How Should Sponsorship Activation Work? A Sports Event and Athlete-Based Brand Building Framework (SEA-BB) Capturing an Internal and External Route

Abstract

This article proposes a sponsorship activation framework that shows the way sponsors realize internal and external brand building objectives and how important sponsorship characteristics and capabilities can be used as tools in sponsors' brand building. The framework is a result of a conceptual and exploratory approach, a merger of theories from marketing and organization, and findings based on qualitative data. As well as reviewing relevant literature, we interviewed two marketing managers from institutions representing sports sponsorship objects and eight marketing managers with sponsorship responsibility working for eight different sponsors. Additionally, applying a case study methodology, we analyzed documents describing sponsorship strategies of three sports sponsors and interviewed their marketing managers. In the article we present a sponsorship activation framework (Sports Event and Athlete-Based Brand Building) (SEA-BB) and the Sports Event and Athlete Sponsorship Object Star (SEA-SOS) model. The framework serves as a specific guideline for sponsorship objects, such as sports events and sports athletes and suggests the important characteristics and capabilities they should develop to attract sponsors. For sponsors, the Sponsorship Object Star recommends what object characteristics and capabilities are important to facilitate sponsors' internal and external brand building. The proposed frameworks serve as effective guidelines for both sports sponsors and sports sponsorship objects like events, sports organizations, teams, and athletes.