Sponsorship and the Elaboration Likelihood Model: BMW's 2014 Winter Olympic brand strategy

Abstract

This paper demonstrates that the Elaboration Likelihood Model is a plausible theoretical framework for explaining the unique opportunities that sponsors have to form a brand association, develop an activation programme and create television commercials to appeal to both the high and low-involvement product category consumer. The assumptions put forth in the Elaboration Likelihood Model are applied to the sponsorship strategy of 2014 Winter Olympic sponsor, BMW. The findings of this case study show that the Elaboration Likelihood Model guides BMW's sponsorship activation strategy as well as its creative television commercial strategy. BMW appeals to high-involvement product category consumers by emphasising brand features and appeals to low-involvement product category consumers through its brand association with the Olympics. An appeal based on a brand association is only possible if a company is a sponsor.