Creating loyal sponsors through relationships and positive experiences : a case study of gains from cooperation between sports clubs and sponsors

The purpose of this thesis was to study how relationship marketing from a sports club can generate loyal sponsors, and how a sports club can create an experience for their sponsors. We have also looked at the possibilities for sponsors to improve their image through associations, by conducting sponsoring. While writing this thesis we discovered a number of theories, from which we proceeded to develop our interview guide. As we performed our case study we interviewed two sports club organizations, but also two sponsoring companies. The answers from our respondents were then analyzed and compared to the theory. In general, the theories have been shown to be in accordance with our respondents’ opinion. Even though some of the answers we received were not always in accordance to the theory, we have not been forced to completely reject a whole theory, only solitarily factors of it. Our results shows relationship marketing to be an important factor in retaining sponsors, and for creating value, as well as a personal relationship with a sponsor helps to retain them. It has also been verified that sponsors want to be associated with high status events, and events highly liked by the sponsoring company’s customers. Lastly, in this thesis we have discovered that sponsors want an experience when entering the sponsored event, and the experience should engage and activate the sponsor. The sports club has therefore the best possibility to create an experience when engaging the sponsors, but also through developing a theme, and follow the theme throughout the experience. Validerat; 20101217 (root)