An evaluation of the effectiveness of rugby event sponsorship: a study of Dove Men+Care and the Welsh Rugby Union

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this study is to evaluate rugby fans’ attitudes toward financial sponsorship, specifically event sponsorship and Dove Men+Care and its association with the Welsh Rugby Union. The study examines four issues: How do rugby fans perceive event sponsorship? How does such sponsorship affect consumption choices? Do fans engage in long-term relationships with the event’s sponsoring brand? Are relationships affected by the event sponsor’s engagement with other international teams and rugby events? Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a theory-building, exploratory study that utilised a qualitative framework. Data were collected over a 12-month period, incorporating the autumn internationals of 2012 and 2013, with 198 fans participating in focus groups before and after games. Findings – The results reveal a distinct lack of brand awareness on the part of the participants, a collective perception of the sponsor as incongruent given the event and a demonstration of enmity arising from rival sponsorships by the sponsoring brand. Additionally, the findings reveal a reluctance to consume the sponsoring brand in either the short or long term given its incongruence, lack of functionality, pre-existing schematic frameworks and obdurate brand preferences. Research limitations/implications – Given that autumn internationals are held every season by several of the international rugby board (IRB) ranked teams, the findings of this research have an immediate and direct application for brand managers involved or implementing sponsorship programs. The research outlines both short and long term mistakes made by the sponsor as perceived by the fans’ themselves, and suggests that those brands considering becoming involved in sport and event sponsorship instigate a more informed, strategic approach to their sponsorship activities. However, the work is context driven and therefore not generalisable. Practical implications – The findings enable marketing brand managers to effectively evaluate events against the backdrop of strategic fit, as well as fan/consumer expectations, their needs and wants and willingness to engage. Originality/value – Despite rugby union’s growing global presence, little or no research has examined sponsorship within the context of rugby union and none exists that has evaluated event sponsorship, and been driven by fans’ perspectives. This paper fills that void. The research delineates fans attitudes, opinions and brand conceptualisations relating to event sponsorship, incorporating evaluations of identity, congruence and fit. Moreover, the paper highlights what to avoid from a strategic and brand building perspective when considering event sponsorship in a rugby union context.

Market orientation, brand management processes and brand performance

“…From this perspective, the main function of brand management in an organization was to develop brand meaning and manage brand performance (Boatwright et al , 2009) with internal branding playing a limited role in this process (Dunes and Pras, 2013). More recently, brands are considered as strategic resources (Liu and Atuahene-Gima, 2018) that generate value for various stakeholders including the organization (Indounas and Arvaniti, 2015; Judson et al , 2006; Kaufmann et al , 2016), consumers (Cova and Paranque, 2016; Kaufmann et al , 2016) and even other brands associated with the focal brand (Papadimitriou et al , 2008; Thomas, 2014, 2015). Therefore, the branding process has been transformed and organizations are adopting an outside-in approach to successfully develop and manage their brands.…”

Exploring children’s reactions to sponsorship transition: a study of interpersonal and pro-social demands

“…Moreover, sponsorship represents a sophisticated means of inciting consumption (Dos Santos et al , 2019 and benefits from fans’ affective relationships with their team (Velicia Martín et al , 2020). It is this relationship between sponsor and team that is the catalyst for the sponsor and the fan developing a long-term, strategically essential relationship (Thomas, 2014). However, despite fan engagement with sponsorship being categorised as a “behavioural phenomenon” (Chadwick and Thwaites, 2006), what is known about fan behaviour during sponsorship transition is limited.…”

How Does Value Creation Manifest Itself in the Nexus of Sport and Business? A Systematic Literature Review

“…In light of some of the research [65] [100], it can be argued that neither sponsors nor sports organisations have understood the importance of fostering identification and facilitating congruence on all levels. Because fans are the main targets of sponsors, there should be a combined effort to understand and serve fans better.…”

“…a sports franchise) is reached, research shows that it can have various positive associations concerning function, such as triggering consumers to purchase goods and services [111], in-Open Journal of Business and Management creased likeliness to have positive thoughts towards the organisation [100], product/brand preferences [112] [113] [114], brand/service attitude [115], consumer satisfaction and loyalty [116] [117], and consumers' product evaluation and purchase behaviours [118]. On the other hand, incongruity can have a negative effect on the way customers perceive the sponsor and their brand [65] [100].…”