Olympic Sponsorship Activation and the Creation of Competitive Advantage

Abstract

The present study explores the leveraging activities of the Grand National sponsors of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and attempts to apply a resource-based view in their assessment. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven of the ten Grand National sponsors and through a systematic review of secondary sources. The more active sponsors invested in and utilized a number of leveraging methods, including advertising, sales promotions, and special events. Furthermore, they seemed superior to the less active sponsors in the use of their tangible and intangible resources as well as the capabilities of their organization. On the other hand, the less active sponsors appeared to have missed the opportunity to utilize their Olympic sponsorship to gain a competitive advantage. This article concludes with suggestions to companies investing in sport sponsorship for effective exploitation of acquired sponsorship rights.

KEYWORDS:

• competitive advantage
• Grand National sponsors
• Olympic Games
• resource-based theory
• sponsorship activation
• sponsorship leveraging
• sports