The Branding and Value of Sport Performers: An Analysis of The Azam Uganda Premier League.
Gordon Roy Mundeyi
Head of Communications UPL.
The impact of sponsor image on purchase intention of football fans.
Key words: Promotion, Purchase intention, Societal marketing, Sponsor image, Sport involvement, Sport sponsorship, Team achievement, Team attachment
The sport increasingly represents not only a cultural but also a commercial phenomenon. This perspective determines an increased application of traditional marketing tools and procedures in the management of sport clubs, such as branding or value creation. Increasingly new strategies are being used by football clubs for managing the branding and the value of sport performers by creating what clubs are considering as centres of value-creation. In today’s world, defined by intensive competition and commercialization, branding strategies are applied not only to products, services or corporations, but also to high-profile people, in politics, in entertainment or in sport.
One of the most spectacular areas of personal branding is the modern football industry is exceptional individual performance which in turn helps to identify the elements that enhance the brand value of football teams; so as a rule the brand strength is determined by constant team performance at high level; high performance attracts attention and increased media exposure (match replays, interviews, news, specific events, etc.), which in turn diffuse and strengthens the brand. The supporters and the public in general like to be associated with winning performers or winning teams that act as models not only of sports, but also of social performance.
From this perspective, individual performance represents the basis of team brand value
As many team performance studies demonstrate, team performance is directly related with the capability, potential and performance of team members. It is therefore no surprise that the most renowned teams in the world are constantly using the best performing football players. The brands of football clubs and of individual footballers often represent excellent examples of successful marketing strategies. The brand value of individual footballers is sometimes exceptional which usually also helps to develop a strategy of co-branding in which the name of the star player is associated and reinforces the brand name of the club. The direct effect of this association is a direct increase in the sales of club merchandise and all. Several football clubs in the AUPL are benefiting from so far 2 betting companies in Uganda namely betway ( Onduparka FC) Topbet( Mbarara City FC)
Therefore the rewarding of best performing players (MoTM) per Match Day in the AUPL by Fortebet has raised the bar and set pace for other big sponsors to get involved in football in Uganda. Fortebet has brought with it value addition in terms of Brand visibility and Promotion of the league, The fact that the masses have embraced the presence Fortebet in the Azam Uganda premier league is testimony of the relationship between Branding and football fans.