Expert comment: ‘London 2012: Olympic sponsors seek a winning performance’

Dr Dan Petrovici, Lecturer in Marketing, Kent Business School, University of Kent comments on the following BBC news item:

London 2012: Olympic sponsors seek a winning performance

“Consumer research conducted by Kent Business School during the Beijing Olympics revealed that the response to sponsors is favourable when the audience displays a strong liking for the event. The response to a sponsor brand is also positive when a consumer perceives the sincerity of sponsors’ intentions, as well as a perceived fit between the sponsor and the cause/event.

However, there is no clear ranking of the importance of these predictors, regardless of how response to sponsorship is measured. While fit is the most important predictor in explaining favourability and use of sponsor, it is attitude towards sponsor that emerges as the most important predictor of interest in the sponsor. If marketers aim to expand the market share of brands sponsoring the Olympics, they need to pay attention to how closely the brand fits the event and convey this message convincingly to the target audience. British brands that develop credible brand narratives through their association with the London 2012 Olympic Games have a tremendous opportunity to not only enhance brand awareness, but also to expand their reputation and presence in the global scene.

The emotional engagement with the brand, perceived fit between the sponsor and the event as well as the perceived sincerity of a sponsor, can facilitate consumer interactions with the brands. A cautionary note may be however, that as indicated by research published in the latest Harvard Business Review issue (Spenner and Freeman, 2012), it is crucial to preserve consumer autonomy in initiating brand interactions and acknowledge that they may not necessarily wish to belong to consumer communities. In other words, sponsors and partners of The London Olympics Games should be aware of the important need to strike a balance between promoting the brand and building enthusiasm for the event itself.”

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