The development of key ideas in contemporary management and leadership Essay

The development of key ideas in contemporary management and leadership development - Essay Example The effects of technology and globalization on various sector of the world’s economy had been satisfying. This is not to forget that sometimes the avenue may also find other inappropriate use. For organizations, there has been pressing need to adjust to such advances. For example, organization leadership has been greatly affected by globalization and technology. This is especially so given that various organizations try to make sure that they implement competitive quality management (Arendt et al., 2005). To do so, leadership and other management positions in many organizations have become highly competitive. Technology and globalization has affected management and leaderships of virtually global organizations in the following ways. Organizations are increasingly looking for very flexible, highly skilled and competent personalities to occupy their leadership positions (Rothstein and Burke, 2010). Strategic Human Resources Management There may be many explanations given to stra tegic human resource management (S-HRM). Even so, one may notice that irrespective of various definitions the common denominator usually points to the same meaning. S-HRM, therefore, is just the managerial process requiring human resource policies and practices to be linked with strategic objectives of the organization. The importance of a HR strategy is that it can be used as a tool to gain a competitive advantage. It is by that definition a key factor. Using the traditional approach to strategic management, one may observe that a strategic plan attempt to balance how best to utilize resources available in the business environment in order to meet some established desirable outcomes. S-HRM can as such also be seen as a set of managerial decisions and actions that determines how an organization will eventually perform in the long run. In fact, Mintzberg (1994) assert that a strategy defines an organization and reduces ambiguity. Given that organizations do go changes with time, orga nization development should therefore be approached from a strategic perspective that takes into account all the vital factors that are key to the success of an organization. A strategic management thinking that may impact on the productivity, performance and efficiency of an organization has to take into consideration the following. It should make address: mission and goals, environmental analysis, strategic formulation, strategy implementation and strategy evaluation (Ridderstrale and Nordstrom, 2002). For organizational development, the role and position of the senior management in the organization shall be assessed within the context of organizations missions and goals. The functions and duties of the management should be geared towards achieving the set organization goals, values and objectives. As the management team, they should make sure that they, together with all those who are below them in the organization hierarchy, work towards achieving the organization goals. Goals s hould be consistent with what the organization does so that every effort and input could be analyzed in line with duties allocated. The goals should be measurable especially in the short term (Bordia et al., 2004). Any decision that the management shall execute in line with organization change or organization development shall take into consideration analysis of internal environment and external environment. As pertains to internal environm

Shooting Dad Essay Example for Free

Shooting Dad Essay Sarah Vowell is best known for her smart, witty spoken essays she delivers on public radio. One of her writings called, â€Å"Shooting Dad†, is a view into her, â€Å"lifelong opposition to her father†. In the essay called â€Å"Shooting Dad†, Vowell states that â€Å"during her teenage years she came from a home that was divided†. She compared her home environment to a Civil War Battlefield. Vowell was a gunsmith’s daughter, and her views on the Second Amendment were completely different than her father’s. Vowell shares the story, when her father takes her and her sister, Amy, in the backyard to teach them how to shoot a gun. Vowell and her sister are only six years old, and she recalls how holding the gun made her feel small. She states the sound was big, it kicked her to the ground, and it hurt. After this incident with shooting a gun, Vowell wanted to never touch another gun again. Not long ago, Vowell’s father builds a nineteenth-century cannon, from scratch. She becomes open-minded to the concept, that this is not just a gun to her father. She views the cannon as a â€Å"map of all his obsessions†. Vowell explains that if she was ever going to understand her father then shooting the cannon, with him, was her only chance. Total Word Count: 199 During this experience Vowell realizes that she and her father are not that different at all. She views her father and herself as the same. She refers to her father and herself as, â€Å" smart-alecky loners with goofy projects and weird equipment. Once Vowell begins to open her mind, to the idea that the cannon was not just another gun, she begins to see her father from a different perspective. When Vowell was younger, her view on guns was based off her experience, when she was six years old. She felt it was decided, that guns were not for her. Therefore, this clouded her perspective on guns and all that was associated with guns. Until her father built the cannon and she became open-minded to the idea, her view on guns was distorted. A new idea cannot be grafted on a closed mind, an opening must be made. Vowell’s father building the cannon was her opening. This allowed her, to have the opportunity to view her father in a different way. Vowell viewed the cannon as â€Å"unwieldy and impractical†, just like everything else she cared about. Her view, with the cannon, changes in comparison to what she likes. This shows that she became more open-minded to the concept of her father’s interest in guns. Until Vowell became open-minded, to her father’s view point she could not relate. However, once she could relate, she saw her father in a different light.

Essays --

Expansionism overseas in the 1800’s became a very indispensable factor to the United States we know today. The issue of acquiring overseas territories in the 1800’s was very controversial because many citizens felt it was â€Å"un-American† because the U.S itself went through that with the colonization of Britain. However, the government did not consider that when taking into account the interest that came with taking these lands. Economically the Philippines gave the United States potential access to Chinese markets and they also saw advantage of the cheap raw materials in Latin America. Militarily, because the merchant ships were unarmed and carried all their products therefore its required military presence for protection. Also the United States found they competing against France, Germany and Britain, which had the largest navies in the world. The U.S also felt that their presence in the pacific would give them power of the port of Hawaii which was used a re fueling stop for ships headed to Asia. Another very important factor with the expansion overseas was the culture that being taken to them. Many Americans felt superior to other people in the work because the Christian religion made them morally better than everyone else. Due to that fact, missionaries were sent o these countries so they can covert and adapt to the culture and become more â€Å"American and white† and this led to the boxer rebellion in china. Economically the United States was trying to override the rest of the world. Back then and even today people around the world see the United States as a country with money and a land of opportunities. Industrialization in the late 1800s increased the need to trade with other countries. Nothing was dependent on man but instead... ...t to the climax, which later on they did. Even though most of those territories were lost the U.S still managed to keep the relationship it has with other countries. The United States and the issue of acquiring land overseas was not at all something easy to do. From being a weak nation to becoming more economic, militarily and morally superior whom they did accomplished. Even though this concept of expansionism overseas was displayed as a good thing it was truly a hard task to accomplish. Many other countries were willing to go to war with the United States for the territories but even then the U.S still came out reigning successful. Trade was really the main reason for this, to try and find a new way to have open markets and develop allies with other countries, which ultimately and even still is imperative to have in order to have a lot of income for the country.

Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace -- Internet Web Papers

Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace Introduction As the Internet has become more widely recognized and used by people all over the world, it has brought a new medium in which information can very easily be broadcast to everyone with access to it. In 1995 there was a projected 26 million Internet users, which has grown to almost 300 million today. One major problem with this is that everyone represents different countries and provinces which have different outtakes on certain types of freedom of speech as well as different laws about it. This proposes a new type of law that would need to be written in order to determine whether or not something is illegal on the Internet. A person in one country can express what they want to, but that expression may be illegal in another country and in this situation whose laws are to be followed? What I propose to do accomplish in this paper is to discuss the freedom of speech laws of the United States of America and those of France, China, and Canada. I will examine what about them is simila r and what about them is different. The bringing of the Internet has brought many new types of businesses as well as ways in order to communicate with the world, but as with each new endeavor or invention, there needs to be a way in order to govern its use and policies. There must also be ways in order to punish those not following the new laws and policies of use, since that the country that the person is in may allow what they did, but it may not be allowed on the Internet or in a different country. In other words, there is the need for international laws governing the Internet. Freedom of Speech in Other Countries France One famous discrepancy in speech laws differing in two countries was that of the United States of America and France in the year of 2000. The French government was suing Yahoo!, a US web search company who also has a sales division. Yahoo! had web pages that were selling Nazi memorabilia on its US based website. â€Å"The charge was that the company had violated French laws prohibiting the advertisement, exhibition or sale of any objects likely to incite racial hatred, and that it had offended the 'collective memory' of the country - an allusion to the Holocaust years - by allowing online auctions of Nazi paraphernalia.† One may think that this case would end easily by saying that a US based web... ... US is a successful one. People should have their right to thought and to express what they believe and think freely to whoever they want. In Canada I believe that the CRIA should follow the model of the RIAA, because it is wrong to steal music from other people. Laws should be made so that one artist’s copyrighted music is protected over the Internet, no matter what country the person trying to download it is residing in. Bibliography .Guardian Unlimited. August 11, 2000. Regulating the net http://www.guardian.co.uk/theissues/article/0,6512,353264,00.html  ·The Economist. August 9, 2001. Putting it in its place http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/telecom/puttingitinitsplace.html  ·John Naughton. November 26, 2000. Yahoo! For brave French courts http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,6903,402959,00.html  ·Jennifer Lee. August 30, 2001. U.S. May Help Chinese Evade Net Censorship http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/telecom/nyt08302001.pdf  ·Nua Internet How Many Online http://www.nua.ie/surveys/how_many_online/world.html  ·Jay Lyman. December 17, 2003. Canadian Recording Industry Hunts P2P Users http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/32426.html

Event Sponsorship as a Value Creating Strategy for Brands

Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou University of Patras, Patra, Greece Artemisia Apostolopoulou Robert Morris University, Moon Township, Pennsylvania, USA, and Theofanis Dounis University of Patras, Patras, Greece Abstract Purpose – The present research involves corporations that served as Grand National Sponsors of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and aims to explore whether a strategic approach was employed in the acquisition and management of their Olympic sponsorship.Design/methodology/approach – A multiple case study analysis was employed, for which data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The study sample included seven of the ten Grand National Sponsors that signed agreements with ATHOC, the Organizing Committee of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Data analysis was organized around ? ve themes inspired by the existing literature. Findings – With the exception of two ? ms, the majority of the Grand Nati onal Sponsors reported no clear or measurable objectives and limited consideration to strategic or brand-related initiatives in their decisions to invest in the national Olympic sponsorship program. However, they did report plans to invest resources to leverage their rights, even though in most cases no speci? c evaluation processes had been designed. Research limitations/implications – Given that the Olympic Games are organized every four years in a new location, the ? ndings of this research may not ? d direct application to other markets and organizing committees that implement their own sponsorship programs. Nevertheless, this research did show relatively poor recognition of the role of sponsorship in creating value and building the corporate brand. Corporations considering becoming involved in sport sponsorship and also event organizers are encouraged to adopt a more strategic approach in the sponsorship solicitation and management process. Originality/value – Exi sting literature has discussed the role of sport sponsorship in brand management and the communication mix, and has highlighted the bene? s for ? rms that establish long-term ties with the Olympic Games. The present research adds to that line of work by highlighting if and how a strategic and brand building approach was adopted in the context of national-level Olympic partnerships. Keywords Sponsorship, Olympic Games, Brand management, Corporate strategy Paper type Research paper An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article. Introduction The meaning of sponsorship as an integral element of the marketing mix has been conceptualised by Sandler and Shani (1993) with the following de? ition: â€Å"[Sponsorship is] the provision of resources (money, people, or equipment) by an organization directly to an event or activity in exchange for a direct association to the event or activity† (p. 39). Corporate spending on sport sponsorshi p in many European countries and in North America has increased dramatically (Lachowetz et al. , 2003). Global spending on sponsorship was estimated to reach $US28 billion in 2004 (from $US25. 9 billion in 2003) of which, according to the The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. meraldinsight. com/1061-0421. htm Journal of Product & Brand Management 17/4 (2008) 212– 222 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421] [DOI 10. 1108/10610420810887563] International Events Group, 69 per cent relates to sporting events (International Events Group, n. d. ). There is plenty of evidence that sport sponsorship, including Olympic sponsorship, can be very effective in achieving a number of objectives, not the least of which is competitive advantage related to brand image and reputation (Amis et al. 1997; Copeland et al. , 1996; Meenaghan, 1998). The sport marketing literature provides some discussion on the value of sport sponsorship in also deli vering other bene? ts, such as increased awareness levels, sales and greater market share, and opportunities to develop employee and client (i. e. hospitality) relations (e. g. Abratt et al. , 1987; Apostolopoulou and Papadimitriou, 2004; Irwin and Asimakopoulos, 1992; Lough et al. , 2000; Ludwig and Karabetsos, 1999; Scott and Suchard, 1992). The technological developments related to porting, events along with the growing interest of the media for such activities, account to some extent for the steady increase of sport-related sponsorship investments (Meenaghan, 1998; Shilbury et al. , 2003). Meanwhile, the decreasing corporate trust in the ef? ciency of traditional media advertising channels may also explain why corporate investments in sport follow a growing trend (Meenaghan, 1998). Despite the pervasive appeal of the sport sector, however, companies have plenty of other event options at a local, national and international level from which to choose; thus greater emphasis on retu rn of 212Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product & Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 investment will prevail their sponsorship decisions (Copeland et al. , 1996). Also, as the corporate demand for accountability in marketing expenditure increases, so does the need for a deeper understanding of the unique elements of event sponsorships as a strategic resource and a tool of marketing (Meenaghan, 1998; Thwaites et al. , 1998). Given the potential bene? ts involved in sponsorship, and in order to maximize ? ancial and other returns, corporations need to be strategic not only in their choice of properties (sport or other) with which to form partnerships but also in the allocation of resources to those agreements. Businesses must consider strategic priorities that suit their needs and systematically exploit the opportunities within their markets, and engage in partnerships that are aligned with those priorities. Furthermore, within those partnerships they need to link corporate objectives to particular strategic initiatives, a process that could turn sponsorship to a value-creating strategy capable of creating a distinctive advantage.Surprisingly, research is scarce on corporate sponsorship and its importance as a strategic resource and a brand management tool. As Meenaghan (1998) stresses, â€Å"The sponsorship literature has traditionally viewed sponsorship as an activity largely similar to advertising and generally, though not always, spoken of in terms of short- rather than long-term horizons† (p. 25). Indeed, most existing studies are descriptive, and focus on objectives and general motivation for making those kinds of investments (e. g. Berrett and Slack, 1999; Cornwell and Maignan, 1998; Doherty and Murray, 2007).Amis (2003) has also outlined the dearth of research on how intangible resources are identi? ed and managed in relation to image and reputation through sport sponsorship. This is also re? ected in the industry, as many companies invest immense resources but still ignore the capacity of sport sponsorship for ensuring longer-term bene? ts (Amis et al. , 1999). Accordingly, the present study attempts to explore the adoption (or not) of a strategic approach to the sponsorship process on the part of large companies involved in Olympic sponsorship.This is a research avenue that has been largely unexplored in the existing literature. and ideals and on leveraging its key brand on a national and international level. The Olympic Partner (TOP) program, which represents the IOC’s sponsorship program, holds a key role in the IOC’s overall marketing efforts as it attracts the interest of many international corporations due to a number of factors, including the long-term (a required minimum of four years) linkage to a very attractive intellectual property, exclusive global marketi ng rights, and the principle of product/service-category exclusivity. The ? st TOP program (1985-1988) involved nine partners and generated $US95 million, a far cry from the more lucrative 2001-2004 program, which engaged 11 corporations contributing $US603 million. Global corporations like Visa, Coca-Cola, Kodak and Panasonic view this type of partnership as strategic, and this is manifested by the fact that since 1986 all of them have invested considerable resources to remain part of the program until at least the 2012 Olympic Games. The IOC has extended their particularly successful marketing concept to a lower stage by introducing Olympic sponsorships at the national level.Revenues from those sponsorships contribute to the ever-increasing cost of hosting the event. The Organizing Committees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs) manage this program, which involves an array of sponsors, suppliers and providers from the host country (provided they are approved by the IOC). The 2000 Olympics attracted the interest of 93 such national partners who contributed $US492 million to the Organizing Committee of the Sydney Games (SOCOG), while the 2004 Olympic Games held in Athens generated e570 million through their national Olympic sponsorship program (Jeanrenaud, 2006).Present research The present study focuses on the national companies that signed on as Grand National Sponsors of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and explores the role of these partnerships in sponsors’ brand management efforts, as perceived by company executives, as well as the degree to which these sponsors’ approach to their Olympic sponsorship was strategic. Furthermore, sponsors’ plans to integrate the sponsorship in corporate strategy and to exploit rights received by the Organizing Committee are also discussed. Given the increased pressure of corporations to maximize ef? iency in the use of their resources and to avoid opportunity cost, there is much interest in identifying whether a strategic approach was adopted in these companies’ Olympic involvement. The practices of these sponsors could provide valuable insight not only to other ? rms considering investment in sport sponsorship, but also to event organizing committees aiming to secure corporate support. The remainder of the paper includes a review of relevant literature, followed by a summary of the methodology and the ? ndings of the study.The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical contributions of the study and also practical recommendations for brand management and marketing executives as well as sport property representatives. Corporate sponsorship and Olympic Games The Olympic Games hold a few distinctive characteristics that make the event a particularly desirable property for a wide range of sponsors, but also for conducting research. First of all, it is a unique and highly prestigious event with a strong ability to reach a global audience through television networks.Secondly, th e marketing program and policies of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the governing body of the Olympic Movement and the Olympics, actively preserve exclusivity for the limited number of international and national sponsorships and favor long-term partnerships. The IOC has worked extensively to raise awareness about how corporate contributions enhance the Olympic Movement and invests resources to achieve sponsor recognition. Thirdly, Olympic sponsorships are linked to attractive hospitality packages, which corporations value highly for networking, roduct display, and employee incentive purposes. Continuing a pattern which began in the late 1980s, sponsorship investments in the Olympic Games have increased exponentially, accounting for 34 per cent of the IOC’s $US4 billion Olympic marketing revenue for the 2001-2004 Olympic quadrennium (International Olympic Committee, n. d. ). This is the end result of the IOC’s strategic plan, which since 1985 has focused syst ematically on enhancing the Olympic image 213 Literature reviewThe review of literature is structured around three themes: 1 sponsorship and corporate strategy; 2 the integration of sponsorship within corporate marketing efforts; and 3 sponsorship and brand management. Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product & Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Sponsorship and corporate strategy Understanding what companies do or do not do to remain competitive in a constantly changing environment is at the heart of strategic thinking.Practice has shown that sport sponsorship, because of the bene? ts associated with those agreements, is a frequent strategic choice of many multinational corporations. Of the most indicative examples are Coca-Cola, Kodak and Visa International, three companies with long-standing relationships with the Olympic Games. These partic ular ? rms have integrated those agreements well into their long-term marketing strategies and are continuously promoting their involvement in order to gain competitive advantage (Farrell and Frame, 1997).However, such costly agreements cannot be treated in an ad hoc manner. Successful corporations are well aware that sponsorship deals should be approached as a resource, with the capability to lead to distinctive competence if effectively combined with other organizational resources (Amis et al. , 1997, 1999). Sport sponsorship, if viewed as a strategic resource, can support brand management objectives by enhancing brand image and reputation and by assisting the company to gain competitive advantage in targeted marketplaces (Amis, 2003).This, however, implies that corporations are prepared to engage in long-term commitments and to actively exploit those agreements, or otherwise face the disappointment of low return on their investment. Though limited, research evidence has shown tha t many companies engage in sport sponsorship with limited planning and integration (Farrelly et al. , 1997; Polonsky et al. , 1995). A few companies make those investments with con? ned understanding of the range of bene? ts involved and how those bene? s can be realized. They even lack the growing knowledge of the nature of the particular communication means and this is depicted on their objectives and the poor rationale for involvement. The empirical results of Farrelly et al. (1997) with a sample of North American and Australian companies engaged in sport sponsorship showed that more time is spent into negotiating deals than in integration and planning. Moreover, their research showed that a few North American ? ms approached sponsorship management as a strategic tool, whereas the majority of Australian businesses concentrated more on the communication opportunities of sponsorship (Farrelly et al. , 1997). Similarly, Amis et al. (1999) have provided evidence that companies often engage in sponsorship without integrating it in other marketing initiatives. The consequence involves delivering an unclear and inconsistent image to the customer. Any company considering entering into a sponsorship agreement should ? rst assess the potential bene? s and the probability of gaining a competitive position in the marketplace and then make a decision of whether or not to invest in the sponsorship. Building on the work of Hamel and Prahalad (1994), Amis et al. (1999) argue that sport sponsorship can become a potential source of competitive advantage if it meets three criteria: 1 it allows for a signi? cant increase in the perceived customer value of the service or product; 2 it permits for differentiating the brand from the competitors; and 3 it provides space for exploiting the deal through new services and products. 14 The employment of sport as a strategic tool for developing a position of competitive advantage is well described by Amis (2003) in reference to the case study of Guinness. That particular company has used sport extensively and consistently to build a unifying brand message on a global level. This was achieved by ? rst engaging in a global survey to identify a â€Å"key brand bene? t† (â€Å"Guinness brings out your inner strength†) that would unify its global brand and also ensure differentiation from other popular beer brands (Amis, 2003, p. 200).Secondly, the company used sport and sport sponsorship as a central element of its brand positioning strategy, creating advertisements featuring athletes and driving on-trade promotions and sales during world sporting events (Amis, 2003). The critical element of Olympic sponsorship is that it offers sponsors the opportunity to make use of unique business opportunities by providing concrete rights and speci? c bene? ts associated with the strongest sporting brand in the world (i. e. the Olympic Games), depending on the sponsorship category.Accordingly, and given the competiti ve nature of the growing Olympic sponsorship industry, other sport and non-sport sponsorship options, and the signi? cant resource investment required to get into a sponsorship agreement, strategic thinking becomes critical. Following the example of multinational corporations, one would expect that sponsors involved in Olympic sponsorships on the national level should also engage ? rst and foremost in fundamental strategic thinking related to company brand management efforts and overall corporate strategy, and consider how a potential sponsorship agreement would enhance corporate strategy and objectives.This question is the point of exploration of the present study. Integrating sponsorship into organizational marketing In her discussion on sponsorship-linked marketing development, Cornwell (1995) proposes a model of sponsorship development. That model involves six steps, each linked to the next, including: 1 analysis of the situation; 2 determination of objectives; 3 development of sponsorship-related strategy; 4 creation of sponsorship link; 5 sponsorship implementation; and 6 sponsorship evaluation.In another research effort to standardize the process of selecting a sport sponsorship program and utilizing it as a viable marketing tool, Arthur et al. (1998) proposed a multistep process that involved many of the points discussed earlier by Cornwell. The authors emphasized the necessity of a careful consideration of all options available to an organization in order to achieve company objectives, as well as the need to incorporate the sponsorship within the organization, manage, activate, and evaluate it (Arthur et al. , 1998).Therefore, it should be stressed that sport sponsorship can be an invaluable tool as long as it is fully integrated into a ? rm’s marketing and communication efforts. This involves ? rst of all placement of the corporate sponsorship activities into the marketing departments, clear and appropriate objectives and planning, and full in tegration into the communication mix. Otherwise, sponsorship activities, including those linked to the Olympic Games can be turned into costly mistakes with no substantial return on investment.Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product & Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Sponsorship and brand management Wong and Merrilees (2005) stress that, in pursuing competitive advantage in the marketplace, the brand should be in the heart of corporate strategy. In other words, managers should be able to combine corporate, marketing and promotional plans in a brand-based strategy, which can offer their company a sustainable edge over their competitors and lead to high levels of brand equity.Brand equity is one of the most fundamental signi? ers of a powerful brand because it represents the end result of strong brand loyalty, high name awareness, positive br and image, favorable brand associations, and the perception of superior quality (Aaker, 1991). As companies strive to build powerful brands with high value in the marketplace, sport sponsorship can serve as a tool for supporting brand management objectives (Amis, 2003; Sandler and Shani, 1993).Establishing and exploiting a partnership with a sport property can assist a company to strengthen some or all of the elements of brand equity and consequently increase the overall value of its brand (Roy and Cornwell, 2003). A few authors have discussed sport sponsorship’s role in enhancing brand image and reputation, increasing brand awareness and familiarity, and altering public perceptions (e. g. Amis et al. , 1997; Cornwell et al. , 2001; Gwinner and Eaton, 1999; Irwin and Asimakopoulos, 1992). Bene? s have also been reported in terms of brand personality and brand differentiation (Amis et al. , 1999; Cornwell et al. , 2001). The brand-related bene? ts outlined above can be deliver ed with an even greater effectiveness via Olympic sponsorship agreements. Brown (2000) discussed how AMP (an insurance and investment company) and Visa, both companies in the services sector, used their Olympic sponsorship of the 2000 Olympic Games for brand development and brand differentiation initiatives. Crimmins and Horn (1996) have also reported that Visa has bene? ed from measurable changed perceptions of its brand over MasterCard as a result of the Olympic sponsorship. Furthermore, Stipp (1998) showed that managers are well aware of how sponsor image is signi? cantly affected by the special qualities of Olympic advertising, the favorable public attitudes toward Olympic sponsorship, and the strength of the association between the sponsor and the Olympics. This is attributed to the fact that the general public expresses high respect for the Olympic Games and attaches special value to Olympic sponsorship (Stipp, 1998).Even though there is evidence that sport sponsorship, and pa rticularly Olympic sponsorship, is a distinctive resource capable of ful? lling brand management objectives, it should be stated that its effectiveness depends on active management (Amis, 2003; Cornwell et al. , 2001), appropriate and adequate leveraging (Chalip and Leyns, 2002), and longterm agreements which allow time for strong associations to be developed between events and brands (Keller, 1993). Companies should not make the mistake of mismanaging sport sponsorship agreements.They should approach these agreements as a distinctive resource, which needs to be integrated within other company activities in order to produce sustainable competitive advantage (Amis et al. , 1999). Sample On the national level, ATHOC, the Organizing Committee of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, instituted a sponsorship program, the National Sponsoring Programme, which offered three levels of involvement: 1 Grand Sponsor; 2 Of? cial Supporter; and 3 Of? cial Provider.This sponsorship program contributed a total of e570 million to the Organizing Committee’s budget (Jeanrenaud, 2006). The present research effort focused on the highest of the three levels, the Grand Sponsors. It was assumed that, given the size of the companies and the extent of their investment, there were higher chances that a strategic and/or brand building orientation would have been adopted at that level. Therefore, the sample for this study was drawn from the population of the Grand National Olympic Sponsors of ATHOC. The ten ompanies that served as Grand sponsors were 1 Alpha Bank (private bank); 2 Athenian Brewery (beer producer); 3 DELTA (dairy product company, co-sponsor with FAGE); 4 FAGE (dairy product company, co-sponsor with DELTA); 5 Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT, national broadcasting company); 6 Hellenic Post (ELTA, national postal services provider); 7 Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE, national telecommunications company); 8 Hyundai Hellas (automotive company); 9 Olympic A irlines (national airline company); and 10 Public Power Corporation SA (DEI, national electrical power provider).Data collection The design of this research involved a multiple case study approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with the Marketing Directors or other company executives responsible for coordinating the Olympic sponsorship activities of their particular organization. The particular research design was deemed appropriate for the study objectives as it facilitated the exploratory nature of this research. It also allowed for motivating the interviewees to explore and discuss aspects of their sponsorship-related thinking and enabled in-depth probing into unexpected issues during the discussion.Interviews took place between January and May 2004, and the duration of each interview was approximately one hour. Research efforts resulted in a total of seven of the possible ten interviews. Consequently, all results are based on information from t he seven sponsors interviewed. An interview guide was developed to incorporate the following key themes: . the reason(s) for which the ? rms entered into the Olympic sponsorship agreement; . the way(s) in which the Olympic sponsorship was integrated into the ? rms’ overall corporate strategy, their marketing strategy, and their brand management efforts; . he amount of resources deployed into the sponsorship; . the initiatives introduced to leverage the sponsorship; and . companies’ plans to evaluate the effectiveness of their Olympic sponsorship. 215 Methodology The present study follows a multiple case study approach to investigate the extent to which Grand Sponsors of the 2004 Olympic Games were involved in strategic planning and systematic leveraging activities related to their Olympic sponsorship agreements. Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis DounisJournal of Product & Brand Manage ment Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Data analysis In an effort to explore whether a strategic approach was adopted (or not) by the Grand Sponsors of the 2004 Olympics in the acquisition and management of their sponsorship, the present study focused on four indicators, namely: 1 sponsors’ stated goals and/or objectives; 2 resources allocated to the acquisition and activation of the sponsorship; 3 sponsorship leveraging initiatives; and 4 sponsorship evaluation plans The study attempted to assess the degree to which each of these areas was considered in the sponsorship process.In addition, the perceptions of company-sponsor representatives in terms of the incorporation of their sponsorship in the overall corporate strategy and brand management efforts were used as a ? fth indicator. These ? ve elements were chosen to frame the analysis because they have been proposed in past research (Arthur et al. , 1998; Cornwell, 1995) as indicators of a strategic app roach to sport sponsorship, and thus were deemed appropriate for the objectives of the present research.All data received through the interviews were therefore contentanalyzed based on those ? ve parameters. Results A discussion on each of the ? ve parameters as they relate to the seven companies-sponsors in the sample is presented in the following section. Sponsorship as part of corporate strategy and brand management efforts In order to explore whether a strategic approach was adopted in the acquisition of the Olympic sponsorship at the national level, companies were asked to discuss how iOlympic sponsorship ? tted in their overall (i. . corporate) brand management strategy. From the responses received to that question alone, it appeared that two of the seven companies in the sample clearly saw this sponsorship as an opportunity to support major shifts in the structure and orientation of their companies. More speci? cally, Alpha Bank, a private bank that had gone through a merger in recent years, saw its Olympic sponsorship as a way to support the union of the two banks that merged and also as a cause behind which to unite the two distinct cultures and staffs.Its involvement with the Olympics was seen as a platform to promote the new, post-merger company and to solidify its new name and identity in the minds of consumers. ELTA, the main postal services provider in Greece, which had been a sponsor of the ? rst modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896, was also going through major changes at the time leading up to the Olympic Games as the company was preparing for an initial public offering (IPO). Their main interest was to use their Olympic sponsorship to strengthen and promote their corporate image.According to a company representative, â€Å"we want to promote a modern image of effectiveness and quality; a humane image† (personal communication, February 2, 2004). Their investment in this sponsorship intended to support the company’s brand r epositioning efforts that focused on promoting a more positive, a more customer- and service-oriented image. In addition to the role of the sponsorship in shaping a new image 216 for the company, it served as a means to celebrate a milestone in company history, i. e. the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the organization. When asked the same question of how their Olympic sponsorship ? ted with their brand management efforts, the remaining ? ve companies in the sample did not discuss any strategic initiatives that were supposed to be supported by the sponsorship. Instead, they provided reasons for which they decided to become a sponsor. Athenian Brewery, a beer producer, and DELTA, one of the dairy product co-sponsors, mentioned that their decision to become a sponsor was driven primarily by the fact that the Olympic Games was the largest and most important athletic event to occur in the modern history of the country, while the other three cited being a logical choice for the pro? e and size of their company (FAGE, dairy product co-sponsor); obliging to a matter of honor (Olympic Airlines, airline); and supporting their company’s social responsibility strategy (DEI, power provider) as their rationale for entering into those agreements. Even though it seems that, from their responses to that question alone, these ? ve sponsors did not consider any strategic or brand-related initiatives in their decisions to become involved in the program, there was some relevant information that ould be deciphered from their commentary on their sponsorship objectives, which indicates that some consideration of corporate strategy or branding was present. That information is discussed in the following section. Stated goals and/or objectives All of the companies in the sample seemed to have, to a greater or lesser extent, some stated goals for this sponsorship. However, with the exception of two cases, none of them were speci? c or measurable. In general, stated goal s/objectives fell into two categories: 1 pro? -oriented (i. e. sales); or 2 brand-oriented. Table I outlines companies’ goals and/or objectives in terms of their Olympic sponsorship agreements and groups them based on their orientation. In terms of the pro? t-oriented goals/objectives, the majority of the sponsors in the sample seemed to agree that increasing sales for one or all of their products/services was one of their goals. Olympic Airlines, the national airline company, had speci? c objectives in terms of the amount of additional traf? it would generate during the summer months and was also expecting long-term repeat business. Alpha Bank, the private bank, was more speci? c in terms of the group it was targeting; it was looking to attract a younger demographic for its services. As was noted, â€Å"we are aiming to attract a younger audience [as] the pro? le of our clients is middle age† (personal communication, January 20, 2004). Interestingly, there was also th e case of one sponsor (ELTA, postal services provider) that did not declare any speci? pro? t-oriented goals, but rather expressed a desire to at least make up the money they invested in acquiring the sponsorship. As stated by a company representative, one of their goals was â€Å"to cover the minimum guaranteed amount spent to acquire the sponsorship† (personal communication, February 2, 2004). The same company representative indicated that they did not view their Olympic sponsorship as a means that would produce any signi? cant commercial bene? ts and that the ? ancial returns were expected to be marginal. In addition to the pro? t-oriented goals, there were also other stated goals/objectives related to some aspects of brand Table I Goals/objectives of Grand National Olympic sponsors Brand-oriented goals/objectives Brand awareness, recognition Brand loyalty Integrate staff members of two banks Integrate two company cultures Brand associations Brand image, positioning Organi zational culture, employees (internal branding)Other goals/ objectives Grand National Olympic Pro? t-oriented goals/ sponsors objectives Alpha Bank Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Strengthen employee relations through leveraging initiatives Support the efforts of ATHOC – altruism 217 Receive moral bene? ts Increase market share Establish the new bank name in the minds of consumers Gain new customers Attract younger consumers Generate pro? of e50 million Athenian Increase sales (target group: Enhance brand recognition Create a legacy Make Heineken a yearBrewery 18-34) of Heineken after the Games round beer Community involvement DELTA Increase sales Create brand recognition, Community Strengthen company image awareness involvement Project interest in community matters and the country FAGE Generate sales from visitors Promote products abroad Turn foreign visitors into upon return to th eir Create brand awareness consumers of their countries among visitors (foreign products consumers) Hellenic Post [Avoid losses – make up the Create a positive image, (ELTA) money spent on sponsorship] customer- and serviceoriented Support company repositioning efforts Increase prestige as a new Olympic Airlines Increase traf? c by 150,000 Generate exposure and buzz post-Games company travelers (e50 million) Generate repeat travel in the future Create image of trust and Public Power Create credibility association Corporation, SA with the event Create prestige (DEI) Strengthen social pro? le of company Unite employees behind common effort Journal of Product & Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Serve noble cause of sponsorship Coordinate communications under one strategy Take advantage of sponsorship rightsEvent sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product & Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 management. More speci? cally, the two areas that seemed to be more prevalent in sponsors’ priorities were brand awareness and recognition and brand image. Five of the seven sponsors in the sample stated that they were interested in raising awareness/recognition levels for their brands or a particular product under their brand. For Athenian Brewery, the beer producer, the goal was â€Å"to enhance brand recognition for Heineken [one of the products of that company] [. . . ] to promote Heineken and make it a year-round beer† (personal communication, March 4, 2004).Alpha Bank, the private bank, was more interested in raising people’s awareness of the new name of the bank, while FAGE, one of the dairy product co-sponsors, was focused on making foreign consumers who were visiting Greece for the Games familiar with their products in hope that they would continue consumption upon return to their native countries. The second aspect of brand building that seemed to be important amongst at least four of the seven Grand National Olympic sponsors in the sample was brand image. Through association with an event as grandiose and unique as the Olympic Games, sponsors felt they could create a more positive image for their company.This goal was particularly important for ELTA, the postal services provider that was hoping that the sponsorship would support its repositioning efforts. As their representative stated, â€Å"our company is at the stage of planning or promoting a change in its nature and orientation [. . . ] we are now shifting from the era of the citizen to the era of the customer, and that is important† (personal communication, February 2, 2004). Using the sponsorship to create an image of trust and credibility was one of the goals of DEI, the national power provider, while projecting their company’s interest in the community and the country and cr eating prestige as a new company were goals expressed by DELTA (dairy product co-sponsor) and Olympic Airlines (airline), respectively.Another area related to branding, other than the two mentioned above, which also became evident from the data, is the use of sponsorship for purposes of branding within the organization (i. e. internal branding). Two of the companies in the sample, Alpha Bank (private bank) and DEI (power provider), indicated that they saw their Olympic sponsorship as a means to promote employee relations. According to the representative of one of the sponsors (DEI), â€Å"[one of the goals of our company for the Olympic sponsorship is] to unite employees around a vision and a common effort† (personal communication, May 6, 2004). A third company, DELTA (dairy product producer), made reference to that goal not directly, but through the discussion of their sponsorship activation initiatives.In addition to the two main groups of goals, there were also some other goals/objectives expressed by Grand National Olympic sponsors. Those re? ected mainly altruistic motives and moral bene? ts sought through their involvement in the particular sponsorship program. Allocated resources Another indication of whether a sponsorship is seen as an investment and a brand building tool is the amount of resources invested in the process. There were two types of resources examined in this study, i. e. human and material resources. Furthermore, material resources were distinguished between in-cash versus in-kind, and those invested in the acquisition versus the activation of the sponsorship. 218In terms of human resources allocated to their Olympic sponsorship, all companies in the sample formed some type of committee that was responsible for managing all sponsorshiprelated activities. The size of those committees ranged from two to 15 members and, in most cases, membership included employees from a number of departments within the organization. Furthermore, two of the companies in the sample, Alpha Bank and Athenian Brewery, discussed their intention to involve their employees in the process by initiating employee Olympic volunteer programs. Not all sponsors in the sample were willing to disclose the ? nancial investments they made to acquire their Olympic sponsorships. Of the seven companies in the sample, six provided some information in terms of the ? nancial resources allocated to becoming a Grand Olympic sponsor.From the information provided through the interviews, it was concluded that Athenian Brewery and DELTA invested in cash only, DEI invested in kind only, while Alpha Bank, ELTA and Olympic Airlines invested both in cash and in kind. In general, there seemed to be a commitment toward the sponsorship, which became more apparent from the stated intentions of sponsors to allocate ? nancial resources in sponsorship activation initiatives. Even though all seven companies in the sample discussed some sponsorship activation plans, onl y four of the sponsors (Alpha Bank, Athenian Brewery, FAGE, Olympic Airlines) mentioned that they were planning to invest ? ancial resources on that aspect, with two of those (Alpha Bank and Olympic Airlines) disclosing the speci? c amounts. Some more information on sponsorship activation is provided in the section below. Sponsorship activation In addition to the resources allocated to sponsorship activation, information was collected on speci? c leveraging initiatives. Although there was some variation in terms of the means chosen by each company to activate their sponsorship, most initiatives involved the use of the Olympic logo and symbols as well as the Olympic mascots on sponsors’ products, employees, distribution vehicles, and at points of sale. The most common sponsorship activation initiatives involved Olympic-themed sales promotions (e. g. ontests), themed packaging, new products (e. g. Olympic-themed credit card), and collectible pins. Furthermore, three of the spon sors in the sample (Alpha Bank, ELTA and Olympic Airlines) mentioned the existence of a hospitality program for their clients or partners. In terms of the use of communication media to activate their Olympic sponsorship, the most popular choices appeared to be advertising through mass electronic (e. g. television) and print (e. g. newspaper) media, posters and billboards, displays at sponsors’ distribution outlets or specially created kiosks, and internal company communication media or publications (e. g. employee newsletter).Surprisingly, the use of the internet and the companies’ websites (provided one existed) did not appear to be prevalent, with only three sponsors (Athenian Brewery, Alpha Bank and FAGE) mentioning its use in leveraging their sponsorship agreement, while three other companies (DELTA, ELTA and Olympic Airlines) indicated that promotion through the internet would be limited. Sponsorship evaluation Of all ? ve indicators used to determine the role of these sponsorship agreements in companies’ strategy and brand management efforts, this measure is probably the one for Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product & Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 which more general and more vague responses were received.With the exception of three companies that either did not provide any information on this area (Alpha Bank) or provided very general information (Olympic Airlines and DEI), the remaining sponsors in the sample indicated at least some plans to measure sales, company awareness/recognition levels, and perceived image amongst consumers, or to conduct cost-bene? t analyses after the Games. Discussion In light of the ? ndings received from a representative group of the Grand National Sponsors of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, some general observations and practical recommendations are offered for marketing and brand management executives interested in investing in sport sponsorship. Firstly, even though the marketing literature has repeatedly cautioned corporate executives about the need to be strategic with their decisions to invest in sponsorship and also in the selection of an appropriate property that could further corporate objectives (e. g. Farrelly et al. , 1997; Meenaghan, 1998), the ? dings of this study indicate that only a small number of the national sponsors of the Athens Olympic Games truly saw this sponsorship as a tool to further corporate strategy. For a number of other ? rms becoming a sponsor was explained by generally stated objectives of assisting the Organizing Committee’s efforts to put on a good event of the greatest national importance. However, even those companies that did not speak about corporate strategy and brand management made it clear throughout their interviews that solidifying an association with the Olympic Games could affect their brand image and positioning in a positive manner. The use of words such as â€Å"legacy†, â€Å"honor†, â€Å"prestige† and â€Å"image† indicates that these companies were well aware of how an of? ial relationship with an event as unique as the Olympic Games and as important for the history of the country (i. e. Greece) would help to build strong brand associations. This con? rms past research suggesting that sport sponsorship can be used as a brand-building tool through the creation of positive and favorable brand associations (e. g. Amis, 2003; Roy and Cornwell, 2003). Secondly, the companies in the sample highlighted the key strengths of their national Olympic sponsorships by stating the goals and objectives attached to those agreements, even though they were not, in most cases, speci? c or measurable as it has been recommended through past literature (e. g. Arthur et al. , 1998).Interestingly, many of the goals and objectives stated were brand- related. It was evident through the interviews that companies recognized the opportunity to sharpen their brand image and increase levels of brand awareness, but also saw the chance to do that in a favorable light by taking advantage of the positive feelings and emotions people had toward the Olympic Games. Being seen as one of the contributors to an event as important to the country and its citizens – even though not directly related to pro? toriented objectives – if achieved, could have led to positive outcomes via strengthening the company’s image and emotional connection with current and potential consumers.Past research also has connected the existence of positive brand associations to favorable consequences for brands (e. g. Amis, 2003; Gladden et al. , 1998). Thirdly, it appeared from the data that all the companies created teams to manage their sponsorships and, in most 219 cases, those teams involved employees from a number of departments. The involveme nt of various departments in the sponsorship management process could indicate efforts of sponsors to integrate their Olympic sponsorship throughout their organizations. Furthermore, for those companies that decided to involve their employees via Olympic volunteer programs or to incorporate employee bene? s and special corporate hospitality programs, it seems that they also saw this sponsorship as a tool to build employee relations and strengthen their brand internally. Fourthly, the willingness of companies to allocate resources not only in becoming sponsors but also in leveraging their sponsorship relationships indicates an even greater commitment in using this sponsorship as a brand building tool and receiving full bene? ts from their involvement – even though that was not clear from responses related to the ? rst indicator. It also implies that companies saw value in the intellectual property of the Olympic Games and in the rights received through their agreements with th e Organizing Committee. Although most of the managers interviewed failed to report with speci? ity the resources committed in sponsorship activation, this ? nding is in agreement with previous research that proposes spending money to leverage the associated bene? ts of a sponsorship (e. g. the $2-for-$1 additional spending found by Farrelly et al. , 1997). The leveraging initiatives described throughout the interviews were clearly efforts to capitalize on the positive feelings and enthusiasm that were widespread throughout the country. Using a variety of promotional and communications initiatives to take advantage of product/service category exclusivity rights (even for the two dairy product producers that signed on as co-sponsors) and of the of? cial af? iation with the Olympic Games could provide a competitive advantage to those corporations and differentiate them from their competition. Lastly, the lack of data on sponsorship evaluation plans might imply that assessment of the ef fectiveness of process and of the ful? llment of goals might not be an area to which companies devoted much energy, at least in the early stages of their sponsorship relationship. This ? nding is consistent with the existing literature, which indicates that many companies spend signi? cant resources on sponsorship agreements but fail to establish formal sponsorship evaluation systems or procedures (Miyazaki and Morgan, 2001).Furthermore, the fact that most objectives stated throughout the interviews were rather general and not speci? c could make any effort to evaluate the effectiveness of these sponsorship agreements even harder. Consistent with past literature (e. g. Cornwell, 1995; Meenaghan, 1998), in this case it is also strongly recommended that plans to measure whether corporate objectives were achieved should be an integral part of the sponsorship design and implementation, and not merely an afterthought. Olympic sponsorships, especially at the national level, are somewhat u nique in that they are typically once-ina-lifetime opportunities, with sponsorship renewal being less of an issue. Even so, easuring return on investment could prove valuable in guiding a company through future decisions to invest in sport or other sponsorship opportunities. Managerial implications and conclusions Given the increased pressure on corporations to maximize ef? ciency in operations and maximize return on all company investments, sport sponsorship has naturally fallen under Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product & Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 scrutiny in terms of its potential to further corporate goals and help strengthen the brand.The main contribution of this research is showing that there are still large corporations – such as the Grand National sponsors of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games – that enter expens ive sponsorship agreements with only moderate consideration to the strategic and brand-building elements of sponsorship. As this study showed, not all cases prove that speci? c brandbuilding initiatives were put in place from the start of those relationships. The ? ndings discussed above hold managerial implications for both sponsorship executives and (sport) event properties. In addition to an overall strategy involving corporate brand management, it is important for sponsors to fully understand what speci? advantages are delivered through their sponsorships and how customers might view those companies’ sponsorship efforts in relation to other media tools. As Farrelly et al. (1997) have suggested, ? rms need to ? rst â€Å"research the role of sponsorship in the strategic plan, communication mix, and its place in the organizational hierarchy† (p. 178). Using a manager-based view of the Grand National Olympic sponsorships, the ? ndings are quite clear in showing that t his type of thinking had not yet (i. e. at the time of the interviews) been adequately established in these agreements. The majority of the 2004 Olympics Grand sponsors had dif? culties approaching their partnerships as a valuable esource able to create competitive advantage in the marketplace. Nevertheless, the marketing department of ATHOC, the Organizing Committee of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games also holds part of the responsibility for the lack of strategic thinking in the investments of some Grand sponsors. Organizing Committees in general hinge on the success of these agreements in order to generate income and positive evaluations on corporate business developments. In addition to the promotion of the unique image of the Games and the rights of the Olympic sponsorship program, it is in the overall interest of the event property to integrate real strategic thinking in the sponsorship program process.This strategic thinking can be oriented, for example, by encouraging and/or as sisting candidate sponsors to explore their strategic link between the Olympic Games’ audience and their ? rms’ target market and overall brand-related objectives. If the property (in this case OCOG) works proactively to promote the unique business links associated to their audience, the brand bene? ts, as well as the other opportunities for meaningful interactions with costumers, sponsors will be more willing to allocate resources on entering the agreements and spending for their full activation. This could result in real strategic and brand management thinking on the part of the selected national Olympic sponsors, as well.Given that the Olympic partnerships involve a four-year period of sponsorship privileges, a strategic approach is particularly critical in order to facilitate a sustained long-term successful partnership with mutual bene? ts. In closing, the results of the study imply that the need for adequate planning and strategic integration of sponsorship withi n other corporate marketing and branding efforts cannot be overstated. Especially with a property as unique as the Olympic Games, the need to be strategic in all decisions related to the sponsorship, to create new and leverage existing unique brand associations, and to implement speci? c measures of success in every step of the process is imperative for sponsors if unique bene? ts are to be realized. 220 References Aaker, D. A. (1991), Managing Brand Equity, The Free Press, New York, NY.Abratt, R. , Clayton, B. 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Thwaites, D. , Aguilar-Manjarrez, R. and Kidd, C. (1998), â€Å"Sports sponsorship development in leading Canadian companies: issues and trends†, International Journal of Advertising, Vol. 17, pp. 29-49. Wong, H. Y. and Merrilees, B. (2005), â€Å"A brand orientation typology for SMEs: a case research approach†, Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 155-62. About the authors Dimitra Papadimitriou is a Lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the University of Patras, Greece. She teaches in the area of sport management and marketing.Her research interests include o rganizational theory, sport sponsorship and sport tourism, and her work has appeared in the European Sport Management Quarterly, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Sport Management Review, Managing Leisure, and the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship. She is also the author of the book Management of Sport Enterprises and Organizations, published in 2005 by Kleidarithmos Publications. In addition, Dr Papadimitriou is an elected board member of the European Association for Sport Management and serves on the Editorial Board of the European Sport Management Quarterly journal. Dimitra Papadimitriou is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: [email  protected] gr Artemisia Apostolopoulou is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management in the School of Business at Robert Morris University, USA. She teaches sport management and marketing at the undergraduate and graduate level.Her primary area of research involves brand management and brand extension strategies impleme nted by sport organizations. Her secondary research interests include sponsorship and endorsement issues, as well as entertainment aspects of sport consumption. She has presented work at numerous national and international conferences, co-authored book chapters, and published research in Sport Marketing Quarterly and the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship. Theofanis Dounis is a PhD candidate in the Department of Business Management at the University of Patras, Greece. He conducts research in the area of strategic management in the professional football industry.Executive summary and implications for managers and executives This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of the article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full bene? t of the material pr esent. This sporting life Corporate sponsorship of sport is a big business and it is growing. In 2003, for example, spend on sponsorship was calculated at $US25. 9 billion. A year later in 2004, it had risen to $28 billion. In anyone’s money, that’s a big business. Of this spend 69 percent goes to sporting events. Sport, it seems, is the ? rst among equals.Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product & Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Within this or any other context the Olympic Games has become a phenomenon of our times. The ancients surely could not have imagined what was to come. The late nineteenth century/early twentieth century revivalists would be, one would suppose, either amazed or aghast. Organizers picking up the baton after the Second World War, such as the modest London Games of 1948, would still have little inkling of what was to come. A global TV audience and, some might argue, a shift in values, have changed the game.For global companies the Olympics deliver a global audience and provide a more or less unique opportunity to reinforce brand values and build reputation. It is an opportunity not to be missed. It only comes around every four years. Athenian outcomes British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, on being asked what represented the gr

Coppola essays

Coppola essays Brando's raspy-voiced role (later to be mimicked by a host of impersonators) was difficult in one respect for Coppola in that the actor was 47 at the time, much too young for the aging Mafia don. The problem was solved by makeup expert Dick Smith, who has accomplished similar wonders in The Exorcist (1973) and in Little Big Man (1970), where he aged Dustin Hoffman to 100 years old. Smith added wrinkles to Brando's skin by applying liquid latex, especially around the eyes and nose. A leathery appearance was achieved the same way, along with loose flesh and bags beneath the eyes. He imparted olive skin tones to give Brando a Mediterranean appearance. A special denture was inserted along his lower jawline to make the actor's jaw jut out in a completely different bite and to cause his cheeks to sag. He then stuffed the actor's cheeks with a gummy substance to affect heavy jowls, and it was this device that altered the actor's appearance drastically, giving rise to wild speculation that B rando spent hours stuffing his cheeks with cotton, facial tissue, and newspapers. The film is darkCoppola had cinematographer Gordon Willis deliberately underlight each scene; the mood is dark; and the climax, in which Michael indulges in an orgy of blood vengeance, would simply be horrific, were it not for the ironic melodies of the Rota score, which underline the humane sensibilities of the storyteller and keep us at an appropriate distance. And this points to Coppola's greatest achievement with THE GODFATHER; he simultaneously presents us with two views of the Corleone family. We see it from within, sympathizing with the motives and dilemmas of these very real, attractive and charismatic individuals; and we see it from without, in a state of suspended disgust at a moral code that knows only greed and blood. The Godfather is an insightful sociological study of violence, power, honor and obligation, corruption, justice and crime in America.The film ...

Essay on Solution and AdvantagesEssay Writing Service

Essay on Solution and AdvantagesEssay Writing Service Essay on Solution and Advantages Essay on Solution and AdvantagesThe solution to existing economic, social and political problems of children relying on the welfare programs may be found in the changing of priorities of welfare programs and their focus on helping children to change their life on their own with the help of the government aide and the enhancement of the public control over welfare program and political representation of children by a non-government organization.In such a way, the proposed solution contains three major elements. First, the government should maintain welfare programs but shift them from the mere financial aid provided for children toward the funding of programs that help children to change their life for better, for instance educational programs. Second, the proposed solution should include the close cooperation between key stakeholders that can help children in terms of welfare programs, including educators, psychologists, and community members (Lyons-Ruth Jacobvitz, 1999). Finally, the proposed solution offers an opportunity for children in need to enhance their political representation through the creation of the non-government organization that can operate nationwide and protect interests of children relying on welfare programs.The solution is advantageous because it offers the solution of economic problems of children relying on welfare programs which should include the development of welfare programs that help not only children but also their parents to resolve their economic problems. In this regard, the solution of the economic problem associated with the welfare programs is twofold. On the one hand, welfare programs should facilitate education of children and provide them with larger opportunities to obtain higher education, for instance, through a system of government-sponsored grants for needy children. On the other hand, parents of children relying on welfare programs should receive additional government support, in case of the successful learning of their children. For instance, parents of children relying on welare programs may receive additional government financial support, if their children enter college. As a result, parents will be interested in the education of their children and they can support their children in their learning efforts, while children will have better educational opportunities because they can count on government grants that will help them to tackle financial issues, if they decide to obtain the higher education. Hence, children will just need to learn successfully to be able to obtain the higher education. Today, the higher education is still a better opportunity for children to improve their quality of life, when they grow up and start their professional career because graduates can count on about 20% higher wages compared to low- or semi-qualified employees.The proposed solution can help to resolve social problems of children relying on welfare programs. The social problem of children relying on wel fare programs should be resolved through the close interaction between educators, psychologists and community members. They should unite their efforts to prevent children relying on welfare programs from joining gangs. Psychologists can help children to resolve their psychological problems, instead of shifting from their families, where they cannot always find support, to gang members, where they often just try to find a new family and support through the feeling of belongingness to the gang (Gauthier, et al., 1996). Community members should offer children relying on welfare programs social activities within the community, such as sports. For instance, local communities can create teams and sponsor local tournaments that will develop positive behavioral patterns in children because they will focus on sports rather than on the gang life.As for the resolution of the problem of the political under-representation of children relying on welfare programs, the proposed solution is also ben eficial because this problem may be resolved through the closer interaction between parents of children relying on welfare programs and local authorities. For instance, social workers can attend families receiving the government aide and report on problems those families, especially children, have. Once a month, the local authorities should conduct the meeting where the major issues related to the life of families relying on welfare programs can be discussed and resolved, if possible. In addition, the creation of a public non-government and non-profit organization that operates nationwide can also enhance the political participation of children relying on welfare programs (Wolf, 2002). This non-profit organization should focus on problems of children specifically. In such a way, the government will have to deal with the public organization which operates nationwide and protects interest of children relying on welfare programs rather than with parents of those children or small commu nities. Moreover, this organization will be able to provide legal assistance to children in need and help them to receive the government aide to the full extent. More important, this organization can also help them to change their lifestyle offering them educational programs for free. At the same time, as a public body, the organization can monitor the use of public funds spend on welfare programs. In such a way, the organization can become a significant political power, which politicians will have to take into consideration.Thus, the proposed solution contains a complex of measures that help children to change their life for better. In economic terms, children can obtain better career opportunities due to the better education. In social terms, children will turn from gang life and crimes toward active involvement in the life of their community based on the support of educators, psychologists and community members. Finally, in political terms, the non-government organization can enh ance their political representation and protect their interests.

Legal aspects of cloning essays

Legal aspects of cloning essays The legal aspects of Human Cloning are quite simple and straight forward, and I will outline them for you in the nexzt few minutes and explain to you what they mean. It is quite evident though, that you will not be able to understand these laws if you dont know what human cloning technically means! So let me begin by defining for you what our government defines as human cloning. Human cloning, or better termed as Human Embryo Cloning is defined as ... to replicate a human being. In other words, a clone of someone is just a time delayed identical twin of that person! Now that we know what human cloning means, we can discuss the prohibition on federal funding for cloning for human beings. President Clinton first addressed this issue in December of 1994. He directed the National Institutes of Health not to fund the creation of human embryos for research purposes. Then, congress extended this prohibition in Fiscal year 96 97 appropriation bills (which are simply bills for funds set aside for a specfic purpose), barring the Dept of Health and Human Services from supporting certain human embryo research. The President then went on to address this issue for one last time on March 4th. 1997. After deciding that this law had too many loopholes, he laid down the law and issued a directive that banned the use of any federal funds for any cloning of human beings. He stated the reason for his prohibition in a press conference in the oval officeon March 4th. He believes that it is not just a matter of of scietific inquiry, rather that it is a matter of morality, as you will understand better as you listen to the other speakers in my group. He states each human life is unique, born of a miracle that reaches beyond lab sciences. He also states that I believe we must respect this profound gift and respect its origin. ...

Google talks with groupon are ended without deal Essay

Google talks with groupon are ended without deal - Essay Example al Shareholder Services) reported that Google’s overall ranking on corporate governance was just 0.2% in comparison with Standard and Poor’s 500 firms – in other words it outranked just one of the other companies (rankforsales 2004). One of the major areas of concern was the way the founders and other insiders were given extra voting rights through the IPO. These share holders had the power of 10 votes per share as compared to the normal share holders who had 1 vote per share powers (rankforsales 2004). Another concern was that of low independent board membership ratio. This shows that founders of the company have not been too keen on losing control over the reins of the company. Groupon is still a closely held company. The company is expected to grow very fast and is today the number 1 player in its category. The company has been using innovative marketing concept called â€Å"reverse marketing†. Here the company does not force customers to buy through blatant advertising but through providing them with information regarding discounts and gives them the choice to decide which products to buy. The company uses the collective buying concept to offer huge discounts to customers and provide the businesses a huge database. The unique way of business which the company follows has provided the company a negative working capital situation. This means the business gets money upfront from their customers and pay their business partner later on as followed by Wal-Mart also. Mismanagement of the deal seems to be behind this break-off. The problem seems to be the break-up fee that Google has offered. As a part of compliance management, the company which has agreed to be sold is bound by the breakup fee agreement. However, many companies do not comply by the initial agreement and accept counter offers from other firms. In this case Google has publicized about the fee being the dampener. This can be a possible activity to put pressure on the management of Groupon to agree

Food Accessibility in Urban Communities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Food Accessibility in Urban Communities - Essay Example They assert that these systems have caused environmental, social, and economic implications. Overview of the policy paper This is a synopsis of discussion paper number 3 on â€Å"Access to Food in Urban Communities†. The paper highlights the main obstacles to food accessibility by the urban residents; therefore, implementing the possible solutions to those obstacles. It discusses how economic factors may present obstacles to the accessibility of healthy foods. It also confers the main issues that face urban food production. Furthermore, it addresses the explanations on why it is tricky for urban communities to access local foods and information concerning healthy foods (Access to Food in Urban Communities, 2011 p. 3). According to this discussion paper, food is a commodity; therefore, there should be a non-market manner of distributing it, as many cities in Canada depend on market activity for them to access healthy foods. The discussion paper asserts that everyone has a right to access healthy foods but most people in urban communities fail because of diminishing funds. In urban communities, accessing healthy food is a chief problem because of economic barriers; furthermore, urban residents having fewer opportunities of practicing urban farming and due to lack of educational programs to teach urban residents on approaches to improve food accessibility (White 2007 p.100). This discussion paper also deliberates ways, which can help residents with low income to access healthy foods and how introduction of urban agriculture can enhance accessibility to inexpensive and healthy food. The challenges that this discussion paper highlights include the issue of gender inequality in the market place. Furthermore, many people believe that city land is not for farming. Therefore, the paper recommends that there should be improvement of food programs for the urban communities in US and other relevant areas. These programs should encourage farming in urban centers. Fro m this discussion of paper number 3, my research will focus on the method of improving healthy food accessibility by the low-income urban communities (Access to Food in Urban Communities, 2011 p. 5). Literature Review In 1960s, most of the white people who inhabited urban localities vacated to their homes in suburbs, which negatively affected the production of healthy foods in cities (Bolen & Hecht, 2003 p. 4). Food outlets, which were offering healthy and affordable foods, also vacated hence, leading to distribution of unhealthy and expensive foods in cities. Numerous urban families have a meager income, which makes them incapable of accessing local healthy foods, hence, disabling them from balancing their diets (White 2007 p.101). Furthermore, these individuals have less transportation opportunities, which force them to purchase their foods from local cafes and corner shops that sales unhealthy foods. In addition, these food joints are in poor conditions and, they sell their edibl es expensively (Rose, 2010, p. 1168). Urban residents should also raise funds to support urban farming, and encourage their fellow dwellers to participate in it. White (2007, p. 104) states there are barriers that prevent pitiable individuals worldwide from accessing organic and local foods. These impediments encompass the financial problems, as the main obstacle blocking the low-income individuals from purchasing healthy foods are their cost (Burns, Bentley, Thornton &

Research Methods and Data Analysis Choosing the right method - Essay

Research Methods and Data Analysis Choosing the right method - qualitative methodologies - Essay Example Furthermore, the methodology is appropriate given that coping is dynamic, private, and contextual. The resurgence of qualitative studies in the social sciences goes with a tendency among qualitative researchers to depict qualitative inquiry as moral compared with quantitative research (willig, 2008). There are many methods of fact gathering in qualitative methodology. In sports, using diaries is an excellent method because they generate the rich set of data for subsequent content, and interpretive analysis. Diaries as a study method are acceptable and useable alongside qualitative interviews. Researchers’ processes of social life have made use of private diaries. Qualitative methodologies are subject to extensive use in sports because the existing quantitative methods have many limitations, and hence there may be many predecessor, mediating, and outcome variables to consider using the traditional quantitative system research. Thus, qualitative methods are preferable in a wide variety of research questions, including handling performance connected stressors, gender dissimilarities with interpersonal stress in teenage athletes, athletes’ injury, sports retirement, social physique anxiety, and muscularity problems (Hagger & Chatzisarantis,

MBA Strategy of Ducati Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MBA Strategy of Ducati - Case Study Example Following its 1996 liquidity crisis, Ducati, an Italian manufacturer of high-performance motorcycles, took several initiatives, under the guidance and leadership of Federico Minoli whose main aim was to strengthen the company’s brand by turning Ducati into a global brand that appealed not only to â€Å"extreme† customers but also to a broader spectrum of customers, enhance its portfolio by venturing into several new market segments and increase and expand its sales and profitability. Ducati faced severe competition from the Japanese manufacturers such as BMW, KTM, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha in all the three major segments. Thus, in order to broaden its spectrum of revenue sources, Ducati, in 1997, entered into the business of accessories and apparels by acquiring a stake in Gio.ca.Moto; a company that was already producing a line of accessories for Ducati, this contributed to 16.6% of its total revenues in the year 2000. Ducati’s strategic decision of out sourcing it's production and logistic spare parts translated in greater availability of parts and improved distribution channels, while the decision of revising its pricing policy led to a phenomenal increase in the contribution of spare parts to total revenues. As of 2001, the company’s outsourcing has grown to approximately 87% with the company planning to take it even higher to almost 90%. Due to the standardization of its products, Ducati was touted as one of the most efficient manufacturers in the industry, despite its relatively low volumes in 2001 as shown in the table below: The apparel and accessories business had grown consistently following the entry of Ducati in this line of business, and thus had only one strong contender – Harley Davidson. In 2001, the company launched two basic models – 996 and 748, each in 3 different versions. This contributed to almost 43% of the company’s total revenues, the key competitors being targeted under this segment were – Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda.     Ã‚  

Preventative Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Preventative Education - Essay Example Since COPD is primarily a disease related to excessive or long-term smoking and is completely preventable from both a pharmacological and non-pharmacological perspective and there are numerous methods that can be implemented to focus on the prevention, accurate diagnosis, and management of this disease (Barnett, 2009). Through a comprehensive understanding of the disease, as well as the physical, psychological and social impact COPD has on the patient, their careers, and their families, healthcare professionals will be better equipped to comprise management plans that are effective in all the affected areas of the patient’s life (Barnett, 2009). Formulating a collaborative approach that includes working with other healthcare professionals relative to the patient’s care like physiotherapists, occupational therapists, district nurses and social workers will enable a holistic approach to the patient’s care to be established and maintained (Barnett, 2009). Through th is approach, the healthcare professional can help the patient examine numerous aspects of their lifestyle that may be detrimental to their health and exacerbate their COPD. Providing the patient with complete care and information is the most vital tool a nurse can provide to their patient. In the instigation of preventative routines, successful implementation of a case management scheme including the medical interventions available can help establish a routine of such care within the institution. Even though the current treatments are limited in helping relieve symptoms, nurses can do a lot to help educate patients and enable them to cope with their condition to reduce the progression of the disease (Barnett, 2006). The most vital piece of information a... This paper approves that many opportunities for health promotion through patient education are underutilized in all aspects of healthcare. Through education, nurses can develop the skills necessary to use every opportunity for promoting health in everyday practice and help their patients become educated in various methods to promote and preserve their own well-being. Keeping the needs of the facility and the needs of the patient balanced is the duty of the nurse and proper case management will help the nurse keep these contradictory aspects well in hand. This essay makes a conclusion that incorporating theories of holistic care with those of case management can help the nurse provide the best care possible for the patient at the lowest cost to the institution. COPD is a systemic disease with high and increasing worldwide prevalence. The onset of this disease has been associated with both individual and community-based factors and COPD is usually the result of a combination of these factors. Numerous strategies are available to manage or prevent COPD, and nursing education is needed to empower nurses to educate their patients and present proper solutions through case management schemes that will benefit the patients and the institutions through effective, cost-minimal methods of treatment. Nurses all over the world have important roles in fighting the COPD pandemic and health promotion is the best tool available to keep healthy people healthy as long as possible.

MBA Strategy of Ducati Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

MBA Strategy of Ducati - Case Study Example Following its 1996 liquidity crisis, Ducati, an Italian manufacturer of high-performance motorcycles, took several initiatives, under the guidance and leadership of Federico Minoli whose main aim was to strengthen the company’s brand by turning Ducati into a global brand that appealed not only to â€Å"extreme† customers but also to a broader spectrum of customers, enhance its portfolio by venturing into several new market segments and increase and expand its sales and profitability. Ducati faced severe competition from the Japanese manufacturers such as BMW, KTM, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha in all the three major segments. Thus, in order to broaden its spectrum of revenue sources, Ducati, in 1997, entered into the business of accessories and apparels by acquiring a stake in Gio.ca.Moto; a company that was already producing a line of accessories for Ducati, this contributed to 16.6% of its total revenues in the year 2000. Ducati’s strategic decision of out sourcing it's production and logistic spare parts translated in greater availability of parts and improved distribution channels, while the decision of revising its pricing policy led to a phenomenal increase in the contribution of spare parts to total revenues. As of 2001, the company’s outsourcing has grown to approximately 87% with the company planning to take it even higher to almost 90%. Due to the standardization of its products, Ducati was touted as one of the most efficient manufacturers in the industry, despite its relatively low volumes in 2001 as shown in the table below: The apparel and accessories business had grown consistently following the entry of Ducati in this line of business, and thus had only one strong contender – Harley Davidson. In 2001, the company launched two basic models – 996 and 748, each in 3 different versions. This contributed to almost 43% of the company’s total revenues, the key competitors being targeted under this segment were – Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda.     Ã‚