Sponsorship Case

Advertising is playing an important role in almost all businesses. It has been used since the nineteenth century (Schwarzkopf, 2011, 529) and has been continually developed to present. Nowadays, advertising has many techniques in order to catch up with new technologies and approach as many customers as possible. This essay will discuss two new techniques in recent years: sponsorship and viral technique with a case study of the viral technique in the popular skincare brand Dove, and the success of this technique in more detail.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship has acquired an unparalleled increase in the 1980s with current global sponsorships approximated to reach USD 53.3 billion (IEG Inc., 2013). Javalgi, R and colleagues have given the definition that "sponsorship is the underwriting of a special event to support corporate objectives by enhancing corporate image, increasing awareness of brands, or directly stimulating sales of products and services" (Javalgi, et al, 1994, 48). It totally differs from patronage since this has mainly an objective in charity, an altruistic activity where the patron considers little expectation of tangible advantage (Gross, Trayler, and Shuman, 1987, 535). In addition, sponsorship is a form of promotion differing from advertising in which the medium and productive messages are not strictly controlled by the sponsor (Gardner & Shuman, 1987, 11) but it relates to the event where advertising might or might not happen (Javalgi, et al, 1994, 48). Sponsorship should be as a resource of a company which can be single or in amalgamation with other resources and can be advanced into a distinctive capability which helps the firm to a position of sustainable competitive advantage (Amis, et al, 1999, 250). It typically has long term contracts in order to allow for sponsors to