Theses on Sponsorship, Branding and Marketing
FIFA and the corporate players (BSc)
Alice D’Angelo and Jacqueline Alair Soares (2020)
Abstract: Private capital has become an increasingly important factor in the globalized football economy. The relationship between a sponsored entity and its sponsor is still relatively unexplored in marketing. This paper aims to further understand how sponsors communicate during corruption allegations affecting an international sports body, and to investigate how brand equity changes when companies are affiliated with long-term sponsorship contracts. The study has a qualitative approach and relies on preexisting material. Theories of crisis communication and brand equity are applied to the press releases of three sponsors. To identify implications for sponsors’ brand equity, different brand equity theories are compared. The study indicates that while there is a direct relationship between sponsors’ brand image and the sponsored entity, sponsors’ brand equity remained intact during the worst crises.
Football agents as occupational loners – how established practitioners act to win market power (MSc)
Ludvig Ekman and Joakim Runnemo (2017)
Abstract: This study investigates how football agents act to gain market power, despite an apparent decreasing need for intermediaries and lower transaction costs in the football industry. Previous research has emphasized market conditions to explain the growth of the profession, overlooking agents as active participants in market development. To address this gap and understand agents’ behaviour, a qualitative study was conducted in which agents, clubs, players, and other relevant actors in Sweden were interviewed. An interdisciplinary approach was applied at the intersection of embeddedness and professionalization theory.
The study finds that agents work individually to create embedded ties with players and clubs to form networks and gain personal trust. Additionally, established practitioners’ networks and relationships, characterized by personal trust rather than professionalization processes, are used to legitimize the need for intermediaries in the labour market and to gain market influence.
Traditionalist meets rebel: football and e-sports – will it be a good match? (MSc)
Ludvig Stavervik and Tomas Westerbrand (2017)
Abstract: This thesis aims to increase understanding of how the football industry in Sweden perceives e-sports, as sports clubs increasingly enter the e-sports sector and establish their own teams. No previous literature has examined this specific combination of sports. The study includes two parts. Study 1 uses quantitative data to analyse the Swedish football industry. Study 2 uses grounded theory to analyse press releases and interviews and examine perceptions of e-sports among Swedish football clubs.
The findings show that clubs view e-sports as a complement to football and as a way to attract new supporters and sponsors. Relationships with existing partners and supporters are sensitive, and any brand extension must align with the club’s values. A key barrier to entry is the lack of expertise in the new industry and how to integrate it with existing operations.
Amanda Sochon and Anna Zdolsek (2017)
Abstract: Corporate interest in sponsorship is increasing globally, with sport receiving the largest share. In Sweden, one of the most gender-equal countries in the world, 46 percent of elite athletes are women, but only 20 percent of sponsorship resources are allocated to them. While previousresearch shows that women are constrained by prevailing male norms in sport, sponsorship research has focused on how corporations benefit from sponsorship. Few studies combine these perspectives. This study addresses that gap by taking a holistic view of sponsorship collaboration in relation to gender. A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted at the elite level in Swedish football, including interviews with nine football clubs and nine sponsors.
The results show that gender mainly influences the early phases of collaboration. Factors such as personal influence, ongoing relationships, and untargeted measurement practices - previously favouring men - still relate to gender, but benefits can accrue to either group. Gender does not appear to influence the management or evaluation of collaborations, but it affects the ability to establish and maintain sponsorships.
Brands in the marketing of sports high schools – which suit your sport best? (BSc)
Ludvig Stavervik and Tomas Westerbrand (2015)
Abstract: The Upper Secondary School Reform of 2011 (Gy 2011) introduced major changes to the Swedish education system, including certification requirements for sports schools. This limited the use of sports in school marketing. This thesis investigates how brands are used on the websites of sports schools certified in football and/or cross-country skiing. Content analysis was used as the method.
The results show that schools use affiliated club brands more often when certified in football than in cross-country skiing. The use of current and former students’ personal brands is more common in cross-country skiing. No significant relationship was found between sport type and the use of coaches’ brands. These differences are explained by the nature of the sports, with football being a team sport and cross-country skiing an individual sport.
Benefits of sponsoring a football club: an event study (MSc)
Jonas Bukenas (2014)
Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between a football club’s performance in the UEFA Champions League and its jersey sponsor’s stock price. Using an event study methodology, the analysis covers 12 seasons and includes nine teams and 12 sponsoring companies. The results show that positive abnormal returns can be observed after every game, regardless of outcome. Company size and stock exchange listing appear to influence returns. There is some indication that pre-game expectations affect abnormal returns, but these findings are not statistically significant.
Bernhard Böhm (2014)
Abstract: This study examines how team rivalry and other negative effects can interfere with sponsorship agreements. It combines quantitative analysis of fan reactions in European football with qualitative research based on ethnographic studies of German fan groups.
The findings show that fans can transfer negative feelings toward rival teams to their sponsors. However, not all sponsors are equally affected. Key influencing factors include the reason for the sponsorship and the geographic origin of the sponsor. The study also finds that long-term sponsorships can reduce negative perceptions, as sponsors and teams become closely associated in supporters’ minds. The results highlight the importance of strategic sponsor selection and awareness of subgroup reactions.