Football Sponsorships and Brand Loyalty

In the increasingly commercialized world of sports, football is among the most prominent events. Game settings are the focal point of stadium supporters and television viewers around the world, transforming clubs and players into valuable medium vehicles of firms looking to reach through the advertising clutter of modern society. When the Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovi was to leave his Italian club Internazionale in 2009, he had a lucrative individual endorsement deal with a sport apparel manufacturer. Due to substantial investments, made to promote Ibrahimovi as brand ambassadeur, concerns were raised whether he could join a club that was sponsored by a competing manufacturer. The situation implied that besides finding an athletic connection to a new club, there were also complimentary brand effects to consider. In this book we define the football club as a brand platform to be leveraged by firms looking to enhance their brand equity. Brand loyalty outcomes of consistent and conflicting sponsorship scenarios are examined, and sponsorship mechanisms explored.