors at the presenting level. The second study also provides support for nationality as a salient congruence dimension in an international sporting context. Implications of these findings are discussed.

The Dynamics of Relationship Marketing in International Sponsorship Networks

Purpose – While various scholars have identified relationship marketing objectives as a rationale for sports sponsorship engagement, analytic investigations of the implications of a relational approach to the corporate sponsorship network have been slow to materialize. The purpose of this paper is to advance the discussion of sponsorship as a means of industrial sports marketing towards a network conceptualization, which can be dissected from both the perspective of the sponsoring firms and that of the sponsored enterprise.Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs an illustrative case‐based approach to the application of network analysis tools as a means of exploring the relationship marketing dynamics of corporate sponsorship portfolios.Findings – Several research propositions and applicable network analytics are presented within the context of Formula One racing team sponsorship portfolios. The concepts of network range, density, power, growth, and social capital are explored in regards to their ...

Facilitating Sponsorship Channels in the Business Model of Motorsports

The business model of motorsports has evolved to prominently feature corporate sponsorship as a business-to-business (B2B) exchange mechanism in both the supply and marketing channels. As a result, racing series managers and teams are often simultaneously positioned as a buyer and seller in relation to their corporate sponsors. The sustainability of this business model rests with the propensity for motorsports organizations to consistently deliver value to both business-to-consumer (B2C) and B2B firms and minimize potential role conflicts. This research highlights how actors in Formula One and NASCAR serve as channel facilitators to connect buyers and sellers within the motorsports sponsorship network.

The effects of second screen use on sponsor brand awareness: a dual coding theory perspective

Purpose – Advances in technology allow fans to consume live broadcasts of sports events almost anywhere via personal computers, tablets and smartphones. These devices are also frequently utilized as “second screens” to communicate with fellow fans on social media, access additional content, or otherwise multitask during televised game consumption. The purpose of this study is to investigate how simultaneous use of these devices impacts sponsors that receive brand integration during the broadcasts.Design/methodology/approach – A 3x2 between-subjects design based on the theoretical framework of dual coding theory was utilized to advance understanding of the influence of second screens on brand awareness and attitudes toward the sponsors of televised events. Findings – Results demonstrated that brand recognition and recall was reduced by second screen activity across nearly all audio or visual consumption experiences. Further, while second screen use in an audiovisual setting did not interfere with consumers’ ability to recognize brands, it inhibited their ability to recall brands from memory, providing empirical evidence that second screen use may interfere with elaborative rehearsal and reduce cognitive capacity.Practical implications – Given that marketers are investing more resources than ever to achieve brand integration during televised sports events, these findings suggest that brands face challenges in achieving a requisite return (in the form of brand awareness) on their investments. Originality/value – This study represents the first empirical investigation of the impact of consumers’ use of “second screens” in the academic literature, and has important implications for advertisers during live sports broadcasts.

Forecasting Sponsorship Costs: Marketing Intelligence in the Athletic Apparel Industry

Purpose – Due in large part to the proprietary nature of costs, there is a dearth of academic literature investigating the factors influencing the costs for sport marketing investments, such as sponsorship. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide an analytical framework for market intelligence that enables managers to better predict and forecast costs in today’s ever-changing sport marketing environment.Design/Methodology/Approach – Given the dynamic and ultra-competitive nature of the athletic apparel industry, this context was chosen to investigate the influence of four distinct factors on sponsorship costs, including property-specific factors, on-field performance, and market-specific factors. A systematic, hierarchical procedure was utilized in the development of a predictive empirical model, which was then utilized to generate predicted values on a per property basis. Findings – Results demonstrated that both property-specific and performance-related factors were significant predictors of costs, while variables reflecting the attractiveness of the property’s home market were non-significant. Further analysis revealed the potential for agency conflicts in the allocation of resources towards properties near the corporate headquarters of sponsors, as well as evidence of overspending by challenger brands (Adidas, Under Armour) in their quest to topple industry leader Nike. Originality/Value – Though the context of apparel sponsorships of U.S.-based intercollegiate athletic programs limits the generalizability of the results, this study represents one of the few in the literature to empirically investigate the determinants of sponsorship costs, providing much-needed guidance to aid decision-making in a highly volatile, unpredictable industry.

The Niche Portfolio Strategy to Global Expansion: The Influence of Market Resources on Demand for Formula One Racing

ABSTRACT International products can achieve mass adoption in some countries, while languishing outside the mainstream in other countries. Theoretically, global organizations can manage market entry and divergent demand by practicing a niche portfolio strategy that requires marketers to appropriately prioritize and cultivate key resources in underdeveloped niches while maintaining dominant status in traditional markets. The authors use the international context of Formula One Racing to examine how market resources influence demand for the sport in 19 different geographically defined niches across four continents. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrates positive incremental demand effects for participant, spectator, and sponsor-based resources, while media-based resources were nonsignificant.

The moderating effect of identification on return on investment from sponsor brand integration

Purpose The achievement of a requisite return on investment (ROI) from a brand’s investment in sponsorships of sport events is becoming increasingly important. Consequently, evolving trends in the consumption of the live television broadcasts of such events (e.g. increased usage of second screens by consumers) are an important consideration. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of second screen use during sport broadcast consumption on important marketing outcomes (i.e. brand awareness and the perceived value and intrusiveness of sponsor brand integration), and whether effectiveness is dependent on the consumer’s level of identification with the sport being broadcast. Design/methodology/approach A 2×2 (experimental/control and high SportID/low SportID) between-subjects experimental design featuring the broadcast of a sport event as the stimuli was utilized to examine a potential interaction effect between sport identification and second screen use on three dependent variables important for sport sponsors. Findings Results confirmed that those with a high level of sport identification realized significantly higher levels of brand awareness for sponsors integrated into the broadcast. However, when consumers were asked to engage in second screen use, the experiment revealed a moderating effect of sport identification on the impact of second screen use, for both brand awareness and the perceived value of the brand integration. Originality/value Consumers with higher levels of sport identification are an important target of sport sponsorship activities by brand marketers. Given this, the implication that second screen use can reduce the effectiveness of important sponsorship-related outcomes such as brand awareness is a sobering result for marketers expecting a positive ROI from sponsorships of sport events.

The genesis of team rivalry in the New World: sparks to fan animosity in Major League Soccer

While rivalry debates rage among soccer fans and the media, scholars have focussed much of their research on clashes between specific clubs that share a considerable history of competition. Yet, historical conflict is just one of several elements that contribute to enduring sports rivalries, and several soccer teams – particularly in America and Canada – have limited history but salient rivals. This study compares the intensity of rivalries within Major League Soccer through a league-wide fan survey that also measures the importance of eleven antecedents to rivalry and how these elements are associated with fans’ negative reactions to rivals. While geography and frequency of play are the two most important rivalry antecedents according to fans, elements of bias such as cultural difference and unfairness are more closely associated with fans’ schadenfreude and relationship discrimination against rivals. Quotes from fans aligned with the most intense rivalries in MLS illustrate these findings.

Cause-Related Sports Marketing: The Role of League–Cause Fit and Team Imagery in Advertising Promotions: Abstract

Social involvement research in the sport industry is still evolving, leaving much to be understood regarding the social activities of sport organizations (Walker and Parent 2010). While research suggests that CRM can positively affect purchase intentions and behavioral responses (e.g., Bhattacharya and Sen 2003), the rise in CRM activities in professional sports and the breadth of philanthropic partners among individual leagues warrants a deeper understanding of how and when sports fans respond favorably, and perhaps more importantly, unfavorably, to such initiatives.

Investigating the Impact of Technology Use on the Efficacy of Broadcast Brand Integration

Rapid advances in technology have influenced the ways in which consumers experience live events, both in person and via television. One of the most prevalent of recent trends has been an increase in the use of “second screens,” or the simultaneous consumption of an event and use of an electronic device, such as a smartphone or tablet (Galily 2014). A recent study of US consumers found that 86 % said they participated in multitasking during television consumption, up from 72 % in 2011 (Deloitte 2014). Research has suggested that this trend is particularly pervasive among sport fans (Gantz and Lewis 2014). There are a number of entertainment options available to sports fans via such devices, including accessing statistical information about the event, viewing other camera angles, and participating with other fans on social media.