Nicolas Chanavat

Building global football brand equity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the perceived brand equity of professional football clubs on foreign markets as these clubs firmly want to expand and reach a global brand status.Design/methodology/approach – Fitting with an inductive approach, 12 semi‐structured interviews are conducted in order to analyse the perceptions of Chinese fans of four English Premier League clubs.Findings – The results of this research highlight the fact that the strength of professional football brand equity on the Chinese market is strongly determined by the level of brand awareness and perceived quality but, due to the increasing competition on foreign markets, professional football clubs need to clearly define their strategic marketing in order to improve the two other dimensions of brand equity, which are brand image and loyalty, which represents crucial stake to distinguish themselves.Originality/value – The results provide useful information for professional clubs in general which want to become global ...

Volunteer programme in mega sport events: the case of the Olympic Winter Games, Torino 2006

Running a volunteer programme for a mega sport event, such as the Olympic Games, involves many people over a number of years. A successful programme requires rigorous planning and organisation right from the inception of the project. The purpose of this article was to present the essential strategic and operational success keys factors that must be taken into account through the case study of the Olympic Winter Games, Torino 2006. The method used was a series of field interviews of key persons of the organisation committee and analysis of Olympic official documents of the games (e.g., Final Report – Torino 2006). The Torino Organising Committee (TOROC) of the XX Winter Olympic Games has adopted an organisational model based on the two main macro areas which correspond to the main results presented as follows: 1) promotion of the volunteer programme; 2) planning, recruitment, training and organisation of volunteers. The analysis of the completed interviews with professional organisers of the mega sports event volunteer programme yielded key findings applicable to mega sport events. Suggestions for further research, along with practical guidelines for the perpetuation of the volunteerism as an integral part of sport enterprises are offered.

Sponsorship networks: toward an innovative model

Purpose Sponsorship rarely occurs in a one sponsor-one sponsee dyad (single sponsorship), yet a large portion of sponsorship research takes this perspective. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that reflects the complexity and rich diversity inherent in the field. The sponsorship network model considers the plurality of stakeholders to a sponsorship and their potential relationships to each other. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper develops a theoretical and conceptual framework to better identify the effect of sponsorship networks on consumer behavior. Findings Based on a review of the multiple sponsorships literature, the authors propose an innovative theoretical framework and a set of research propositions. The model considers simultaneously the potential relations between sponsors, sponsees and ambushers at the cognitive, affective and conative levels. Originality/value This research emphasizes the managerial implications for stakeholders involved in sponsorship and ambush marketing actions in order to maximize their investment. The model provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of sponsorship networks and their ability to influence consumer behaviors. These effects are more complex than is currently recognized.

French football, foreign investors: global sports as country branding

Purpose This research aims to examine the fundamental elements regarding Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) marketing strategy. Specifically, the objective of this analysis is the implementation of globalizing the club brand of PSG. Design/methodology/approach The author held three 2-h face-to-face meetings. Given that the main criterion in the choice of the respondent for a case study was the quality of the information that could be obtained during the interview, the professionals were selected because of their direct involvement in the PSG’s global marketing strategy. Data collection was conducted with the aid of several in-depth interviews with the Deputy General Manager (in charge of commercial activities), Frederic Longuepee, the Corporate and Brand Communications Manager, Nicolas Serres and the Brand Diversification and Development Manager (in charge of eSports), Fabien Allegre. Findings It appears that since the acquisition of PSG by Qatar Sports Investments, the club has entered a new era and has set in motion a strategy to compete with the biggest sports brands in the world. The results of this research reveal that the globalization strategy of PSG is itself part of Qatar’s internationalization approach. The findings also suggest that the global marketing strategy of the club is based on three key steps. First was the reorganization of the club to create an omnisports brand with a new CEO at its head, which is highlighted here. The rebuilding of the brand followed, through the creation of new identity and logotype, the acquisition of brands-athletes and controlled communication. Finally, the development of the club which is based on the diversification of growth drivers. Originality/value Overall, these results contribute to the enrichment of sports clubs and global marketing research This research offers a unique perspective and insights on the marketing strategic globalization of a professional sports club linked with the internationalization of a country. Best practices become visible through this analysis, which might serve as guidelines in other contexts.