Deadline for submission: October 1, 2016
There is a burgeoning interest in sponsorship on the behalf of brand marketers, as an estimated $57.5 billion was invested in sponsorship in 2015 and spending is projected to grow by 4.7% in 2016 to a record $60.2 billion (IEG, 2016). However, in today’s economic environment, the ability of brand marketers to quantify the firm’s return on investment in approaches that span the marketing mix is more crucial than ever.
This is particularly the case when allocating resources towards investments in non-traditional marketing approaches, such as sponsorship. For traditional approaches such as advertising and sales promotion, there are universal, agreed-upon metrics that can be readily utilized for return on investment analyzes, such as gross ratings points (GRPs; Jensen & Hsu, 2011). However, there are as of yet no metrics that are universally utilized across various industries for investment in sponsorship (Jensen, 2012). While the returns received via investments in sponsorship are well-researched, the amount invested in sponsorships on an individual basis is typically proprietary (Cornwell, Pruitt, & Clark, 2005), making the ability to explicate costs and return on investment challenging.
Building on the call from Wishart, Lee, and Cornwell (2012), the aim of this special issue is to invite submissions that help to move the sponsorship literature forward by investigating not just the expected returns from investments in sponsorship, but also the investment side of the sponsorship ledger. In addition, submissions that examine returns from sponsorship that are closely linked with the sponsoring firm’s stated business objectives are also welcomed. Submissions may also analyze both returns and investment together (e.g., Jensen & Cobbs, 2014), with the goal of assisting brand marketers and sponsored sport organizations in better understanding factors that may predict return on investment from sponsorship.
Topics for this special issue may include but are not limited to:
- Investigations of sponsorship’s impact on direct sales
- Determinants of sponsorship costs
- Pricing models in sponsorship
- Examinations of factors impacting positive return on investment in sponsorship
- Longitudinal analyzes of sponsorship-related data, which more readily allows for causal inferences
- Use of devices (such as eye tracking software or fMRI) that are superior to standard brand recognition and recall survey measures
- Examinations of sponsorship return mechanisms that link more closely to the sponsoring firm’s business objectives
- Investigations of digital marketing or social media-related metrics that may shed light on the sponsoring firm’s return on its investment
- Quantifying return on investments in sponsorship-linked marketing approaches (i.e., activation of investments in sponsorship)
Guidelines and Submission Information
The deadline for submission is October 1, 2016. All papers submitted to the special issue will be subjected to double-blind peer review in accordance with IJSMS guidelines.
Conceptual or empirical studies utilizing quantitative or qualitative approaches are welcome. Experimental as well as non-experimental studies will be considered. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship’s submission requirements (more information available here).
Inquiries as to the appropriateness of a paper topic are welcomed and encouraged, however such communication does not constitute a commitment of acceptance in the special issue.
Guest Editors
Jonathan A. Jensen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Marketing, International Business & Sport Management
Girard School of Business
Merrimack College
jensenjo@merrimack.edu
@JAJensenPhD
Darin W. White, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing/Sports Marketing Program Coordinator
Brock School of Business
Samford University
Darin.White@Samford.edu
@Sports_Biz_Prof – See more at: http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/call_for_papers.htm?id=6602#sthash.DGBnJjcS.dpuf
