Wherever we go, marketing is all around us. Sport events are no exception. Sport events have during the last years become a platform and a communication tool for marketing companies. The major reason for the increasing attraction of sport games is because of its’ enormously attraction of audience. A company that uses sport games in order to market itself is usually a sponsor for a sport association or team. A sponsoring company is provided with the opportunity to associate itself with a team and/or a game. Sponsoring and non-sponsoring companies utilize the amount of audience to reach as many customers as possible. The sponsoring companies need to pay a sponsorship fee. The non-sponsoring companies free ride at the expense of the sponsors, by not paying any fees. The ambushing companies aim, is to draw the consumers’ attention away from the sponsors and onto themselves. The purpose of this research is to study the consumers’ acceptance regarding marketing from non-sponsoring companies in sport games. It is interesting to study a consumer perspective of ambush marketing since the research field is not very explored. A qualitative study with quantitative elements has been used in order to capture the consumers’ opinions. The method used resulted in comprehensive findings. The results show distinct differences within the quantitative and the qualitative findings. The conclusion of this research is that consumers somehow accept the free riding strategy. Consumers believe that they do not lack knowledge regarding sponsoring companies. However, the consumers may lack knowledge concerning the harm ambush marketing causes the sponsoring companies.

Zugl.: Köln, Dt. Sporthochsch., Habil.-Schr., 2010

Ambush marketing has recently become a large problem for event owners and official sponsors. One of the main focuses, in the field of ambush marketing, has been about consumers' attitudes towards ambush marketing. However, the research field has a gap in what affects consumers’ attitudes. The purpose of this thesis is to explain the causal effect between consumers’ culture factors and their attitudes towards ambush marketing. This thesis uses a conceptual model that is based on theories in national culture, marketing and psychology. This thesis uses a positive, deductive approach with an explanatory research design. The quantitative method is a survey that is handed out to Swedish students and exchange students from China. Analyses show that consumers' culture has a significant correlation to their attitudes towards ambush marketing. Consumers in cultures with high power distance and/or collectivism, have a significant stronger negative attitude towards ambush marketing, compared to consumers who have low power distance and/or individualism. The theoretical implications in this thesis fill the gap about what causal effect culture factors have on consumers’ attitudes towards ambush marketing. This thesis has also contributed to the more controversial belief, that the consumers’ do not have such negative attitude towards ambush marketing. The findings will be of managerial use for event owners who are taking actions against the ambush companies. Limitation of this study is that theory on the cultural factors is only based on one theoretical framework, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.

Dissertation "Structure and application of guerilla marketing in practise" is concerned with detailed analysis of different types of guerilla marketing. It finds recommendation for an application of each type in dependence on the type of company. It uses a lot of real examples for this purpose. This dissertation also offers modern rules for creating efficient and succesfull guerilla campain. It is also concerned with the guerilla marketing legislation.

Date: May 30, 2012  University: Mälardalen University, Sweden  Program: MIMA- International Marketing  Course Name: Master Thesis (EFO705)  Title: Creating Brand Awareness Through Event Marketing  The Off-Field Competition of Sportswear Companies in the Olympics  Authors: Laura Dolge and Malin Marmbrandt  Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to research how companies are promoting themselves efficiently to increase brand awareness through advertisement in major sporting events, through viral marketing and athlete endorsement.  Research Questions: Firstly: What are the major differences and similarities between the official and non-official sponsors and their marketing activities when creating brand awareness in sporting events?  Secondly: How do official and non-official sponsoring companies increase brand awareness in sporting events through viral marketing activities?  Thirdly: How do official and non-official sponsoring companies increase brand awareness in sporting events through athlete endorsement?  Method: Data was collected with a qualitative multi-method approach that consists of observations of online social networks and media (netnography), and semi-structured interviews was applied.  Conclusion: The main differences between the official and the non-official sponsor´s marketing campaigns are that the official sponsor has the advantage of using the event’s logo in its campaigns, and is able to advertise during the event. Whilst, there are many rules that restricts the non-official company´s campaigns. Regardless, non-official sponsors are still able to associate themselves with the event by using creative viral marketing campaigns and endorsing athletes, thus create brand awareness by so called ambush marketing.

This research comprises three interconnected studies that, when considered together, attend to the dissertation’s purpose of presenting an integrated conceptual framework for ambush marketing in the Olympic Games. This has been accomplished in two ways: (1) the use of institutional theory, supported by network theory, as a lens to view and understand evolutionary processes in Olympic sponsorship and ambush marketing and (2) the use of grounded theory to build a conceptual framework of ambush marketing from the findings. Broadly, the model suggests the evolution of ambush marketing is partially impacted by, and an outcome of, institutional forces and considerations. Study I examines the process of institutionalization in the evolution of Olympic sponsorship during its most critical period of growth. It is argued that three key periods of change for sponsorship and two for ambush marketing exist during this time. Furthermore, these periods of change, most specifically concerning anti-ambush marketing practices, suggest the institutionalization of anti-ambush marketing legislation in the Olympic Games. Study II examines how Olympic ambush marketing stakeholder power and transfer of sponsorship and ambush marketing knowledge has influenced institutional processes toward the state of anti-ambush legislation as institutionalized brand protection. Centrality measures suggest the International Olympic Committee and Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games demonstrate the greatest stakeholder influence within the Olympic ambush marketing network. It is further argued the influence resulting from the structure of Olympic ambush marketing networks impacts the institutional processes of objectification and sedimentation. Study III examines the contemporary state of Olympic sponsorship evidenced by institutionalized legislated brand protection. While direct marketing implications of anti-ambush marketing legislation are minimal, it is argued the practice represents a portion of a regime of brand protection and that public relations outcomes of legislated brand protection must be carefully managed as part of a brand management strategy. Similarly, proportionality and managing expectations are arguably important in the understanding and application of such laws. Finally it is suggested that while the Olympic Movement may be viewed as an early adopter of anti-ambush legislation in the mega-event field, the individual character of each Olympic Games will interfere with complete isomorphism.

Univ., Diss.--Bayreuth, 2007.

This research comprises three interconnected studies that, when considered together, attend to the dissertation’s purpose of presenting an integrated conceptual framework for ambush marketing in the Olympic Games. This has been accomplished in two ways: (1) the use of institutional theory, supported by network theory, as a lens to view and understand evolutionary processes in Olympic sponsorship and ambush marketing and (2) the use of grounded theory to build a conceptual framework of ambush marketing from the findings. Broadly, the model suggests the evolution of ambush marketing is partially impacted by, and an outcome of, institutional forces and considerations. Study I examines the process of institutionalization in the evolution of Olympic sponsorship during its most critical period of growth. It is argued that three key periods of change for sponsorship and two for ambush marketing exist during this time. Furthermore, these periods of change, most specifically concerning anti-ambush marketing practices, suggest the institutionalization of anti-ambush marketing legislation in the Olympic Games. Study II examines how Olympic ambush marketing stakeholder power and transfer of sponsorship and ambush marketing knowledge has influenced institutional processes toward the state of anti-ambush legislation as institutionalized brand protection. Centrality measures suggest the International Olympic Committee and Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games demonstrate the greatest stakeholder influence within the Olympic ambush marketing network. It is further argued the influence resulting from the structure of Olympic ambush marketing networks impacts the institutional processes of objectification and sedimentation. Study III examines the contemporary state of Olympic sponsorship evidenced by institutionalized legislated brand protection. While direct marketing implications of anti-ambush marketing legislation are minimal, it is argued the practice represents a portion of a regime of brand protection and that public relations outcomes of legislated brand protection must be carefully managed as part of a brand management strategy. Similarly, proportionality and managing expectations are arguably important in the understanding and application of such laws. Finally it is suggested that while the Olympic Movement may be viewed as an early adopter of anti-ambush legislation in the mega-event field, the individual character of each Olympic Games will interfere with complete isomorphism.

The diploma thesis introduces Guerilla marketing as an unconventional method of commercial communication. The basics of traditional marketing are described in the first part of the work. Afterwards, the types of Guerilla marketing are presented whereas their advantages and possibilities are identified using practical examples. The consumers attitude toward the unconventional commercial communication is analyzed with the help of executed survey.

Plotzerová, A. Sponsorship and ambush marketing in sport. Brno, 2017. Master thesis. Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Business and Economics. Thesis supervisor Ing. Stanislav Mokrý, PhD. This diploma thesis deals with sponsorship and ambush marketing in sport. Its goal is to define the nature, character and use of sponsorship and ambush marketing in sport. This work deals with consumer behavior and examines how sponsoring affects consumers in various places and on various occasions, and how sponsoring in general is perceived by the consumer. Quantitative research, eye-tracking and in-depth interviews have been used in the practical part of this thesis. Based on the results of the conducted research, recommendations for practical applications were made.