Rules of Engagement: Sport Sponsorship, Anti-Ambush Marketing Legislation, and Alcohol Images during the 2011 Rugby World Cup

ABSTRACT

In 2011, New Zealand/Aotearoa hosted the Rugby World Cup (RWC). Heineken's sponsorship rights as RWC Worldwide Partner and the official beer offered the global conglomerate sole promotional and advertising privileges for all official events, activities, and facilities associated with the event. Yet, local New Zealand beer brand Steinlager also had a vested interest in the tournament considering their 25-year sponsorship of New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks. This study articulates Steinlager's ‘We Believe’ promotional campaign during the 2011 RWC with various socio-historical and political-economic contexts to understand its contested production, meaning, and regulation. Using a critical analysis of the Steinlager ‘We Believe’ television advertisement, wider promotional campaign, and an interview with a key media producer, the findings are presented and discussed within the context of New Zealand's Major Events Management Act, ambush marketing, and the emergence of social media to leverage Steinlager's brand presence during the tournament.

卷入规则:2011年橄榄球世界杯赛事期间的体育赞助, 反伏击营销立法和啤酒形象

2011年, 新西兰和奥特亚罗瓦举办了橄榄球世界杯(RWC)。喜力作为RWC全球合作伙伴和官方啤酒的赞助权, 为所有官方活动、活动和与该活动相关的设施提供了独家宣传和广告特权。然而, 鉴于25年来新西兰本土啤酒品牌世好一直赞助新西兰橄榄球国家队——全黑队, 因此世好在此次比赛中也能获得既定的利益。此研究从社会历史和政治经济角度出发, 明确了世好啤酒在2011年橄榄球世界杯赛中“我们相信”的促销活动, 以了解其饱受争议的生产、意图和监管措施。通过批判性分析世好啤酒“我们相信”的电视广告和更广泛的促销活动、采访主流媒体制作人, 可以得出研究结果, 并在⟪新西兰重大事件管理法⟫中对于伏击营销和社交媒体上加以讨论, 以期在比赛期间传播世好的品牌形象

KEYWORDS:

• Sponsorship
• alcohol
• ambush marketing
• rugby world cup
• sport events

关键词:

• 赞助
• 啤酒
• 伏击营销
• 橄榄球世界杯赛
• 体育赛事

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sarah Gee

Sarah Gee (PhD, University of Otago, New Zealand) is a senior lecturer in the Sociology of Sport at Massey University, New Zealand. Her current research interests explore the macro- and micro-nuances of alcohol sponorship of sport policy restrictions.

Ashleigh-Jane Thompson

Ashleigh-Jane Thompson (PhD, Massey University, New Zealand) is a lecturer in Sport Communication and Marketing at Massey University, New Zealand. Her research examines the utilisation of new media by sport organisations and athletes, as well as the impact of social media on sport fandom.

Rachel J. Batty

Rachel J. Batty (PhD, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia), is a lecturer in Sport Management within the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition at Massey University. Her research interests focus on acknowledging and managing the factors that influence sport stakeholder relationships within a range of sport events and sport organisations. She is currently conducting research on New Zealand based regional rugby organisations, with specific attention to public health agenda influence on sponsor relationships, CSR initiatives and sport organisation strategic directives. Rachel was the Director of the World in Union: International Rugby Conference that took place in Palmerston North, New Zealand in 2017.