Skiing

At Melting Summits: How do Ski Resorts Transform? (MSc)

Isabelle Talsma & Vendela Silwén (2023)

Abstract: The ski industry represents an economic engine in many regional areas across the globe. However, climate change, with rising temperatures and increasing weather variability, is putting the industry at considerable risk. Because of these pressuring circumstances, numerous ski resorts now find themselves at a crucial point, faced with the pivotal decision of whether and how to innovate and transform their offerings. In parallel, there has been a growing recognition in academic literature of the increasing turbulence and complexity of business environments. Thus, scholars are increasingly shifting focus to viewing firms as part of ecosystems where actors depend on each other and jointly create value. Previous literature on ecosystem transformation has predominantly examined firms' internal capabilities for managing change as well as the early-to-midstages of ecosystem lifecycles. Consequently, two intriguing research gaps emerge: examining the influence of (1) contextual factors on ecosystem transformation in (2) mature ecosystems, facing the risk of decline. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how contextual factors influence how ski resorts, representing mature ecosystems, transform. This is done through a theoretical lens of business ecosystems, business model innovation, and embeddedness theory. Through a qualitative comparative case study on Swedish privately-owned ski resorts, a total of 26 interviews were conducted. Our findings indicate that contextual factors can have a profound influence on how ski resorts transform. Firstly, we identify two additional factors beyond established theory - intermediary and local identification - that were found to significantly contribute to a ski resort's transformation opportunities. Secondly, we outline two distinct approaches that differed in seven aspects, where the analyzed ski resorts opted for entirely divergent paths. A notable distinction in these mature ecosystems was that established norms and practices from before the transformation had a significant influence on all three phases of the process. Findings from this study contribute to scholars by creating a more holistic understanding of ecosystem transformation through providing novel insights into a firm's context and process in mature stages. Thus, extending insights regarding the full lifecycle of ecosystems. Furthermore, the findings contribute to practitioners by providing valuable insights into navigating ecosystem transformations. In particular, how cultivating strong relationships where individuals connect to a place, community, and lifestyle can increase collective transformative power to drive meaningful change.

Brands in the marketing of sports high schools – which suit your sport best? (BSc)

Ludvig Stavervik & Tomas Westerbrand (2015)

Abstract: The upper secondary school 2011 (Gy 2011) was a reform that created large changes in the Swedish educational system. One of the major changes was the requirement of certification for sports schools. Schools in Sweden have historically used sports in their marketing, but this opportunity was impaired by the reform. This thesis aims to investigate how brands are applied on the webpages of sports schools that are certified in football and/or cross-country skiing. Content analysis was used as a method of data collection. The results indicate that sports schools used affiliated club brands more when certified in football than when certified in cross-country skiing. The use of present and former pupils' personal brands was more extensive in schools providing cross-country skiing compared to the schools providing football. However, no significant relationship was found between the two sports and the use of coaches' brands on the webpage. We argue that the origin of these differences lies in the fact that these sports are different by nature. One major component is that football is a team sport, while cross-country skiing is an individual sport.

Measurability of corporate sponsorship in sport events (BSc)

Oscar Lundqvist & Philip Green (2015)

Abstract: The Number of companies involved in sponsorship has been increasing over the years, and today sponsorship is a fully global industry (Stotlar 2004). Despite this, little research has been made in the area, and in particular in the field of corporate sponsorship and measurability. Some research has been made, which often concludes that measuring Return On Investment from sponsorship activities is difficult, and it is rarely discussed in the financial reports. In this thesis, we aim to address the measurability of corporate sponsorship through a multiple case study at two Swedish large corporations and their engagement in the 2015 FIS Ski World Championship. Among the conclusions, it is found that sponsorship and measurability are highly experience-based. From experience, a company can find ways to quantify and measure Return On Objectives. By being able to quantify and measure sponsorship activities, a company can further increase the level of sophistication in a managerial control system, and better find a purpose of sponsorship that maximizes value.