Headwinds in sports sponsoring

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of a crisis situation in a sports team on the credibility of their sponsor and how the sponsor’s use of various crises response strategies may repair the damage done to their credibility. Design/methodology/approach A scenario experiment was conducted with a 2 (pre-/post-crisis) × 4 (sponsor response strategy: denial/distancing/rebuild/no response) mixed factor design. Respondents (n=191) were recruited from a research panel. Findings The results confirmed the existence of a spill-over effect: the sponsor’s credibility dropped as a result of the crisis. More interestingly, the effects of the crisis on sponsor credibility were moderated by the response strategy of the sponsor: the harm that the crisis did to the sponsor credibility was aggravated by a denial strategy, but somewhat weakened by a diminishing strategy. A rebuild response unexpectedly improved the credibility of the sponsor. Practical implications While partnerships in sports can be risky, because crises can be contagious, such partners can also help one another to protect their credibility. Therefore, this study advocates an integral approach of crisis communication. Sponsors may improve their credibility when they frame their contribution to the solution to the problems as an authentic effort to do good. Originality/value Starting from an issue arena perspective, this contribution shows how crises in sports teams also affect sponsors and how sponsors can contribute to the restoration of the damaged credibility with suitable responses to the crisis situation.

A tale of two scandals: scale shift and the inefficacy of crisis communication management in Olympic scandals

“…These qualifications of SCCT are in line with Coombs (2010), who suggested that additional "evidence based crisis communication" strategies have to be identified (p. 721). Furthermore, the mechanisms in SCCT and their efficacy are not only limited by the actions of the focal organization but also by the actions of its stakeholders (e.g., sponsors), which can impact the effectiveness of the crisis response (Schafraad and Verhoeven, 2019). There are numerous accounts of stakeholder organizations shifting the blame or deflecting responsibility to defend their own reputations rather than to address the situation with a multistakeholder approach (see, e.g., Michelin vs. FIA vs. Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the US F1 Grand Prix 2005 or the Duke University Lacrosse scandal 2006) (Benoit, 2014).…”

The Effects of Athlete Activism on League Credibility, Event Legacy, and Event Involvement: A Crisis Communication Perspective

“…Sport management scholars have applied this concept to the sports context and suggested that the credibility of a sports organization is crucial for maintaining its authority and legitimacy (Inoue & Kent, 2012;Schafraad & Verhoeven, 2019). Kim et al (2014) examined the credibility of the National Hockey League (NHL) during the lockout and found that the NHL's pro-social behaviors (e.g., donation to youth sports) helped the league maintain its credibility during the reputational crisis.…”