COMPLETE SCHOOL PROJECT TOPICS & MATERIALS :
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Of Study
Corporate Sponsorship Promotion is the fastest growing marketing communication strategy. The growing demand and practice of this strategy by organisation is as a result of the growing influence of marketing communication as a one stop strategy in creating sustainable demand and excitement for an organization’s product and services.
A large number of organisations in different industries these days view corporate sponsorship promotion as an undisputed marketing, public relations and advertising strategy for promoting and raising the image credibility and demand for an organization’s products and services in competitive market.
Corporate sponsorship promotion allows organization to reach specifically targeted niche markets by providing for the customers and the society. In addition, it is a powerful complement to other marketing programmes, having a dramatic influence on customer relations and satisfaction. Corporate sponsorship promotion offers the possibility of achieving several goals at once. These include, enhancing image, shaping customer attitudes, driving sales, creating positive publicity, heightening visibility, differentiating from competitors, projecting corporate citizen role, enhancing customer relations; and above all, improving customers’ status or changing the face of the society. According to Okoro, (1998: 154);
In today’s business, whether profit making or non-profit making; sponsorship has become a forceful marketing tool. In programmes, products, events, and movements, innovations abound in structure, style, nature and momentum of sponsorships. Today, the promotional strategist has an inexhaustible opportunity to promote his goods, via programmes and special events that pull the target market
All over the world, there have been pronounced changes in view of many corporations about Marketing, Public relations, Advertising, and corporate sponsorship promotion, which have paralleled and partly reflected the rapid movement toward the process of integrated marketing communication (IMC). According to Belch and Belch (2004:9), “Integrated marketing communication involves the coordination of the various promotional elements and other marketing activities that communicate with a firm’s customers”.
Don E. Schultz in his contribution to the ‘Marketing News’ (January 18, 1993:17): recognized the America Association Advertising Agencies (the ‘4As) definition of as one of the first developed definition of the concept. Quoting the 4A’s definition, Schultz defined integrated marketing communication as,
A concept of marketing communication planning that recognizes the added value of a comprehensive plan that evaluates the strategic roles of a variety of communication disciplines – for example, general advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and public relations – and combines these disciplines to provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communications impact.
Schultz further noted that the process of integrated marketing communications calls for the ‘big picture’ approach to planning marketing and promotion programmes and coordinating the various communication functions. It requires that firms develop a total marketing communications strategy that recognizes how all of a firm’s marketing activities, not just promotion, communicate with its customers. As a result, there are today few subjects of more concern to corporate survival than corporate sponsorship promotion; a Marketing, Public relations, Advertising strategy.
Today, corporate marketing objective has shifted emphasis from production and product to consumer satisfaction and societal welfare. A development that is responsible for the increasing focus of major industries on corporate sponsorship promotion as a veritable tool in the attainment of their corporate development and marketing objectives. According to Smith et al (2006:68)
Emphasis is now on the needs, wants and preference of consumers, which must determine product characteristics, pricing, distribution, advertising, promotion, selling as well as service. Society is now also concern about the protection of the physical environment, product safety and job creation. (Smith et al 2000)
The changing priority on corporate sponsorship promotion emanate from the new emphasis on relationship marketing. Today, most corporate marketers are seeking more than just a one-time exchange or transaction with the customers. The focus of market-driven companies is on developing and sustaining relationships with their customers. This has led to a new emphasis on relationship marketing, which involves creating, maintaining, and enhancing long term relationship with individual customers as well as other stakeholders for mutual benefit. (Leonard L. Berry, 1995:236-45)
Further more, the increasing emphasis on corporate sponsorship promotion may be viewed in relation to distinguishing role of public relations as a management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedure of an individual organization with the public interest; plans and executes programmes of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. Today organizations preoccupation is how to project and sustain favourable image with customers. Pubic Relations is closely associated with the image and reputation concept. To ensure corporate survival in today’s competitive economy, image is not only everything, it is the only thing and corporate image is the result of what organizations think, say and do and how this impact on the public (Okoro et al 1999: V & 3) According to Akinbola (2005:1): An organization’s reputation is one of its valuable assets. Although it is an intangible asset whose value cannot be easily verified or quantified, reputation is a veritable tool for gaining market shares, expanding customer base, building brand loyalty, attracting new investors, motivating employees and winning public trust.
An organization’s reputation is the only asset that cannot be copied, duplicated, or suppressed by competitors. That explains why reputation is such a valuable asset.
Drawing from the findings of a mixed-methods-multiple-case study, this thesis explores – “Corporate Sponsorship Promotion issues and practice in Industries. Focusing attention on the brewing and communication industries, the study