Event Marketing : The role of sponsorships on brand equity: a business perspective

Event marketing is a promotional tool which play an important role in the marketing strategy of many companies today. The overall purpose of this thesis is to provide a better understanding on how companies use event sponsorships in order to improve brand equity, through a descriptive and exploratory approach to the area of study. To reach the purpose of this study, research questions were formulated, focusing on the objectives of event sponsorships and how companies choose the right event to sponsor, in order to reach stated objectives and build brand equity. In order to answer the research questions, a literature review was conducted which provided the base for the frame of reference. The method used is a qualitative multiple-case study. The data were collected by interviews with representatives from three well-known companies, Telia Company, Handelsbanken and Polarbröd, which all use sponsorship as a promotional tool. The results of the study indicate that sponsorship objectives within the corporate/product- and marketing categories are most frequently used in the building of brand equity. The single most common objectives are brand awareness, enhanced brand image and public perception, improved customer relations and to reach target markets. It was found that it is important for companies to achieve an appropriate fit with a sponsored event. The choice of event is based on a number of criteria, of which the most important are typicality, relevancy, target market, image and complementary. Another finding was that companies today consider sponsorships as a long-term relationship and cooperation, not only a one-time event, as a tool for building brand equity.Validerat; 20160616 (global_studentproject_submitter