Clever or Foolish? Playing with the Rivalry in Leveraging Sports Sponsorships of SMEs

Stefan Walzel*, Gerhard Nowak

*Corresponding author for this work

Publication: Contribution to journalJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Abstract

This article explores the significance of sports sponsorships by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Due to limited resources, and the high-intensity competition among sponsors for the recipient’s attention, SMEs have to look for alternative ways to exploit the potential of their sponsorships. With the help of an experimental research design, two studies examine the effects of integrating existing sporting rivalries between sports teams into the leveraging of sponsorships. Among both fans (study 1) and local residents (study 2), the reference to a sporting rivalry in sponsorship leveraging has positive effects on sponsorship-fit, attitudes towards sponsorship and brand attitudes towards the sponsor. Negative attitudes of rival fans on this type of sponsorship leveraging are mostly irrelevant for SME sponsors due to their limited market scope. This type of sponsorship leveraging offers SMEs the opportunity to differentiate themselves as sponsors in contrast to large enterprises with a supra regional, national or international sponsorship scope.
Translated title of the contributionClever oder dumm? - Das Spiel mit der Rivalität bei der Aktivierung von Sportsponsoring von KMUs
Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Small Business Journal
Volume40
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)47-67
Number of pages21
ISSN0266-2426
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.02.2022

Research areas and keywords

  • fans
  • residents
  • rivalry
  • social identity
  • sponsorship linked-marketing

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  • Sporting Rivalry As A Leveraging Approach In Sports Sponsorships

    Nowak, G. & Walzel, S., 2019, Connecting sport practice & science - book of abstracts: the 27th European Sport Management Conference, 3rd-6th September 2019 - Seville, Spain. Breitbarth, T., Bodet, G., Fernández Luna, Á., Burillo Naranjo, P. & Bielons, G. (eds.). EASM, p. 302-304 3 p.

    Publication: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution - Published abstract for conference with selection processResearchpeer-review

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