Citation
Cole, G. (2014), "Executive summary of “An evaluation of the effectiveness of rugby event sponsorship: a study of Dove Men+Care and the Welsh Rugby Union”", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 23 No. 4/5. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-07-2014-0667
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Executive summary of “An evaluation of the effectiveness of rugby event sponsorship: a study of Dove Men+Care and the Welsh Rugby Union”
Article Type: Executive summary and implications for managers and executives From: Journal of Product & Brand Management, Volume 23, Issue 4/5
This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of this article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full benefits of the material present.
A plethora of studies confirm the importance of sports sponsorship as an effective marketing strategy. The sponsoring organization engages with supporters of the relevant team or sport with the aim to convert them into consumers of the brand. Successful executions of this strategy help provide a competitive edge that is sustainable.
It can be observed from the literature that football is a sport that attracts most sponsorship. The conceptual frameworks which have emerged are, however, largely applicable to other sports sponsorship contexts.
An ideal scenario results in fans developing a positive attitude toward the sponsoring brand. As the relationship becomes closer, favorable perceptions of their team are extended to the said brand. Greater knowledge and emotional attachment often results in fans displaying a willingness to buy the products concerned. This positive chain of events is widely referred to as the “halo effect”, and evidence suggests that fan involvement increases further when their team is winning.
Some academics suggest the need for firms to exercise caution when electing to engage in sponsorship deals. The possibility of enchanting some fans is balanced by the likelihood that others will be alienated. Empirical evidence corroborates such beliefs. In one instance, it was found that supporters of a Swedish soccer club held unfavorable perceptions of beer brands simply because the sponsorship had linked the brands to a rival team. An option to sponsor both teams in these situations is questioned on the basis that the overall impact would be diluted when compared to an exclusive arrangement.
Supporting a particular event often provides an even greater scope for the sponsoring firm. Being able to reach a much wider audience via different media channels massively increases the scope to positively impact on levels of awareness, sales, market share and profits. Multinational operators realize that involvement on this scale additionally provides a valuable opportunity to enhance the image of both organization and brand to the degree that corporate identity can be redefined. The huge potential value of event sponsorship is captured in the comments of researchers who argue that preference for a product or brand can emerge even if exposure over time is “nominal”. Newly obtained information becomes part of an individual’s evolving “schema” about the event, and any later recall has implications about how the associated brand is perceived.
Much research focus had addressed the practice whereby the image of the “sponsored entity” is transferred to the sponsoring company or brand. This subsequently becomes one of the brand associations held in consumers’ memory. The extent to which the sponsor benefits from the image transfer process is subject to some debate. In the opinion of certain academics, an acceptable degree of “fit” between the two parties is essential to guarantee the transfer will occur as intended. Without it, incongruent and unfavorable associations are potential results.
Few studies have explored sports sponsorship (particularly event sponsorship) in the context of rugby union, despite the game enjoying an expanding presence worldwide and association with a sizeable array of global sponsors. In the present work, Thomas seeks to address this dearth by investigating the significance of key issues on the strategic partnership Unilever has formed with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) via its Dove Men+Care brand.
This brand is no stranger to rugby union, having already developed associations with the Scottish, Irish and English governing bodies and sponsoring major cup competitions. Evidence suggests that Dove Men+Care has grown in popularity among British men as a consequence of this involvement. The deal with the WRU represents a further step forward given its longer-term constitution. Wales has enjoyed considerable success in recent years; therefore, the team’s current high-profile image ensures the brand will be exposed to sizeable live and broadcast audiences.
Data for the present study were collected between autumn 2012 and autumn 2013 on match days in various locations near to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Seven different international rugby fixtures were covered during this period. A total of 198 fans (79 per cent males) participated in this longitudinal research and were interviewed in groups before and after games to gain a flavor of game day “emotions and attitudes”. Questions related to the issues documented above and were organized into different themes.
Data analysis indicated that:
Only a minority of fans reported having prior knowledge of Dove Men+Care products despite being exposed to the brand in their capacity supporting the national team.
Awareness of the brand was sometimes attributed to random encounters totally unconnected with the rugby events.
Greater image-consciousness among men does not change prior perception that this is a “female-only” brand.
Respondents felt that using high-profile brand ambassadors would boost the brand’s image.
Many people were solely concerned about the game on match days and ignored “marketing periphery”.
Skepticism was evident about the firm’s motivation for forming the association with the WRU. Starting with grass-roots sponsorship and building from there was considered more honorable.
Comments were made about the lack of fit between both brand and product with rugby culture and the event. It was felt that social identity was absent from the product.
On-field success was not associated with or attributed to the sponsoring brand in any way.
Emotional connection and involvement with Dove was lacking among fans.
Some subjects indicated a negative attitude toward the brand because of its sponsorship of rival international teams.
The author argues that the lack of fit between the brand and supporters has negative consequences for Dove in that brand awareness, brand associations and perceived quality were left wanting. In addition to these core brand equity components, customer attitude was negative too. One plausible explanation was that the brand and its products were out of sync with the ubiquitous passion surrounding international rugby games. Failure to engage with the community and culture that frames the “tribal” nature of rugby furthered the incongruity. It also raised suspicions about the firm’s motives and prevented the building of all-important trust. Thomas blames the relatively ephemeral nature of the sponsorship deal to some extent. That the products were perceived as incompatible with the sport hardly helped the firm’s case either, and pre-existing notions of Dove being a “gendered brand” illustrates the difficulty here. Research has indicated that products which can be consumed during the event increase the prospect of supporter engagement. Commentators point to the success of beer brands in this respect.
In conclusion, the author notes this company’s failure to establish adequate understanding of how target consumers perceive the image of the international rugby event. Doing so would have identified the lack of fit between this image and the brand’s position. Thomas warns other companies about the dangers of attempting to exploit rugby unions to build the equity of their incongruent brands. Success in this context is likelier when products are conceived as being more “rugby orientated” and better aligned with the often well-entrenched existing schemas of spectators, the target audience.
Future research might consider different consumer segments and sponsorship of multiple nations or events. Comparing live audiences with those observing via TV or other media outlets is another option to pursue.
To read the full article, enter 10.1108/JPBM-03-2014-0533 into your search engine.
(A précis of the article “An evaluation of the effectiveness of rugby event sponsorship: a study of Dove Men+Care and the Welsh Rugby Union”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for Emerald.)