Activation of Sponsorship Relationship – the case of Volkswagen and the Prague International Marathon

Abstract

The academia and the relevant industry seem to lack more complete and coherent literature and knowledge on the subject of sponsorship activation, and especially seek for more concrete business practices and feedback from the market. The goal of this work thus is to present a very relevant and up-to-date case study that will contribute to enriching the sponsorship activation literature and to better comprehending the business practices and decision makings. A scrutinized case study of such nature clearly requires a qualitative research method, concentrating on large amount of detailed and focused information, as opposed to analyzing bulk samples and statistics. The research question is being answered by collecting information from personal interviews, access to all necessary documentation and corporate material, as well as direct contribution of the author in all the negotiation and implementation processes of the sponsorship relationship. This work suggests that sponsorship gains significant importance in companies’ pursuit to convey their brand promises through unconventional and emotional platforms. This channel of communication is nowadays ‘on par’ with the other communication tools, and not their remote subcategory. Within the sponsorship tools as such, it is the concept of ‘activation’ that tends to take a central role in maximising the effect of the sponsorship relationship. It can be claimed that this new approach is gaining exponential importance and attains focal position in sponsorship relationships, which is apparently and especially evident in more matured markets. An in depth case study of a very recent sponsorship deal between the Volkswagen brand and the Prague International Marathon, which is largely based on the concept of ‘sponsorship activation’, shows that cooperation between sponsors and property owners in the Czech Republic is as well slowly but surely transforming to genuine partnership relationship. Nearly all strategic challenges and pragmatic decisions witnessed in the process of defining and establishing the new sponsorship relationship model between the two partners are found in the literature which elaborates them from different aspects. This case study can be taken as a contributor to better understanding of the wide spectrum of areas influenced by the notion of ‘sponsorship activation’, and as a sufficient indicator to modern shifts in trends and new challenges in sponsorship. Besides all the analytical inputs this work offers, the unarticulated general feeling and impression of the author and the involved parties is that sponsorship activation is lot about winning the heart of the people, identifying with their deeper emotions, simply amusing the audience, or genuinely being socially responsible.