Different Perspectives on Sports Sponsorship in Brazilian Women’s Volleyball: A Case Study of Osasco Volleyball Club

Abstract

In view of the scenario of the relationship between sponsorship and Brazilian volleyball, this paper aims to survey, from the historical and marketing point of view, the sponsorship actions undertaken between a multinational food company and Osasco Volleyball Club, in order to discuss them from the perspective of the main agents involved in the sport - coaches, managers and athletes. This is a documental, qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research, which had as primary sources the journalistic reports available in the public domain, published during the period in which the club and the company maintained relations in the sports context. For data analysis, the Content Analysis method was used, in which the research data were organized into three different characteristics that cover the issues discussed throughout the reports, related to the club, athletes / coaching staff and managers. This research is relevant to the area, due to the incipient production of qualitative studies dealing with the relationship between sports sponsorship and volleyball, and for bringing an important discussion of successful cases about the sponsorship of sports clubs in Brazil. We identified the use of different marketing strategies used by the company in the different periods of sponsorship maintenance, which brought positive returns in terms of sports performance for the club - arising mainly from the investment made in structure and athlete development - and in market performance of the company's different brands - reaching market leadership over brands already consolidated in Brazilian consumption. As a case study, the research showed successful strategies that met mutual objectives, by changing the product, the brand, and the uniform, bringing benefits for both the club and the company. Innovations such as the creation of the club's online store, the official mascot, activation campaigns of the company's brands in the gym and advertising campaigns also stand out throughout the sponsorship period. The strategies that were used can be directly applied or adapted to other relationships between sports clubs and companies, contributing to a remarkable return on the brand and its products, and a competent structuring of the sport (from the base to high performance).