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The changing of the sponsorship market

The case of Hungarian professional soccer club sponsors

Die Veränderung des Sponsoring-Markts

Am Beispiel der Sponsoren professioneller ungarischer Fußballclubs

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Abstract

Since the time of state socialism, Hungarian sport has been totally financed by the state. Therefore, Hungarian soccer and sponsorship market is a relatively new and unexplored subject of research in the field of sports sponsorship, as most studies so far have focused on the major European soccer leagues. The main objective of this paper, focusing on the Hungarian soccer sponsorship market, was to evaluate the range of soccer sponsorship objectives and the range of evaluation tools that sponsors use to measure the effectiveness of their sponsorships. A combined approach of qualitative and quantitative research methods served as the methodological foundation of this study. In the quantitative phase, representatives of the sponsor companies (n=103) were asked to rate the importance of the sponsorship objectives and the importance of the evaluation techniques used to measure the effectiveness of their sponsorships. The results of this study have implications for the sports sponsorship industry, the Hungarian soccer club sponsors, and the sport properties too. According to the research results, many of the Hungarian sponsor companies have failed to assess the effectiveness of sponsorship in meeting their objectives. The research can be used to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of soccer sponsorship in Hungary.

Zusammenfassung

Seit den Zeiten des staatlichen Sozialismus wurde der ungarische Sport vollständig vom Staat finanziert. Daher ist der ungarische Fußball- und Sponsoring-Markt ein relativ neues und wenig untersuchtes Forschungsgebiet im Bereich des Sport-Sponsorings. Denn bisher haben die meisten Studien ihren Fokus auf die führenden Ligen des europäischen Fußballs gerichtet. Wichtigstes Ziel dieser Arbeit, die den Schwerpunkt auf den ungarischen Fußballsponsoring-Markt setzt, war es, das Spektrum der Ziele des Fußballsponsorings und der Bewertungsinstrumente zu erfassen, die Sponsoren einsetzen, um die Wirksamkeit ihres Sponsorings zu messen. Ein kombinierter Ansatz aus qualitativen und quantitativen wissenschaftlichen Verfahren diente als methodische Grundlage dieser Studie. In der quantitativen Phase wurden Vertreter der als Sponsoren fungierenden Firmen (n=103) gebeten, die Bedeutung der Ziele des Sponsorings und der zur Messung der Wirksamkeit ihres Sponsorings eingesetzten Bewertungsverfahren einzuschätzen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie haben Auswirkungen auf die Sportsponsoring-Branche, auf die Sponsoren ungarischer Fußballclubs und auch auf die Sporteinrichtungen („sport properties“). Den Forschungsergebnissen zufolge haben viele Sponsoren-Firmen nicht die Wirksamkeit ihres Sponsorings für die Erreichung ihrer Ziele gemessen. Die Ergebnisse können genutzt werden, um die Kluft zwischen Theorie und Praxis des Fußballsponsorings in Ungarn zu überbrücken.

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  1. Sport Management Department, Semmelweiß University Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (TF), Alkotás u. 44, 1123, Budapest, Ungarn

    P. Berkes, M. Nyerges & J. Váczi

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  1. P. Berkes
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  2. M. Nyerges
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  3. J. Váczi
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Correspondence to P. Berkes.

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Berkes, P., Nyerges, M. & Váczi, J. The changing of the sponsorship market. Sportwiss 39, 35–44 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-009-0005-7

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