The Role of Media in Sponsorship Decision Making During Covid-19: A Malaysian Perspective
Abstract
COVID-19 has impacted not only human lives, but also business organisations. The repercussions of the pandemic on global businesses include sustaining the value of a firm that could benefit stakeholders, such as the challenge for sponsored properties to attain sponsorship through a period of financial struggles and the capacity of a sponsor to provide it. It is imperative for business-to-business (B2B) communities to evaluate criteria and risks of sponsorship to instil public trust and consequently result in value creation for firms. At the same time, the role of the media is pivotal to create visibility of this partnership and achieve set sponsorship aims. With that said, the objective of this study is to explore the role of sponsorship decision making by Malaysian organisations during the pandemic and how the media have strengthened relationship marketing between businesses and their stakeholders; by examining the determinant factors of using media as an activation in sponsorship and the criteria of using media in sponsorship. The qualitative study conducted interviews with 13 corporate communication and marketing managers in Malaysia that are involved directly with sponsorship activation. The findings highlight the sponsorship ecosystem through the Malaysian media and B2B perspectives that would guide practitioners in making strategic decisions on B2B sponsorship matters, particularly on the relational approaches and media engagement should be seen as part of good business conduct. Future recommendation of this research is to seek the perceptions of consumers on the congruence of relationship marketing through sponsor-sponsored properties collaboration in Malaysian media.
Keywords: Media, marketing communication, sponsorship activation, business-to-business, Covid-19.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Aroff, N. (2020, Jun 4). AirAsia terminates 111 flight attendants, 172 pilots, 50 engineers. Astro Awani. http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/airasia-terminates-111-flight-attendants-172-pilots-50-engineers-245696
Becker-Olsen, K. L., & Simmons, C. J. (2002). When do social sponsorships enhance or dilute equity? Fit, message source, and the persistence of effects. Advances in Consumer Research, 29(1), 287-289.
Burton, N., & Schlieman, T. (2021). User response to extended reality sponsorship activations on social media: Exploring impressions of GoPro’s use of 360° video in marketing. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 21(2), 93-107. https://doi.org/h3fd
Cornwell, T. B. (2008). State of the art and science in sponsorship-linked marketing. Journal of Advertising, 37(3), 41-55.
Cornwell, T. B., & Maignan, I. (1998). An international review of sponsorship research. Journal of Advertising, 27(1), 1-21.
Dens, N., De Pelsmacker, P., & Verhellen, Y. (2018). Better together? Harnessing the power of brand placement through program sponsorship messages. Journal of Business Research, 83, 151-159.
Dickenson, P., & Souchon, A. L. (2020). Sponsees matter! How collective responsibility judgments of sport sponsors affect sponsee equity. European Sport Management Quarterly, 20(5), 537-559.
Dreisbach, J., Woisetschläger, D. M., Backhaus, C., & Cornwell, T. B. J. J. o. B. R. (2021). The role of fan benefits in shaping responses to sponsorship activation. Journal of Business Research, 124, 780-789.
Fai, O. K. (2020). Football in Malaysia to fight hard to stay alive in 2021 and beyond. Goal. https://www.goal.com/en-my/news/football-in-malaysia-to-fight-hard-to-stay-alive-in-2021-and/9jx1opzn6tqq134jo16mo1wty
Foley, G., Timonen, V., Conlon, C., & O’Dare, C. E. (2021). Interviewing as a vehicle for theoretical sampling in grounded theory. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920980957
Goebert, C., & Greenhalgh, G. P. (2020). A new reality: Fan perceptions of augmented reality readiness in sport marketing. Computers in Human Behavior, 106, 106231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.106231
Hsiao, C.-H., Tang, K.-Y., & Su, Y.-S. (2021). An empirical exploration of sports sponsorship: Activation of experiential marketing, sponsorship satisfaction, brand equity, and purchase intention. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 677137-677137. https://doi.org/h3ff
Kelly, J. (2020). Hertz files for bankruptcy after 16,000 employees were let go and CEO made over $9 Million. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/05/23/hertz-files-for-bankruptcy-after-16000-employees-were-let-go-and-ceo-made-over-9-million/?sh=759810e12bca
Francis, J. J., Johnston, M., Robertson, C., Glidewell, L., Entwistle, V., Eccles, M. P., & Grimshaw, J. M. (2010). What is an adequate sample size? Operationalising data saturation for theory-based interview studies. Psychology and Health, 25(10), 1229–45.
Hassim, N., Hasmadi, M. H. N., & Sharipudin, M.-N. S. (2020). Social media or social comparison? An analysis of Instagram use among Malaysian youth. SEARCH: Journal of Media Communication Research, 12(Icome18), 33-45.
Habitzreuter, A. M., & Koenigstorfer, J. (2021). The impact of environmental CSR-linked sport sponsorship on attitude toward the sponsor depending on regulatory fit. Journal of Business Research, 124, 720–730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.040
Hessling, V., Åsberg, M., & Roxenhall, T. (2018). Relationship commitment and value creation in sponsorship relationships. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 25(2), 137–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/1051712X.2018.1454646
International Event Group. (2017). IEG's guide to sponsorship. https://www.sponsorship.com/ieg/files/59/59ada496-cd2c-4ac2-9382-060d86fcbdc4.pdf
International Event Group. (2018). What sponsors want and where dollars will go in 2018. http://www.sponsorship.com/IEG/files/f3/f3cfac41-2983-49be-8df6-3546345e27de.pdf
International Event Group. (2020). Forecasting the future of the sponsorship industry. https://www.sponsorship.com/Outlook-2020.aspx
Jensen, J. A., & Cornwell, B. T. (2021). Assessing the dissolution of horizontal marketing relationships: The case of corporate sponsorship of sport. Journal of Business Research, 124, 790-799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.029
Jensen, J. A., & Cornwell, T. B. (2017). Why do marketing relationships end? Findings from an integrated model of sport sponsorship decision-making. Journal of Sport Management, 31(4), 401-418. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2016-0232
Jeong, H. J., & Lee, M. (2013). The effect of online media platforms on joining causes: The impression management perspective. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 57(4), 439-455. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2013.845824
Kadirov, D., Tjiptono, F., & Sharipudin, M.-N. S. (2020). Halal service research: Challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Halal Service Research, 1(2), 1-10.
Kelly, S. J., & Van der Leij, D. (2021). A new frontier: Alcohol sponsorship activation through esports. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 39(4), 533-558. https://doi.org/gp6c3x
Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Setiawan, I. (2010). Marketing 3.0: From products to customers to the human spirit. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Kuo, A., & Rice, D. H. (2015). The impact of perceptual congruence on the effectiveness of cause-related marketing campaigns. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(1), 78-88.
Lii, Y.-S., Wu, K.-W., & Ding, M.-C. (2013). Doing good does good? Sustainable marketing of CSR and consumer evaluations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 20(1), 15-28. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.294
Lin, H.-C., & Bruning, P. F. (2021). Sponsorship in focus: A typology of sponsorship contexts and research agenda. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 39(2), 213-233. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-04-2020-0169
Malek, N. H. A. (2017). KLPac's income struggling to keep up with its upkeep costs. The Malaysian Reserve. https://themalaysianreserve.com/2017/11/06/klpacs-income-struggling-keep-upkeep-costs/#:~:text=The%20recent%20Budget%202018%20announced,and%20heritage%20shows%20and%20performances
Madill, J., & O'Reilly, N. (2010). Investigating social marketing sponsorships: Terminology, stakeholders, and objectives. Journal of Business Research, 63(2), 133-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.02.005
Mazodier, M., Henderson, C. M., & Beck, J. T. (2018). The long reach of sponsorship: How fan isolation and identification jointly shape sponsorship performance. Journal of Marketing, 82(6), 28-48.
Mazodier, M., & Quester, P. G. (2014). The role of sponsorship fit for changing brand affect: A latent growth modeling approach. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 31(1), 16-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2013.08.004
Mazodier, M., & Rezaee, A. (2013). Are sponsorship announcements good news for the shareholders? Evidence from international stock exchanges. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(5), 586-600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-013-0325-x
Meenaghan, T. (2013). Measuring sponsorship performance: Challenge and direction. Psychology & Marketing, 30(5), 385-393. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20613
Morgan, A., Taylor, T., & Adair, D. (2020). Sport event sponsorship management from the sponsee’s perspective. Sport Management Review, 23(5), 838-851.
Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299405800302
Olson, E., & Thjømøe, H. M. (2011). Explaining and articulating the fit construct in sponsorship. Journal of Advertising, 40(1), 57-70.
Randle, M., & Dolnicar, S. (2011). Self-congruity and volunteering: A multi-organisation comparison. European Journal of Marketing, 45(5), 739-758. https://doi.org/bpxtvz
Saunders, B., Sim, J., Kingstone, T., Baker, S., Waterfield, J., Bartlam, B., Burroughs, H., & Jinks, C. (2018). Saturation in qualitative research: Exploring its conceptualization and operationalization. Quality & Quantity, 52(4), 1893-1907. https://doi.org/gfgts3
Sherry, E., Schulenkorf, N., & Phillips, P. (2016). Managing sport development: An international approach. Routledge.
Sigala, M. (2020). Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and implications for advancing and resetting industry and research. Journal of Business Research, 117, 312-321.
Statista. (2021). Size of sports sponsorship market worldwide in 2020 and 2027. https://www.statista.com/statistics/269784/revenue-from-sports-sponsorship-worldwide-by-region/
Thjømøe, H. M., Olson, E. L., & Brønn, P. S. (2002). Decision-making processes surrounding sponsorship activities. Journal of Advertising Research, 42(6), 6-15.
Tongdhamachart, N., & Niyomsilpa, S. (2022). Mediating effect of digital marketing capability on marketing effectiveness of community enterprises in Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand. Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication, 38(1), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2022-3801-11
Thompson, P., & Speed, R. (2007). Typology of sponsorship activity. In M. Parent & T. Slack (Eds.), International perspectives on the management of sport (pp. 247-267). Routledge.
van Rijn, M., Kristal, S., & Henseler, J. (2019). Why do all good things come to an end? An inquiry into the discontinuation of sport sponsor–sponsee relationships. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 20(2), 224-241. https://doi.org/hxcr
Verma, S., & Gustafsson, A. (2020). Investigating the emerging COVID-19 research trends in the field of business and management: A bibliometric analysis approach. Journal of Business Research, 118, 253-261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.057
Weeks, C. S., Cornwell, T. B., & Drennan, J. C. (2008). Leveraging sponsorships on the Internet: Activation, congruence, and articulation. Psychology & Marketing, 25, 637-654.
Woisetschläger, D. M., Backhaus, C., & Cornwell, T. B. (2017). Inferring corporate motives: How deal characteristics shape sponsorship perceptions. Journal of Marketing, 81(5), 121-141.
Yong Seok, S., Jin, K. H., & Sung-Hack, L. (2012). Communication strategies for enhancing perceived fit in the CSR sponsorship context. International Journal of Advertising, 31(1), 133-146.
Zdravkovic, S., Magnusson, P., & Stanley, S. M. (2010). Dimensions of fit between a brand and a social cause and their influence on attitudes. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 27(2), 151-160.
Zyglidopoulos, S. C., Georgiadis, A. P., Carroll, C. E., & Siegel, D. S. (2012). Does media attention drive corporate social responsibility? Journal of Business Research, 65(11), 1622-1627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.10.021
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
e-ISSN: 2289-1528