Analysis of sponsorship in the function of promoting professional sports on the example of a selected basketball club

Sportsko sponzorstvo danas je jedan od najutjecajnijih i rasprostranjenijih oblika promocije u svijetu biznisa. Ono što ga čini privlačnim i često korištenim je njegov domet, odnosno da se putem sporta može dostići jako veliki broj potencijalnih kupaca i putem sporta se otvaraju velika globalna tržišta za samo poduzeće koje vrši sponzorstvo. U radu su se obrađivale teme sponzorstva, profesionalnog sporta, promocije i promocijski oblici, prikazao se određeni košarkaški klub i kako je on implementirao sponzorstvo kao svoju promocijsku strategiju marketinga. Pri kraju rada nalazi se i empirijsko istraživanje koje je za cilj imalo istražiti kakav utjecaj imaju promocijske aktivnosti kluba. U radu je prikazano dosta primjera promocije u sportu putem sponzorstva, te primjeri oblika i vrsta promocija u sportu. Treba naglasiti da je i razvoj tehnologije puno pridonio jačanju marketinga, samim time i sponzorstva. Danas se klubovi i sami sportaši putem društvenih mreža povezuju sa svojim navijačima i sponzorima, te ako imaju jaki utjecaj na društvenim mrežama privlače i nove potencijalne sponzore. Sponzori su jako bitni za sportaše zbog financijskog aspekta koji predstavljaju za sportaše.Sports sponsorship is today one of the most influential and widespread forms of promotion in the business world. What makes it attractive and often used is its reach, and a fact that a very large number of potential customers can be reached through sports, and through sports large global markets are opened for the sponsoring company itself. The paper dealt with the topics of sponsorship, professional sports, promotion, and promotional forms, presented a certain basketball club and how it implemented sponsorship as its promotional marketing strategy. At the end of the paper, there is empirical research that aimed to investigate the impact of the club's promotional activities. The paper also presents many examples of promotion in sports through sponsorship, as well as examples of forms and types of promotion in sports. It should be emphasized that the development of technology has contributed a lot to the strengthening of marketing, and thus sponsorship. Today, clubs and athletes themselves connect with their fans and sponsors through social networks, and if they have a strong influence on social networks, they also attract new potential sponsors. Sponsors are very important for athletes because of the financial aspect they represent for athletes