Sport sponsorship: a marketing communication tool in
Swedish companies

Abstract: Sponsorship is of great importance since it is the part of the promotional
mix that supports the interest of the company by associating it with a
specific event. Moreover, sponsorship may be the major or only marketing
effort for some companies whereby it is further important to consider it as
a powerful option when deciding upon marketing tools. The purpose of this
thesis is therefore to provide a better understanding of sport sponsorship
as a marketing communication tool in Swedish companies. In order to reach
this purpose, research questions focus on the objectives, selection
process, and evaluation of effectiveness of sport sponsorship. Based on the
research questions, a literature review was conducted that resulted in a
conceptual framework presenting a foundation for the data to be collected
for this study. A qualitative, case study methodology was used, using
documentations and interviews of two Swedish companies within the same
field of business. The general result of the study is that several
objectives of sport sponsorship are commonly used, and the objectives may
be either constant or inconstant depending on sponsored unit. The most
frequently used objectives of sport sponsorship are however the corporate
related objectives, such as corporate image, client entertainment, and
employee relations. Further results of the study are that companies base
their selection of a specific sport sponsorship on several criteria, for
instance, managerial interest, the chosen sport’s ability to deliver the
marketing message, and the interest of the present and potential employees.
In addition the decisions can be made from a client perspective and the
values of the company. Moreover, based on the results, companies do not
formally evaluate the effectiveness of sport sponsorship whatsoever.
Instead, organizations try to find more informal methods for measurement.