Sponsorship Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Grassroot organizations are largely dependent on sponsorship, often derived from the local communities and companies (Appendices, ‘Interview with Leif Gjørtz Christensen’). However, the challenge of attracting corporate sponsorships is a common problem for most commercially limited sports clubs in Denmark as sponsorships are crucial financially for the survival of many of these (Appendices, ‘Summaries of Intake Interviews’). As a basis for this paper we agreed to cooperate with local football club VSK Aarhus. The club wishes to appear more interesting and expressed a need to improve their ability to generate revenue, especially from sponsors (Appendices, ‘Interview with Michael Lynge and Karl Ove Pedersen’).
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss the motives and benefits from sponsorship, and sports sponsorship in particular, amounting to a strategic communication plan for VSK Aarhus. Thus, answering the research question:
• How can VSK Aarhus best appeal to sponsors utilizing a communicative approach?
With the following sub-questions in mind:
• What do sponsors look for in a sponsorship?
• Why do companies engage particularly in sports sponsorship?
• How can prospective sponsors most effectively be approached?
The literature review consists of theories within communication theory and communication planning, the concept of marketing communications and sponsorship, and the notion of sponsorships particularly within sports. Accordingly, Vos, Otte & Linders (2003) and Windahl & Igniter (2009) supplied the theoretical framework on setting up a communication plan, while Windahl & Signitzer (2009) and Littlejohn & Foss (2011) provided the theoretical background regarding communication theories. These areas were supported by a marketing perspective on communication by including Verhage’s (2014) and Fill’s (2013) notions on marketing communications and sponsorship compared to other studies on the subjects. Lastly, sports sponsorship was conceptualized by looking at the thoughts of a number of scholars who had investigated the field.
Regarding research methods, the philosophy of science that steers this paper is structural Interpretivism. Meaning the production of knowledge is developed from individual perspectives on the social world while acknowledging the basic structures constituting it (Kuada, 2014, p. 79). Thus, to answer the research question and sub questions, a qualitative study based on five individual semi-structured interviews was conducted (Daymon & Holloway, 2011, pp. 220-228). The data collection was then analyzed with the principles of Braun
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Anders Pardi Nielsen Aarhus University Spring 2017 David Stylsvig Madsen BA MMC 6th semester
& Clarke’s (2006, p. 79) thematic analysis to identify, analyze and report themes through a process of codifying and categorizing it. The analysis consisted of several codes that was merged into categories from which themes subsequently emerged.
In the analysis, significant themes revealed in the analysis are; strategy, returns, and strategy. In terms of the theme strategy, the respondents generally regarded local engagement and affiliation, placement, and presence to be salient elements within a sponsorship although the companies differed with regard to choosing sponsorships as some relied on their gut feeling while others had a standardized approach. Regarding the theme returns, the interviewees considered increased exposure, recognizability, visibility, sales, and goodwill amongst other features as reasons for why they engage in sponsorships. Finally, relations emerged as a significant theme in the data where the facilitation of networks, activation of sponsorships, and passion was essential in consideration to the choice of organization to sponsor.
The discussion is rooted in the paper’s three sub-questions and explores the theoretical and practical implications of this paper. Firstly, it revolved around the essentials of attracting sponsors regarding what companies look for in a sponsorship. Secondly, the implications of engaging in sports sponsorship was considered while distinguishing between elite and grassroot sports. Thirdly, the notions on strategically approaching prospective sponsors was considered comparing the derived implications. Ultimately, the discussion was founded on insights gained from comparing the analysis and reviewed literature.
In conclusion, and as derived from the previous sections, VSK Aarhus should incorporate the essential elements considered by prospective sponsors in their communication strategy such as exposure, relations, sales and goodwill to name a few. Furthermore, sports were considered to have a wide appeal in terms of segmentation for prospective sponsors and should, therefore, be considered in relation to a message strategy for the club. Finally, a sponsorship proposal was often seen as a business inquiry by the prospective sponsors and should, therefore, contain the most important information regarding potential sponsorship returns and instruction for sponsor activation in a well-arranged manner. The suggested solutions and practical implications can be found in the communication plan (Appendices, ‘Communication Plan’).