Assignment (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sponsorship marketing, as part of the integrated marketing communication programme, is a relatively new field of application. There is still a lack of research in many areas of this field, especially in respect of the measurement of the effectiveness of this communication instrument. Although its roots could be traced back to ancient Greece, substantial growth and development in the field of sponsorship marketing have taken place over the past three decades. More recently the concentration of sponsored events has moved away from sports and has been divided between a number of other areas, notably art and entertainment and also charity events. With the increase in sponsorships, an increase in literary research has also been detected. The analysis of the sponsorship strategy of a German insurance company - Cosmos Direkt - has shown that in practice many companies are still not fully exploiting the potential of their sponsorships. This became even more obvious when it was compared to the approach to sponsorships of some of South Africa's largest insurance companies. The comparison indicated that some of the insurance companies had achieved satisfaction with their sponsorship, while others were still battling to establish the right formula for success. The inconsistency of the success of sponsorships could often be ascribed to a large number of companies being uncertain about sponsorships and reluctant to fully integrate these into their marketing strategies. Sponsorships could only be effective when they are supported by other marketing communication tools, rather than being viewed as a completely separate activity. Sponsorships should be used in synergy with the other communication instruments, so that the company may project a uniform message to its customers and the public. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Borgskappe, as deel van 'n geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie, is 'n redelike nuwe veld van aanwending. Navorsing in baie gebiede van hierdie veld is nog uitstaande, veral waar die meting van hierdie kommunikasie-instrument van belang is. Oor die afgelope drie dekades het wesenlike groei en ontwikkelinge op die gebied van borgskappe plaasgevind, alhoewel die oorsprong teruggevolg kan word tot na die antieke Grieke. Meer onlangs het die fokus van geborgde gebeurtenisse wegbeweeg van sport af en is nou meer versprei oor 'n aantal ander gebiede, byvoorbeeld kuns en vermaak, asook liefdadigheidsorganisasies. Met die toename van borgskappe het daar ook 'n toename in literêre navorsing plaasgevind. Die analise van die borgskapstrategie deur 'n Duitse versekeringsmaatskappy - Cosmos Direkt - het aangetoon dat baie maatskappye in die praktyk nog nie die volle potensiaal van hul borgskappe benut nie. Hierdie bevinding is bevestig nadat dit met die benadering tot borgskappe van verskeie Suid-Afrikaanse versekeringsmaatskappye vergelyk is. Die vergelyking het aangetoon dat sommige versekeringsmaatskappye tevredenheid met hulle borgskappe bereik het, terwyl ander nog steeds op soek was na die regte formule vir sukses. Die teenstrydigheid ten opsigte van die sukses van borgskappe is dikwels die gevolg van maatskappye w~t onseker is oor hulle borgskappe en huiwerig is om dit ten volle met hulle bemarkingstrategieë te integreer. Borgskappe kan egter net effektief wees wanneer hulle ondersteun word deur ander bemarkingskommunikasie-instrumente, en nie as iets heeltemal afsonderliks beskou word nie. Borgskappe behoort in sinergie met die ander bemarkingskommunikasie-instrumente gebruik te word sodat 'n maatskappy 'n eenvormige boodskap aan sy klante en die publiek sal stuur.