Nonprofit organization pepar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Not-for-profit association pepar - Essay Example There are incalculable charitable associations all through the world working for the general public, condition, and governments. These not-for-profit associations produce a profound effect on the lives of numerous individuals, social orders and condition through their commitment, center and sacrificial help. These associations constantly set models for different social orders and societies, which get thoughtfully replicated or turn into the wellspring of motivation for different elements in various pieces of the world. One such activity is ‘SELCO Solar Light Pvt Ltd’ by Harish Hande, an Energy Engineer from India, in association with Neville Williams, the originator of Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF). SELCO Solar Light Pvt Ltd unmistakably has all the attributes of a charitable association as sketched out by Ashcraft (2005). SELCO is headquartered in Bangalore, a southern city of India and has around 25 vitality places across two states inside India. It utilizes around 170 workers and has sold more than 115,000 galaxies in a range of 15 years. SELCO is enlisted as a private constrained organization and clings to all business laws including representative wages, remuneration and so forth. Notwithstanding, SELCO works on solely planned strategies, projects and administrations. SELCO can be reached through its numbers accessible from its site, www.selco-india.com. In spite of the fact that SELCO is exclusively private in nature, it has joined forces with various gatherings including innovation, money, carbon exchanging organizations, network based associations, universal arrangements for network advancement, and other philanthropic associations across India and different nations. SEL CO is represented by a gathering of board individuals that are exceptionally instructed and experienced in the field of philanthropic and country advancement work (SELCO, n.d). Hande considered Masters Degree from the University of Massachusetts in the wake of procuring a college degree in Energy Engineering from

No Doubts Tragic Kingdom - Retrospective free essay sample

Shocking Kingdom was a huge record. The huge accomplishment of the collection pushed ska into the standard and made ready for Orange County groups like Reel Big Fish and Save Ferris to make a sprinkle in the music world. Regardless of whether Tragic Kingdom is not really an all out ska-punk collection, the 90’s Orange County ska vitality is as yet present, and the impact is clear. At the hour of Tragic Kingdom’s discharge, No Doubt was a generally obscure band that was by the by flourishing in the Orange County ska scene. Their past collection, The Beacon Street Collection was a nearby achievement, and this was sufficient to get the consideration of significant record mark, Interscope, who might subsidize Tragic Kingdom. Appalling Kingdom came during a period that No Doubt to some degree rethought themselves. On their past two collections, most tunes were composed by Eric Stefani, sibling of Gwen Stefani, and had to a greater degree a ska-punk feel to them. We will compose a custom paper test on No Doubts Tragic Kingdom Retrospective or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Following his takeoff from the band, Gwen Stefani started keeping in touch with her own material with a more poppy sound and this is what is included on Tragic Kingdom. Tuning in to this collection today, it unquestionably holds up with some executioner tracks acted in No Doubt’s one of a kind mix of melodic styles. One of the primary singles to originate from Tragic Kingdom was the ska-impacted â€Å"Spiderwebs.† This tune opens the collection and promptly gives the audience a sample of the No Doubt sound that is to come. On this multifaceted melody, there is a ska introduction, another wave motivated stanza, and a punky tune. Those three sorts characterize No Doubt’s melodic style on Tragic Kingdom. This makes for one of a kind, lively melodies. Almost certainly, and explicitly frontwoman Gwen Stefani, had an interesting vitality that guaranteed the band’s achievement. The vitality showed in the music is irresistible and energizing and this is additionally exemplified in the band’s music recordings and live exhibitions. Stefani truly gets into the music and the audience can’t help however make some extraordinary memories. The extraordinary No Doubt vitality is generally pervasive on the album’s lead single, â€Å"Just A Girl.† The crazy guitar/console introduction establishes the pace promptly and Stefani’s remarkably unexpected vocal style fits the topic consummately. The melody was a huge achievement that helped drive deals of Tragic Kingdom. The going with music video sets up Gwen Stefani as a 90’s symbol, displaying her and the band’s unglued punk-roused vitality. In light of Spotify tunes in, â€Å"Don’t Speak† is No Doubt’s most well known tune. This is intriguing, as it is unquestionably an anomaly on Tragic Kingdom. â€Å"Don’t Speak† is a moderate ditty that is totally different from the unglued ska vitality found on most different tunes. While tuning in to Tragic Kingdom in full, â€Å"Don’t Speak† really offers a decent break from the consistent vitality found on the remainder of the collection. â€Å"Don’t Speak† promptly follows â€Å"Sunday Morning,† one of the most playful and energizing tunes on the collection. â€Å"Don’t Speak† is an interesting melody for No Doubt, yet it works. It’s still appealing yet the verses simply convey somewhat more weight when conveyed in this increasingly genuine tone. Heartbreaking Kingdom was a tremendously effective collection in the 1990’s music scene. Singles like â€Å"Sunday Morning† and â€Å"Spiderwebs† helped sling ska music once again into the standard, while hit melodies like â€Å"Just A Girl† and â€Å"Don’t Speak† built up No Doubt as a famous band to come out of Orange County, California. Awful Kingdom is a significant and magnificent collection highlighting No Doubt’s exceptional sound and tangible vitality.

How to Support and Help a Friend With BPD

How to Support and Help a Friend With BPD BPD Living With BPD Print How to Be a Good Friend to Someone With BPD By Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University. Learn about our editorial policy Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on October 23, 2019 facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our Wellness Board Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on January 20, 2020 Joe Houghton / Getty Images More in BPD Living With BPD Diagnosis Treatment Related Conditions A friendship with someone who has  borderline personality disorder (BPD) is not always easy.  There may be times when your friend feels totally hopeless or out of control, causing you to feel helpless as well. While there is no cure for BPD, with the right treatment and support, people with BPD can get better. Here are some general principles you can follow to be a good friend to someone with BPD. Educate Yourself About Borderline Personality Disorder If you have a friend with BPD, it is critically important to educate yourself about the disorder. The disorder is characterized by unstable moods and emotions, which affect relationships and behaviors. As a result, friendships with people with BPD can be rocky. Sometimes, people with BPD engage in behaviors that can seem manipulative, mean-spirited, or destructive.?? A deep understanding of the disorder can help you recognize these behaviors for what they are: symptoms. Understanding that these behaviors are not intended to harm you may help you build more empathy for your friend so you can better support them. Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder Support Their Efforts to Get Professional Help Its rarely productive to try to force someone to get professional help, no matter how badly they need it (unless, of course, its an emergency situation). You can, however, support your friend  when they decide to get help.?? This may mean telling your friend that you are proud of them for asking for help or that you think seeking help is a courageous choice. Or it may mean offering rides to appointments or making an effort to visits if they are in the hospital. Whatever you do, it will mean a lot to your friend to know you are behind them. In fact, people with BPD who have support and stability in their personal life often see improvement in their symptoms sooner than those who lack support.?? In fact, people with BPD who have support and stability in their personal life often see improvement in their symptoms sooner than those who lack support. Why Many People With Borderline Personality Disorder Refuse Treatment Validate Your Friend’s Experiences The most important thing you can do to help a friend with BPD is to just listen and validate their feelings. Understand that strong emotional reactions are part of the disorder. You may not necessarily agree with their evaluation of a situation  or feel that the intensity of their feelings is justified, but you can still listen and acknowledge the difficulty of the feelings they are experiencing. In fact, receiving validation from another person can provide tremendous relief to someone with BPD. Many people with BPD grew up in emotionally invalidating environments  and expect that no one will care how they feel.?? Because of the nature of the disorder, even those who didnt experience a problematic environment growing up may have grown accustomed to people telling them that they are overreacting. As a result, having someone actually care about how they feel can be powerful. Dont Ignore Threats of Harm Suicidal threats and gestures are common in people with BPD. Some people with BPD will make multiple suicidal threats, which can lead their family and friends to become desensitized to this kind of behavior. But even if your friend has made suicidal threats in the past without actually attempting suicide, know that people with BPD are at very high risk of attempting and completing suicide. Research has found that 75% of those with BPD will attempt suicide at least once during their lifetime.?? Studies have also shown that between 3% and 10% of people with BPD die by suicide. For this reason, even if you don’t think they will actually do it, never ignore a threat of suicide. Learn the possible signs that your friend is contemplating suicide, and call emergency personnel (such as “911” in the United States and Canada) any time you believe there is a risk your friend may harm themselves. Leave it to the professionals to decide whether there is a serious risk of harm. Why Suicidality in BPD Is So Common Take Care of Yourself, Too Sometimes friendships with people who have BPD  become unbalanced, and you may find yourself giving more than you receive. If this happens only occasionally, it is usually fine. Most relationships ebb and flow; they can’t always be an even 50-50 split. But if you find yourself in a perpetually unbalanced and difficult situation, it will create a strain in the relationship. Research has shown that friends and family that care for people with BPD have high rates of hostility, anxiety, depression, and distrust.?? Financial strain, marital problems, and social embarrassment are also common family responses. If you give too much, you may start to feel resentful  or burned out. After a while, you may get to the point that you feel the need to end the relationship for your own health and happiness. In the long term, however, it is more helpful for a person with BPD to have a consistent, reliable friend than to have a friend who was 100%  there for them for a few months before disappearing forever. For this reason, it is important for you to take care of yourself, take breaks from your friend when needed, and create healthy boundaries so that you get your needs fulfilled, too. All of this is easier said than done. It requires assertive communication skills and sufficient self-awareness to understand when it is time to pull back a bit. However, it is possible to have a long-term, rewarding friendship with someone with BPD if you work at it. Setting Boundaries for Stress Management

Political Ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli, Francesco...

Political Ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli, Francesco Guicciardini, and Thomas Hobbes The sections that I will be presenting are 73, 74, and 75. I will discuss the political ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli, Francesco Guicciardini, and Thomas Hobbes during the time of Florence Republic. First, Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy in 1469 at a time when the country was in political upheaval. Italy was divided between four dominant city-states, by which each of them was always at the mercy of the continual changing of princes and governments. In Donald Kelleys Version of History, the Medici family had brought a form of stability to Florence, but the golden age of Florentine republic soon declined after the death of Lorenzo†¦show more content†¦Machiavelli recognizes Lycurgus of deserving the highest praise for the governing of Sparta in distributing power to the king, the nobles, and the people. He established a government, which lasted for over eight hundred years. Machiavelli uses the Roman Empire as an example because they conquered the world and held their power for over a thousand years. They accomplished this from having strength and stability. Florence needs to replicate the ideologies of Rome in order to become as powerful and great. Machiavelli wants Florence to adopt these patterns so that ultimately Florence will have the same success as Rome. In short, I think Machiavelli is emphasizing the importance of decisive action and courage. He uses bold writings to encourage men, so that they will build a saf e and stable world for people. Francesco Guicciardini: Section 74 Francesco Guicciardini was born in 1483 and died in 1540, like Machiavelli he worked for government of Florence and wrote about the history of his city and country as well as about the politics of his time. His philosophies toward politics were formed after the invasion of the French invasions of 1494. Francesco and Machiavelli had one thing in common their love for the city of Florence. However, unlike Machiavelli who chooses to use examples of past empires to talk about history. Guicciardini finds that to judge

Religious Experience Essay - 862 Words

Religious Experience There are various interpretations of the definite meaning of a religious experience, where each are unique and different. There have been many, many stores put forward by certain individuals who have claimed to have such an experience. Various people have studied them, and have come to the conclusion that in most cases, very similar subjects are brought up in them. Some say that a religious experience involves having some sort of contact with God. For example, it has come to our awareness that people over the years have ‘heard the voice of God’. It is usually described as a ‘mental event’ which is undergone by someone, and to which they are conscience about it all.†¦show more content†¦One could dream about something in a few minutes, when realistically it would take hours, or the other way round. However, unlike dreams, religious experiences are remembered by individuals for the rest of their lives due to the impact and effects of them. This process is called transciency. A variety of famous scholars have come to the conclusion that whilst going through an experience of religions importance, the person involved is most likely to lose complete control over themselves because of the bigger force around then, called God. The effects could be a personality disorder, where the characteristics of an individual are completely wiped out and changed due to the astounding effects of the religious experience that the person went through. As stated previously, there are different forms of religious experiences. Firstly, most experiences are said to have been ‘mystical’. By this I mean that the individual feels closer and more united with the Divine as a result. The Divine means a absolute perfect being that has phenomenal power and cannot be compared to anything - God. Mysticism involves ‘the spiritual recognition of truths beyond normal understanding’, and is it is also said that it is the closest a human come actually come to meeting the Divine. William James, a famous religious commentator, suggested that the term mystical had several contexts,Show MoreRelatedPersonal Reflection On Religious Experience1006 Words   |  5 PagesReligious experience varies from someone to another. We all experience the numinous at some point in our life even we know It or not. Sometimes it feels like an overwhelming feeling that no human being can handle. It could be an experience of a feeling and wonder in the presence of the beyond God. The numinous is the awareness of human nothingness when faced with the holy. According to Otto, the numinous is an experience of being acted upon by something outside of ourselves, a wholly other. It makesRead MoreReligious Experiences are all Illusions3185 Words   |  13 Pages‘Religious experiences are all illusions.’ Discuss. Most arguments for the existence of God are ‘a posteriori’, seeking to move from experiences within the world to the existence of God rather than relying on the definition of God to prove his existence. Religious experience is an interaction with God or a feeling of connection with a higher power. It is interesting to note that William James never spoke of ‘God’ but of the ‘spiritual’, ‘unseen order’ or ‘higher’ aspects of the world. Does a personRead MoreReligious Experiences are in the Mind of the Believer Essays2837 Words   |  12 PagesReligious Experiences are in the Mind of the Believer â€Å"A religious experience is a spontaneous or induced mental event over which the recipient has relatively little control. It is often accompanied with the gaining of certain knowledge and the experience is always unique.†[1] Elton Trueblood’s definition of a religious experience is very broad, including any experience of feelings of ‘love, power, glory or strength from God.’ This differs from a Read MoreAnalyse the Argument of the Existence of God from Religious Experience1171 Words   |  5 Pagesof God from Religious Experience (18) The argument for the existence of God from Religious Experience is a simple one, with only two premises. The first being that some people have, or have had a religious experience, the second premise is that these are only explicable though God, thus leading to the conclusion that God exists. This leads us to question, what exactly are religious experiences? Theologians have struggled for centuries trying to define what a religious experience is, with manyRead MoreEssay on A Near Death Experience as a Religious Experience1276 Words   |  6 PagesNear Death Experience as a Religious Experience A near death experience can be defined as an event which occurs to people when seemingly the bodily functions which confirm life have stopped, (i.e. clinically dead). It often has an ‘out of body’ element and may be interrupted in a religious or non religious way. Most individuals who claim to have had a near death experience say that there is a sense of indescribable bliss, ecstasy and peace. Similarly, a religious experienceRead MoreEssay about The Religious Conflict of a Private Experience673 Words   |  3 PagesThe Religious Conflict of A Private Experience In A Private Experience by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichiea, a religious conflict is clearly indicated in the beginning. A Christian Igbo girl hides from a violent riot with a Muslim woman whose dignity and faith force her to encounter the realities and fears she is been pushing away. Many examples are used to display the differences between these two people, but the one that sticks out the most for me is the scarf and how it is represented in her storyRead MoreExamine some of the key principles of the argument for the existence of God based upon religious experiences765 Words   |  4 Pagesbased upon religious experiences Religious experiences are experiences we have of the divine or God. These experiences may be Mystical experiences, conversion experiences or revelatory experiences. Paul Tillich states that religious experience is a feeling of ‘ultimate concern’, a feeling that demands a decisive decision from the one receiving it. He describes it as an encounter followed by a special understanding of its religious significance. The argument for religious experiences is based onRead MoreSpiritual Emergence Versus Religious Emergency Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesVersus Religious Emergency By Bil Holton | Submitted On March 07, 2015 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Bil Holton We hear a lot of people using the phrase more spiritual than religious theseRead MoreEssay about The Material Nature of Spirituality1611 Words   |  7 Pagesaspects of human behavior and experiences are functions of a material structure, the brain. Who one is, is determined by his or her brain. Nevertheless, many people continue to believe in a higher power that guides and controls human action and behavior. In a sense, religion and spirituality was developed to understand and explore questions about who we are and what is the purpose of life. Whether one is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu, religious thinking and belief attemptRead MoreExamine Both the Main Characteristics of Both Visions and Conversion Experiences788 Words   |  4 Pagescharacteristics of both visions and conversion experiences [30 marks] Visions and conversions are both a type of religious experience- it’s a subjective experience  where an individual reports contact with a  supernatural reality, an encounter or union with the  divine, Religious experiences are preoccupied by extraordinary psychological state and no one can give real evidence about it. According to William James, a 20th century philosopher; every religious experience has four characteristics. Ineffability

Event Sponsorship as a Value Creating Strategy for Brands Free Essays

string(143) " the dearth of research on how intangible resources are identi\? ed and managed in relation to image and reputation through sport sponsorship\." Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou University of Patras, Patra, Greece Artemisia Apostolopoulou Robert Morris University, Moon Township, Pennsylvania, USA, and Theofanis Dounis University of Patras, Patras, Greece Abstract Purpose – The present research involves corporations that served as Grand National Sponsors of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and aims to explore whether a strategic approach was employed in the acquisition and management of their Olympic sponsorship. Design/methodology/approach – A multiple case study analysis was employed, for which data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The study sample included seven of the ten Grand National Sponsors that signed agreements with ATHOC, the Organizing Committee of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. We will write a custom essay sample on Event Sponsorship as a Value Creating Strategy for Brands or any similar topic only for you Order Now Data analysis was organized around ? ve themes inspired by the existing literature. Findings – With the exception of two ? ms, the majority of the Grand National Sponsors reported no clear or measurable objectives and limited consideration to strategic or brand-related initiatives in their decisions to invest in the national Olympic sponsorship program. However, they did report plans to invest resources to leverage their rights, even though in most cases no speci? c evaluation processes had been designed. Research limitations/implications – Given that the Olympic Games are organized every four years in a new location, the ? ndings of this research may not ? d direct application to other markets and organizing committees that implement their own sponsorship programs. Nevertheless, this research did show relatively poor recognition of the role of sponsorship in creating value and building the corporate brand. Corporations considering becoming involved in sport sponsorshi p and also event organizers are encouraged to adopt a more strategic approach in the sponsorship solicitation and management process. Originality/value – Existing literature has discussed the role of sport sponsorship in brand management and the communication mix, and has highlighted the bene? s for ? rms that establish long-term ties with the Olympic Games. The present research adds to that line of work by highlighting if and how a strategic and brand building approach was adopted in the context of national-level Olympic partnerships. Keywords Sponsorship, Olympic Games, Brand management, Corporate strategy Paper type Research paper An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article. Introduction The meaning of sponsorship as an integral element of the marketing mix has been conceptualised by Sandler and Shani (1993) with the following de? ition: â€Å"[Sponsorship is] the provision of resources (money, people, or equipment) by a n organization directly to an event or activity in exchange for a direct association to the event or activity† (p. 39). Corporate spending on sport sponsorship in many European countries and in North America has increased dramatically (Lachowetz et al. , 2003). Global spending on sponsorship was estimated to reach $US28 billion in 2004 (from $US25. 9 billion in 2003) of which, according to the The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. meraldinsight. com/1061-0421. htm Journal of Product Brand Management 17/4 (2008) 212– 222 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421] [DOI 10. 1108/10610420810887563] International Events Group, 69 per cent relates to sporting events (International Events Group, n. d. ). There is plenty of evidence that sport sponsorship, including Olympic sponsorship, can be very effective in achieving a number of objectives, not the least of which is competitive advantage related to brand image and reputation (Amis et al. 1997; Copeland et al. , 1996; Meenaghan, 1998). The sport marketing literature provides some discussion on the value of sport sponsorship in also delivering other bene? ts, such as increased awareness levels, sales and greater market share, and opportunities to develop employee and client (i. e. hospitality) relations (e. g. Abratt et al. , 1987; Apostolopoulou and Papadimitriou, 2004; Irwin and Asimakopoulos, 1992; Lough et al. , 2000; Ludwig and Karabetsos, 1999; Scott and Suchard, 1992). The technological developments related to porting, events along with the growing interest of the media for such activities, account to some extent for the steady increase of sport-related sponsorship investments (Meenaghan, 1998; Shilbury et al. , 2003). Meanwhile, the decreasing corporate trust in the ef? ciency of traditional media advertising channels may also explain why corporate investments in sport follow a growing trend (Meenaghan, 1998). Despite the pervasive appeal of the s port sector, however, companies have plenty of other event options at a local, national and international level from which to choose; thus greater emphasis on return of 212 Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 investment will prevail their sponsorship decisions (Copeland et al. , 1996). Also, as the corporate demand for accountability in marketing expenditure increases, so does the need for a deeper understanding of the unique elements of event sponsorships as a strategic resource and a tool of marketing (Meenaghan, 1998; Thwaites et al. , 1998). Given the potential bene? ts involved in sponsorship, and in order to maximize ? ancial and other returns, corporations need to be strategic not only in their choice of properties (sport or other) with which to form partnerships but also in the allocation of resources to those agreements. Businesses must consider strategic priorities that suit their needs and systematically exploit the opportunities within their markets, and engage in partnerships that are aligned with those priorities. Furthermore, within those partnerships they need to link corporate objectives to particular strategic initiatives, a process that could turn sponsorship to a value-creating strategy capable of creating a distinctive advantage. Surprisingly, research is scarce on corporate sponsorship and its importance as a strategic resource and a brand management tool. As Meenaghan (1998) stresses, â€Å"The sponsorship literature has traditionally viewed sponsorship as an activity largely similar to advertising and generally, though not always, spoken of in terms of short- rather than long-term horizons† (p. 25). Indeed, most existing studies are descriptive, and focus on objectives and general motivation for making those kinds of investments (e. g. Berrett and Slack, 1999; Cornwell and Maignan, 1998; Doherty and Murray, 2007). Amis (2003) has also outlined the dearth of research on how intangible resources are identi? ed and managed in relation to image and reputation through sport sponsorship. You read "Event Sponsorship as a Value Creating Strategy for Brands" in category "Papers" This is also re? ected in the industry, as many companies invest immense resources but still ignore the capacity of sport sponsorship for ensuring longer-term bene? ts (Amis et al. , 1999). Accordingly, the present study attempts to explore the adoption (or not) of a strategic approach to the sponsorship process on the part of large companies involved in Olympic sponsorship. This is a research avenue that has been largely unexplored in the existing literature. and ideals and on leveraging its key brand on a national and international level. The Olympic Partner (TOP) program, which represents the IOC’s sponsorship program, holds a key role in the IOC’s overall marketing efforts as it attracts the interest of many international corporations due to a number of factors, including the long-term (a required minimum of four years) linkage to a very attractive intellectual property, exclusive global marketing rights, and the principle of product/service-category exclusivity. The ? st TOP program (1985-1988) involved nine partners and generated $US95 million, a far cry from the more lucrative 2001-2004 program, which engaged 11 corporations contributing $US603 million. Global corporations like Visa, Coca-Cola, Kodak and Panasonic view this type of partnership as strategic, and this is manifested by the fact that since 1986 all of them have invested considerable resources to remain part of the program until at least the 2012 Olympic Games. The IOC has extended their particularly successful marketing concept to a lower stage by introducing Olympic sponsorships at the national level. Revenues from those sponsorships contribute to the ever-increasing cost of hosting the event. The Organizing Committees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs) manage this program, which involves an array of sponsors, suppliers and providers from the host country (provided they are approved by the IOC). The 2000 Olympics attracted the interest of 93 such national partners who contributed $US492 million to the Organizing Committee of the Sydney Games (SOCOG), while the 2004 Olympic Games held in Athens generated e570 million through their national Olympic sponsorship program (Jeanrenaud, 2006). Present research The present study focuses on the national companies that signed on as Grand National Sponsors of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and explores the role of these partnerships in sponsors’ brand management efforts, as perceived by company executives, as well as the degree to which these sponsors’ approach to their Olympic sponsorship was strategic. Furthermore, sponsors’ plans to integrate the sponsorship in corporate strategy and to exploit rights received by the Organizing Committee are also discussed. Given the increased pressure of corporations to maximize ef? iency in the use of their resources and to avoid opportunity cost, there is much interest in identifying whether a strategic approach was adopted in these companies’ Olympic involvement. The practices of these sponsors could provide valuable insight not only to other ? rms considering investment in sport sponsorship, but also to event organizing committees aiming to secure corporate s upport. The remainder of the paper includes a review of relevant literature, followed by a summary of the methodology and the ? ndings of the study. The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical contributions of the study and also practical recommendations for brand management and marketing executives as well as sport property representatives. Corporate sponsorship and Olympic Games The Olympic Games hold a few distinctive characteristics that make the event a particularly desirable property for a wide range of sponsors, but also for conducting research. First of all, it is a unique and highly prestigious event with a strong ability to reach a global audience through television networks. Secondly, the marketing program and policies of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the governing body of the Olympic Movement and the Olympics, actively preserve exclusivity for the limited number of international and national sponsorships and favor long-term partnerships. The IOC has worked extensively to raise awareness about how corporate contributions enhance the Olympic Movement and invests resources to achieve sponsor recognition. Thirdly, Olympic sponsorships are linked to attractive hospitality packages, which corporations value highly for networking, roduct display, and employee incentive purposes. Continuing a pattern which began in the late 1980s, sponsorship investments in the Olympic Games have increased exponentially, accounting for 34 per cent of the IOC’s $US4 billion Olympic marketing revenue for the 2001-2004 Olympic quadrennium (International Olympic Committee, n. d. ). This is the end result of the IOC’s strategic plan, which since 1985 has f ocused systematically on enhancing the Olympic image 213 Literature review The review of literature is structured around three themes: 1 sponsorship and corporate strategy; 2 the integration of sponsorship within corporate marketing efforts; and 3 sponsorship and brand management. Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Sponsorship and corporate strategy Understanding what companies do or do not do to remain competitive in a constantly changing environment is at the heart of strategic thinking. Practice has shown that sport sponsorship, because of the bene? ts associated with those agreements, is a frequent strategic choice of many multinational corporations. Of the most indicative examples are Coca-Cola, Kodak and Visa International, three companies with long-standing relationships with the Olympic Games. These particular ? rms have integrated those agreements well into their long-term marketing strategies and are continuously promoting their involvement in order to gain competitive advantage (Farrell and Frame, 1997). However, such costly agreements cannot be treated in an ad hoc manner. Successful corporations are well aware that sponsorship deals should be approached as a resource, with the capability to lead to distinctive competence if effectively combined with other organizational resources (Amis et al. , 1997, 1999). Sport sponsorship, if viewed as a strategic resource, can support brand management objectives by enhancing brand image and reputation and by assisting the company to gain competitive advantage in targeted marketplaces (Amis, 2003). This, however, implies that corporations are prepared to engage in long-term commitments and to actively exploit those agreements, or otherwise face the disappointment of low return on their investment. Though limited, research evidence has shown that many companies engage in sport sponsorship with limited planning and integration (Farrelly et al. , 1997; Polonsky et al. , 1995). A few companies make those investments with con? ned understanding of the range of bene? ts involved and how those bene? s can be realized. They even lack the growing knowledge of the nature of the particular communication means and this is depicted on their objectives and the poor rationale for involvement. The empirical results of Farrelly et al. (1997) with a sample of North American and Australian companies engaged in sport sponsorship showed that more time is spent into negotiating deals than in integration and planning. Moreover, their research showed that a few North American ? ms approached sponsorsh ip management as a strategic tool, whereas the majority of Australian businesses concentrated more on the communication opportunities of sponsorship (Farrelly et al. , 1997). Similarly, Amis et al. (1999) have provided evidence that companies often engage in sponsorship without integrating it in other marketing initiatives. The consequence involves delivering an unclear and inconsistent image to the customer. Any company considering entering into a sponsorship agreement should ? rst assess the potential bene? s and the probability of gaining a competitive position in the marketplace and then make a decision of whether or not to invest in the sponsorship. Building on the work of Hamel and Prahalad (1994), Amis et al. (1999) argue that sport sponsorship can become a potential source of competitive advantage if it meets three criteria: 1 it allows for a signi? cant increase in the perceived customer value of the service or product; 2 it permits for differentiating the brand from the co mpetitors; and 3 it provides space for exploiting the deal through new services and products. 14 The employment of sport as a strategic tool for developing a position of competitive advantage is well described by Amis (2003) in reference to the case study of Guinness. That particular company has used sport extensively and consistently to build a unifying brand message on a global level. This was achieved by ? rst engaging in a global survey to identify a â€Å"key brand bene? t† (â€Å"Guinness brings out your inner strength†) that would unify its global brand and also ensure differentiation from other popular beer brands (Amis, 2003, p. 200). Secondly, the company used sport and sport sponsorship as a central element of its brand positioning strategy, creating advertisements featuring athletes and driving on-trade promotions and sales during world sporting events (Amis, 2003). The critical element of Olympic sponsorship is that it offers sponsors the opportunity to make use of unique business opportunities by providing concrete rights and speci? c bene? ts associated with the strongest sporting brand in the world (i. e. the Olympic Games), depending on the sponsorship category. Accordingly, and given the competitive nature of the growing Olympic sponsorship industry, other sport and non-sport sponsorship options, and the signi? cant resource investment required to get into a sponsorship agreement, strategic thinking becomes critical. Following the example of multinational corporations, one would expect that sponsors involved in Olympic sponsorships on the national level should also engage ? rst and foremost in fundamental strategic thinking related to company brand management efforts and overall corporate strategy, and consider how a potential sponsorship agreement would enhance corporate strategy and objectives. This question is the point of exploration of the present study. Integrating sponsorship into organizational marketing In her discussion on sponsorship-linked marketing development, Cornwell (1995) proposes a model of sponsorship development. That model involves six steps, each linked to the next, including: 1 analysis of the situation; 2 determination of objectives; 3 development of sponsorship-related strategy; 4 creation of sponsorship link; 5 sponsorship implementation; and 6 sponsorship evaluation. In another research effort to standardize the process of selecting a sport sponsorship program and utilizing it as a viable marketing tool, Arthur et al. (1998) proposed a multistep process that involved many of the points discussed earlier by Cornwell. The authors emphasized the necessity of a careful consideration of all options available to an organization in order to achieve company objectives, as well as the need to incorporate the sponsorship within the organization, manage, activate, and evaluate it (Arthur et al. , 1998). Therefore, it should be stressed that sport sponsorship can be an invaluable tool as long as it is fully integrated into a ? rm’s marketing and communication efforts. This involves ? rst of all placement of the corporate sponsorship activities into the marketing departments, clear and appropriate objectives and planning, and full integration into the communication mix. Otherwise, sponsorship activities, including those linked to the Olympic Games can be turned into costly mistakes with no substantial return on investment. Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Sponsorship and brand management Wong and Merrilees (2005) stress that, in pursuing competitive advantage in the marketplace, the brand should be in the heart of corporate strategy. In other words, managers should be able to combine corporate, marketing and promotional plans in a brand-based strategy, which can offer their company a sustainable edge over their competitors and lead to high levels of brand equity. Brand equity is one of the most fundamental signi? ers of a powerful brand because it represents the end result of strong brand loyalty, high name awareness, positive brand image, favorable brand associations, and the perception of superior quality (Aaker, 1991). As companies strive to build powerful brands with high value in the marketplace, sport sponsorship can serve as a tool for supporting brand management objectives (Amis, 2003; Sandler and Shani, 1993). Establishing and exploiting a partnership with a sport property can assist a company to strengthen some or all of the elements of brand equity and consequently increase the overall value of its brand (Roy and Cornwell, 2003). A few authors have discussed sport sponsorship’s role in enhancing brand image and reputation, increasing brand awareness and familiarity, and altering public perceptions (e. g. Amis et al. , 1997; Cornwell et al. , 2001; Gwinner and Eaton, 1999; Irwin and Asimakopoulos, 1992). Bene? s have also been reported in terms of brand personality and brand differentiation (Amis et al. , 1999; Cornwell et al. , 2001). The brand-related bene? ts outlined above can be delivered with an even greater effectiveness via Olympic sponsorship agreements. Brown (2000) discussed how AMP (an insurance and investment company) and Visa, both companies in the services sector, used their Olympic sponsorship of the 2000 Olympic Games for brand development and brand differentiation initiatives. Crimmins and Horn (1996) have also reported that Visa has bene? ed from measurable changed perceptions of its brand over MasterCard as a result of the Olympic sponsorship. Furthermore, Stipp (1998) showed that managers are well aware of how sponsor image is signi? cantly affected by the special qualities of Olympic advertising, the favorable public attitudes toward Olympic sponsorship, and the strength of the association between the sponsor and the Olympics. This is attributed to the fact that the general public expresses high respect for the Olympic Games and attaches special value to Olympic sponsorship (Stipp, 1998). Even though there is evidence that sport sponsorship, and particularly Olympic sponsorship, is a distinctive resource capable of ful? lling brand management objectives, it should be stated that its effectiveness depends on active management (Amis, 2003; Cornwell et al. , 2001), appropriate and adequate leveraging (Chalip and Leyns, 2002), and longterm agreements which allow time for strong associations to be developed between events and brands (Keller, 1993). Companies should not make the mistake of mismanaging sport sponsorship agreements. They should approach these agreements as a distinctive resource, which needs to be integrated within other company activities in order to produce sustainable competitive advantage (Amis et al. , 1999). Sample On the national level, ATHOC, the Organizing Committee of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, instituted a sponsorship program, the National Sponsoring Programme, which offered three levels of involvement: 1 Grand Sponsor; 2 Of? cial Supporter; and 3 Of? cial Provider. This sponsorship program contributed a total of e570 million to the Organizing Committee’s budget (Jeanrenaud, 2006). The present research effort focused on the highest of the three levels, the Grand Sponsors. It was assumed that, given the size of the companies and the extent of their investment, there were higher chances that a strategic and/or brand building orientation would have been adopted at that level. Therefore, the sample for this study was drawn from the population of the Grand National Olympic Sponsors of ATHOC. The ten ompanies that served as Grand sponsors were 1 Alpha Bank (private bank); 2 Athenian Brewery (beer producer); 3 DELTA (dairy product company, co-sponsor with FAGE); 4 FAGE (dairy product company, co-sponsor with DELTA); 5 Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT, national broadcasting company); 6 Hellenic Post (ELTA, national postal services provider); 7 Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE, national telecommunications company); 8 Hyundai Hel las (automotive company); 9 Olympic Airlines (national airline company); and 10 Public Power Corporation SA (DEI, national electrical power provider). Data collection The design of this research involved a multiple case study approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with the Marketing Directors or other company executives responsible for coordinating the Olympic sponsorship activities of their particular organization. The particular research design was deemed appropriate for the study objectives as it facilitated the exploratory nature of this research. It also allowed for motivating the interviewees to explore and discuss aspects of their sponsorship-related thinking and enabled in-depth probing into unexpected issues during the discussion. Interviews took place between January and May 2004, and the duration of each interview was approximately one hour. Research efforts resulted in a total of seven of the possible ten interviews. Consequently, all results are based on information from the seven sponsors interviewed. An interview guide was developed to incorporate the following key themes: . the reason(s) for which the ? rms entered into the Olympic sponsorship agreement; . the way(s) in which the Olympic sponsorship was integrated into the ? rms’ overall corporate strategy, their marketing strategy, and their brand management efforts; . he amount of resources deployed into the sponsorship; . the initiatives introduced to leverage the sponsorship; and . companies’ plans to evaluate the effectiveness of their Olympic sponsorship. 215 Methodology The present study follows a multiple case study approach to investigate the extent to which Grand Sponsors of the 2004 Olympic Games were involved in strategic plann ing and systematic leveraging activities related to their Olympic sponsorship agreements. Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Data analysis In an effort to explore whether a strategic approach was adopted (or not) by the Grand Sponsors of the 2004 Olympics in the acquisition and management of their sponsorship, the present study focused on four indicators, namely: 1 sponsors’ stated goals and/or objectives; 2 resources allocated to the acquisition and activation of the sponsorship; 3 sponsorship leveraging initiatives; and 4 sponsorship evaluation plans The study attempted to assess the degree to which each of these areas was considered in the sponsorship process. In addition, the perceptions of company-sponsor representatives in terms of the incorporation of their sponsorship in the overall corporate strategy and brand management efforts were used as a ? fth indicator. These ? ve elements were chosen to frame the analysis because they have been proposed in past research (Arthur et al. , 1998; Cornwell, 1995) as indicators of a strategic approach to sport sponsorship, and thus were deemed appropriate for the objectives of the present research. All data received through the interviews were therefore contentanalyzed based on those ? ve parameters. Results A discussion on each of the ? ve parameters as they relate to the seven companies-sponsors in the sample is presented in the following section. Sponsorship as part of corporate strategy and brand management efforts In order to explore whether a strategic approach was adopted in the acquisition of the Olympic sponsorship at the national level, companies were asked to discuss how iOlympic sponsorship ? tted in their overall (i. . corporate) brand management strategy. From the responses received to that question alone, it appeared that two of the seven companies in the sample clearly saw this sponsorship as an opportunity to support major shifts in the structure and orientation of their companies. More speci? cally, Alpha Bank, a private bank that had gone through a merger in recent years, saw its Olympic sponsorship as a way to support the union of the two banks that merged a nd also as a cause behind which to unite the two distinct cultures and staffs. Its involvement with the Olympics was seen as a platform to promote the new, post-merger company and to solidify its new name and identity in the minds of consumers. ELTA, the main postal services provider in Greece, which had been a sponsor of the ? rst modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896, was also going through major changes at the time leading up to the Olympic Games as the company was preparing for an initial public offering (IPO). Their main interest was to use their Olympic sponsorship to strengthen and promote their corporate image. According to a company representative, â€Å"we want to promote a modern image of effectiveness and quality; a humane image† (personal communication, February 2, 2004). Their investment in this sponsorship intended to support the company’s brand repositioning efforts that focused on promoting a more positive, a more customer- and service-oriented image. In addition to the role of the sponsorship in shaping a new image 216 for the company, it served as a means to celebrate a milestone in company history, i. e. the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the organization. When asked the same question of how their Olympic sponsorship ? ted with their brand management efforts, the remaining ? ve companies in the sample did not discuss any strategic initiatives that were supposed to be supported by the sponsorship. Instead, they provided reasons for which they decided to become a sponsor. Athenian Brewery, a beer producer, and DELTA, one of the dairy product co-sponsors, m entioned that their decision to become a sponsor was driven primarily by the fact that the Olympic Games was the largest and most important athletic event to occur in the modern history of the country, while the other three cited being a logical choice for the pro? e and size of their company (FAGE, dairy product co-sponsor); obliging to a matter of honor (Olympic Airlines, airline); and supporting their company’s social responsibility strategy (DEI, power provider) as their rationale for entering into those agreements. Even though it seems that, from their responses to that question alone, these ? ve sponsors did not consider any strategic or brand-related initiatives in their decisions to become involved in the program, there was some relevant information that ould be deciphered from their commentary on their sponsorship objectives, which indicates that some consideration of corporate strategy or branding was present. That information is discussed in the following section. Stated goals and/or objectives All of the companies in the sample seemed to have, to a greater or lesser extent, some stated goals for this sponsorship. However, with the exception of two cases, none of them were speci? c or measurable. In general, stated goals/objectives fell into two categories: 1 pro? -oriented (i. e. sales); or 2 brand-oriented. Table I outlines companies’ goals and/or objectives in terms of their Olympic sponsorship agreements and groups them based on their orientation. In terms of the pro? t-oriented goals/objectives, the majority of the sponsors in the sample seemed to agree that increasing sales for one or all of their products/services was one of their goals. Olympic Airlines, the national airline company, had speci? c objectives in terms of the amount of additional traf? it would generate during the summer months and was also expecting long-term repeat business. Alpha Bank, the private bank, was more speci? c in terms of the group it was targeting; it was looking to attract a younger demographic for its services. As was noted, â€Å"we are aiming to attract a younger audience [as] the pro? le of our clients is middle age† (personal communication, January 20, 2004). Interestingly, there was also the case of one sponsor (ELTA, postal services provider) that did not declare any speci? pro? t-oriented goals, but rather expressed a desire to at least make up the money they invested in acquiring the sponsorship. As stated by a company representative, one of their goals was â€Å"to cover the minimum guaranteed amount spent to acquire the sponsorship† (personal communication, February 2, 2004). The same company representative indicated that they did not view their Olympic sponsorship as a means that would produce any signi? cant commercial bene? ts and that the ? ancial returns were expected to be marginal. In addition to the pro? t-oriented goals, there were also other stated goals/objectives related to some aspects of brand Table I Goals/objectives of Grand National Olympic sponsors Brand-oriented goals/objectives Brand awareness, recognition Brand loyalty Integrate staff members of two banks Integrate two company cultures Brand associations Brand image, positioning Organizational culture, employees (internal branding) Other goals/ objectives Grand National Olympic Pro? t-oriented goals/ sponsors objectives Alpha Bank Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Strengthen employee relations through leveraging initiatives Support the efforts of ATHOC – altruism 217 Receive moral bene? ts Increase market share Establish the new bank name in the minds of consumers Gain new customers Attract younger consumers Generate pro? of e50 million Athenian Increase sales (target group: Enhance brand recognition Create a legacy Make Heineken a yearBrewery 18-34) of Heineken after the Games round beer Community involvement DELTA Increase sales Create brand recognition, Community Strengthen company image awareness involvement Project interest in community matters and the country FAGE Generate sales from visitors Promote products abroad Turn foreign visitors into upon return to their Create brand awareness consumers of their co untries among visitors (foreign products consumers) Hellenic Post [Avoid losses – make up the Create a positive image, (ELTA) money spent on sponsorship] customer- and serviceoriented Support company repositioning efforts Increase prestige as a new Olympic Airlines Increase traf? c by 150,000 Generate exposure and buzz post-Games company travelers (e50 million) Generate repeat travel in the future Create image of trust and Public Power Create credibility association Corporation, SA with the event Create prestige (DEI) Strengthen social pro? le of company Unite employees behind common effort Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Serve noble cause of sponsorship Coordinate communications under one strategy Take advantage of sponsorship rights Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 management. More speci? cally, the two areas that seemed to be more prevalent in sponsors’ priorities were brand awareness and recognition and brand image. Five of the seven sponsors in the sample stated that they were interested in raising awareness/recognition levels for their brands or a particular product under their brand. For Athenian Brewery, the beer producer, the goal was â€Å"to enhance brand recognition for Heineken [one of the products of that company] [. . . ] to promote Heineken and make it a year-round beer† (personal communication, March 4, 2004). Alpha Bank, the private bank, was more interested in raising people’s awareness of the new name of the bank, while FAGE, one of the dairy product co-sponsors, was focused on making foreign consumers who were visiting Greece for the Games familiar with their products in hope that they would continue consumption upon return to their native countries. The second aspect of brand building that seemed to be important amongst at least four of the seven Grand National Olympic sponsors in the sample was brand image. Through association with an event as grandiose and unique as the Olympic Games, sponsors felt they could create a more positive image for their company. This goal was particularly important for ELTA, the postal services provider that was hoping that the sponsorship would support its repositioning efforts. As their representative stated, â€Å"our company is at the stage of planning or promoting a change in its nature and orientation [. . . ] we are now shifting from the era of the citizen to the era of the customer, and that is important† (personal communication, February 2, 2004). Using the sponsorship to create an image of trust and credibility was one of the goals of DEI, the national power provider, while projecting their company’s interest in the community and the country and creating prestige as a new company were goals expressed by DELTA (dairy product co-sponsor) and Olympic Airlines (airline), respectively. Another area related to branding, other than the two mentioned above, which also became evident from the data, is the use of sponsorship for purposes of branding within the organization (i. e. internal branding). Two of the companies in the sample, Alpha Bank (private bank) and DEI (power provider), indicated that they saw their Olympic sponsorship as a means to promote employee relations. According to the representative of one of the sponsors (DEI), â€Å"[one of the goals of our company for the Olympic sponsorship is] to unite employees around a vision and a common effort† (personal communication, May 6, 2004). A third company, DELTA (dairy product producer), made reference to that goal not directly, but through the discussion of their sponsorship activation initiatives. In addition to the two main groups of goals, there were also some other goals/objectives expressed by Grand National Olympic sponsors. Those re? ected mainly altruistic motives and moral bene? ts sought through their involvement in the particular sponsorship program. Allocated resources Another indication of whether a sponsorship is seen as an investment and a brand building tool is the amount of resources invested in the process. There were two types of resources examined in this study, i. e. human and material resources. Furthermore, material resources were distinguished between in-cash versus in-kind, and those invested in the acquisition versus the activation of the sponsorship. 218 In terms of human resources allocated to their Olympic sponsorship, all companies in the sample formed some type of committee that was responsible for managing all sponsorshiprelated activities. The size of those committees ranged from two to 15 members and, in most cases, membership included employees from a number of departments within the organization. Furthermore, two of the companies in the sample, Alpha Bank and Athenian Brewery, discussed their intention to involve their employees in the process by initiating employee Olympic volunteer programs. Not all sponsors in the sample were willing to disclose the ? nancial investments they made to acquire their Olympic sponsorships. Of the seven companies in the sample, six provided some information in terms of the ? nancial resources allocated to becoming a Grand Olympic sponsor. From the information provided through the interviews, it was concluded that Athenian Brewery and DELTA invested in cash only, DEI invested in kind only, while Alpha Bank, ELTA and Olympic Airlines invested both in cash and in kind. In general, there seemed to be a commitment toward the sponsorship, which became more apparent from the stated intentions of sponsors to allocate ? nancial resources in sponsorship activation initiatives. Even though all seven companies in the sample discussed some sponsorship activation plans, only four of the sponsors (Alpha Bank, Athenian Brewery, FAGE, Olympic Airlines) mentioned that they were planning to invest ? ancial resources on that aspect, with two of those (Alpha Bank and Olympic Airlines) disclosing the speci? c amounts. Some more information on sponsorship activation is provided in the section below. Sponsorship activation In addition to the resources allocated to sponsorship activation, information was collected on speci? c leveraging initi atives. Although there was some variation in terms of the means chosen by each company to activate their sponsorship, most initiatives involved the use of the Olympic logo and symbols as well as the Olympic mascots on sponsors’ products, employees, distribution vehicles, and at points of sale. The most common sponsorship activation initiatives involved Olympic-themed sales promotions (e. g. ontests), themed packaging, new products (e. g. Olympic-themed credit card), and collectible pins. Furthermore, three of the sponsors in the sample (Alpha Bank, ELTA and Olympic Airlines) mentioned the existence of a hospitality program for their clients or partners. In terms of the use of communication media to activate their Olympic sponsorship, the most popular choices appeared to be advertising through mass electronic (e. g. television) and print (e. g. newspaper) media, posters and billboards, displays at sponsors’ distribution outlets or specially created kiosks, and internal company communication media or publications (e. g. employee newsletter). Surprisingly, the use of the internet and the companies’ websites (provided one existed) did not appear to be prevalent, with only three sponsors (Athenian Brewery, Alpha Bank and FAGE) mentioning its use in leveraging their sponsorship agreement, while three other companies (DELTA, ELTA and Olympic Airlines) indicated that promotion through the internet would be limited. Sponsorship evaluation Of all ? ve indicators used to determine the role of these sponsorship agreements in companies’ strategy and brand management efforts, this measure is probably the one for Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 which more general and more vague responses were received. With the exception of three companies that either did not provide any information on this area (Alpha Bank) or provided very general information (Olympic Airlines and DEI), the remaining sponsors in the sample indicated at least some plans to measure sales, company awareness/recognition levels, and perceived image amongst consumers, or to conduct cost-bene? t analyses after the Games. Discussion In light of the ? ndings received from a representative group of the Grand National Sponsors of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, some general observations and practical recommendations are offered for marketing and brand management executives interested in investing in sport sponsorship. Firstly, even though the marketing literature has repeatedly cautioned corporate executives about the need to be strategic with their decisions to invest in sponsorship and also in the selection of an appropriate property that could further corporate objectives (e. g. Farrelly et al. , 1997; Meenaghan, 1998), t he ? dings of this study indicate that only a small number of the national sponsors of the Athens Olympic Games truly saw this sponsorship as a tool to further corporate strategy. For a number of other ? rms becoming a sponsor was explained by generally stated objectives of assisting the Organizing Committee’s efforts to put on a good event of the greatest national importance. However, even those companies that did not speak about corporate strategy and brand management made it clear throughout their interviews that solidifying an association with the Olympic Games could affect their brand image and positioning in a positive manner. The use of words such as â€Å"legacy†, â€Å"honor†, â€Å"prestige† and â€Å"image† indicates that these companies were well aware of how an of? ial relationship with an event as unique as the Olympic Games and as important for the history of the country (i. e. Greece) would help to build strong brand associations. T his con? rms past research suggesting that sport sponsorship can be used as a brand-building tool through the creation of positive and favorable brand associations (e. g. Amis, 2003; Roy and Cornwell, 2003). Secondly, the companies in the sample highlighted the key strengths of their national Olympic sponsorships by stating the goals and objectives attached to those agreements, even though they were not, in most cases, speci? c or measurable as it has been recommended through past literature (e. g. Arthur et al. , 1998). Interestingly, many of the goals and objectives stated were brand-related. It was evident through the interviews that companies recognized the opportunity to sharpen their brand image and increase levels of brand awareness, but also saw the chance to do that in a favorable light by taking advantage of the positive feelings and emotions people had toward the Olympic Games. Being seen as one of the contributors to an event as important to the country and its citizens – even though not directly related to pro? toriented objectives – if achieved, could have led to positive outcomes via strengthening the company’s image and emotional connection with current and potential consumers. Past research also has connected the existence of positive brand associations to favorable consequences for brands (e. g. Amis, 2003; Gladden et al. , 1998). Thirdly, it appeared from the data that all the companies created teams to manage their sponsorships and, in most 219 cases, those teams involved employees from a number of departments. The involvement of various departments in the sponsorship management process could indicate efforts of sponsors to integrate their Olympic sponsorship throughout their organizations. Furthermore, for those companies that decided to involve their employees via Olympic volunteer programs or to incorporate employee bene? s and special corporate hospitality programs, it seems that they also saw this sponsorship as a tool to build employee relations and strengthen their brand internally. Fourthly, the willingness of companies to allocate resources not only in becoming sponsors but also in leveraging their sponsorship relationships indicates an even gr eater commitment in using this sponsorship as a brand building tool and receiving full bene? ts from their involvement – even though that was not clear from responses related to the ? rst indicator. It also implies that companies saw value in the intellectual property of the Olympic Games and in the rights received through their agreements with the Organizing Committee. Although most of the managers interviewed failed to report with speci? ity the resources committed in sponsorship activation, this ? nding is in agreement with previous research that proposes spending money to leverage the associated bene? ts of a sponsorship (e. g. the $2-for-$1 additional spending found by Farrelly et al. , 1997). The leveraging initiatives described throughout the interviews were clearly efforts to capitalize on the positive feelings and enthusiasm that were widespread throughout the country. Using a variety of promotional and communications initiatives to take advantage of product/service category exclusivity rights (even for the two dairy product producers that signed on as co-sponsors) and of the of? cial af? iation with the Olympic Games could provide a competitive advantage to those corporations and differentiate them from their competition. Lastly, the lack of data on sponsorship evaluation plans might imply that assessment of the effectiveness of process and of the ful? llment of goals might not be an area to which companies devoted much energy, at least in the early stages of their sponsorship relationship. This ? nding is consistent with the existing literature, which indicates that many companies spend signi? cant resources on sponsorship agreements but fail to establish formal sponsorship evaluation systems or procedures (Miyazaki and Morgan, 2001). Furthermore, the fact that most objectives stated throughout the interviews were rather general and not speci? c could make any effort to evaluate the effectiveness of these sponsorship agreements even harder. Consistent with past literature (e. g. Cornwell, 1995; Meenaghan, 1998), in this case it is also strongly recommended that plans to measure whether corporate objectives were achieved should be an integral part of the sponsorship design and implementation, and not merely an afterthought. Olympic sponsorships, especially at the national level, are somewhat unique in that they are typically once-ina-lifetime opportunities, with sponsorship renewal being less of an issue. Even so, easuring return on investment could prove valuable in guiding a company through future decisions to invest in sport or other sponsorship opportunities. Managerial implications and conclusions Given the increased pressure on corporations to maximize ef? ciency in operations and maximize return on all compa ny investments, sport sponsorship has naturally fallen under Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 scrutiny in terms of its potential to further corporate goals and help strengthen the brand. The main contribution of this research is showing that there are still large corporations – such as the Grand National sponsors of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games – that enter expensive sponsorship agreements with only moderate consideration to the strategic and brand-building elements of sponsorship. As this study showed, not all cases prove that speci? c brandbuilding initiatives were put in place from the start of those relationships. The ? ndings discussed above hold managerial implications for both sponsorship executives and (sport) event properties. In addition to an overall strategy involving corporate brand management, it is important for sponsors to fully understand what speci? advantages are delivered through their sponsorships and how customers might view those companies’ sponsorship efforts in relation to other media tools. As Farrelly et al. (1997) have suggested, ? rms need to ? rst â€Å"research the role of sponsorship in the strategic plan, commun ication mix, and its place in the organizational hierarchy† (p. 178). Using a manager-based view of the Grand National Olympic sponsorships, the ? ndings are quite clear in showing that this type of thinking had not yet (i. e. at the time of the interviews) been adequately established in these agreements. The majority of the 2004 Olympics Grand sponsors had dif? culties approaching their partnerships as a valuable esource able to create competitive advantage in the marketplace. Nevertheless, the marketing department of ATHOC, the Organizing Committee of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games also holds part of the responsibility for the lack of strategic thinking in the investments of some Grand sponsors. Organizing Committees in general hinge on the success of these agreements in order to generate income and positive evaluations on corporate business developments. In addition to the promotion of the unique image of the Games and the rights of the Olympic sponsorship program, it is in the overall interest of the event property to integrate real strategic thinking in the sponsorship program process. This strategic thinking can be oriented, for example, by encouraging and/or assisting candidate sponsors to explore their strategic link between the Olympic Games’ audience and their ? rms’ target market and overall brand-related objectives. If the property (in this case OCOG) works proactively to promote the unique business links associated to their audience, the brand bene? ts, as well as the other opportunities for meaningful interactions with costumers, sponsors will be more willing to allocate resources on entering the agreements and spending for their full activation. This could result in real strategic and brand management thinking on the part of the selected national Olympic sponsors, as well. Given that the Olympic partnerships involve a four-year period of sponsorship privileges, a strategic approach is particularly critical in order to facilitate a sustained long-term successful partnership with mutual bene? ts. In closing, the results of the study imply that the need for adequate planning and strategic integration of sponsorship within other corporate marketing and branding efforts cannot be overstated. Especially with a property as unique as the Olympic Games, the need to be strategic in all decisions related to the sponsorship, to create new and leverage existing unique brand associations, and to implement speci? c measures of success in every step of the process is imperative for sponsors if unique bene? ts are to be realized. 220 References Aaker, D. A. (1991), Managing Brand Equity, The Free Press, New York, NY. Abratt, R. , Clayton, B. C. and Pitt, L. F. (1987), â€Å"Corporate objectives in sports sponsorship†, International Journal of Advertising, Vol. 6, pp. 299-311. Amis, J. (2003), â€Å"‘Good things come to those who wait’: the strategic management of image and reputation of Guinness†, European Sport Management Quarterly, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 189-214. Amis, J. , Pant, N. and Slack, T. 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About the authors Dimitra Papadimitriou is a Lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the University of Patras, Greece. She teaches in the area of sport management and marketing. Her research interests include organizational theory, sport sponsorship and sport tourism, and her work has appeared in the European Sport Management Quarterly, Sport Marketing Quarterly, Sport Management Review, Managing Leisure, and the International Journal of Sports Marketing Sponsorship. She is also the author of the book Management of Sport Enterprises and Organizations, published in 2005 by Kleidarithmos Publications. In addition, Dr Papadimitriou is an elected board member of the European Association for Sport Management and serves on the Editorial Board of the European Sport Management Quarterly journal. Dimitra Papadimitriou is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: dpapad@upatras. gr Artemisia Apostolopoulou is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management in the School of Business at Robert Morris University, USA. She teaches sport management and marketing at the undergraduate and graduate level. Her primary area of research involves brand management and brand extension strategies implemented by sport organizations. Her secondary research interests include sponsorship and endorsement issues, as well as entertainment aspects of sport consumption. She has presented work at numerous national and international conferences, co-authored book chapters, and published research in Sport Marketing Quarterly and the International Journal of Sports Marketing Sponsorship. Theofanis Dounis is a PhD candidate in the Department of Business Management at the University of Patras, Greece. He conducts research in the area of strategic management in the professional football industry. Executive summary and implications for managers and executives This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of the article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full bene? t of the material present. This sporting life Corporate sponsorship of sport is a big business and it is growing. In 2003, for example, spend on sponsorship was calculated at $US25. 9 billion. A year later in 2004, it had risen to $28 billion. In anyone’s money, that’s a big business. Of this spend 69 percent goes to sporting events. Sport, it seems, is the ? rst among equals. Event sponsorship as a value creating strategy for brands Dimitra Papadimitriou, Artemisia Apostolopoulou and Theofanis Dounis Journal of Product Brand Management Volume 17  · Number 4  · 2008  · 212 –222 Within this or any other context the Olympic Games has become a phenomenon of our times. The ancients surely could not have imagined what was to come. The late nineteenth century/early twentieth century revivalists would be, one would suppose, either amazed or aghast. Organizers picking up the baton after the Second World War, such as the modest London Games of 1948, would still have little inkling of what was to come. A global TV audience and, some might argue, a shift in values, have changed the game. For global companies the Olympics deliver a global audience and provide a more or less unique opportunity to reinforce brand values and build reputation. It is an opportunity not to be missed. It only comes around every four years. Athenian outcomes British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, on being asked what represented the gr How to cite Event Sponsorship as a Value Creating Strategy for Brands, Papers

Mondrian Essays - Art Movements, Modern Art, Painting,

Mondrian 'Everything was spotless white, like a laboratory. In a light smock, with his clean-shaven face, taciturn, wearing his heavy glasses, Mondrian seemed more a scientist or priest than an artist. The only relief to all the white were large matboards, rectangles in yellow, red and blue, hung in asymmetric arrangements on all the walls. Peering at me through his glasses, he noticed my glance and said: I've arranged these to make it more cheerful.' Thus Charmion von Wiegand on Mondrian's New York studio. In his Paris studio he had used flowers to make it more cheerful. One tulip in a vase, an artificial one, its leaves painted white. As Mondrian was probably incapable of irony, the tulip was unlikely to be a wry joke about his having had to produce flowerpieces between 1922 and 1925 when he no longer wanted to because there were no buyers for his abstracts. It could, of course, have been a revenge for the agony a compromise of that sort must have cost him. More likely, it was simply a part of the general revulsion against green and growth which made him, when seated at a table beside a window through which trees were visible to him, persuade someone to change places. The artificial tulip fitted in, of course, with the legend of the studio as laboratory or cell, the artist as scientist or anchorite. Mondrian felt it mattered that an artist should present himself in a manner appropriate to his artistic aims. A photograph of him taken in 1908 shows a bearded floppy-haired Victorian man of sensibility. A photograph of 1911 shows a twentieth-century technologist, cleanshaven with centre parting and brilliantined hair; the spectacles were an inevitable accessory. Soft and hairy becomes hard and smooth; one of the great landscape-painters of his generation, one of the great flower-painters of his generation, comes to find trees monstrous, green fields intolerable. The loneliness of the artificial tulip with its painted leaves might seem to suggest that flora were admitted grudgingly, one plant being the next best thing to none. But it probably meant the opposite of that - was probably a sign, not of Mondrian's having become a different person, but of his having remained the same. When Mondrian had painted flowers, he almost invariably painted one chrysanthemum, one amaryllis, one tiger lily. His most personal paintings of trees are paintings of one tree; of architecture, are paintings of a lighthouse or a single windmill or an isolated church - a solitary tower, often with its entrances as if blocked, like a fortress, refusing disruption of its monolithic intactness, its immaculate otherness, its self-sufficient singularity. Likewise the early romantic landscapes are rarely at all panoramic: they usually take in something like a couple of cows and a tree, three or four trees in a row, a group of farmhouses. And the tendency to concentrate attention inwards persists into the paintings and drawings of the sea Of 1914-15: half of them are of a Pier and Ocean. The ocean is not oceanic, consuming, illimitable: it radiates from a vertical motif representing a man-made projection - like the towers jutting into the sky. Only the composition is no longer centripetal. The pluses and minuses of the sea don't converge upon the pier: they do radiate outwards, are then checked by the containing oval within the rectangle of the page or canvas. These works are, of course, among the key transitional pieces between figuration and non-figuration in Mondrian. In the tensions they exhibit between centripetal and centrifugal, they are also representative of his transition from centripetal to centrifugal design. In Mondrian fi guration is equated with the centripetal, nonfiguration with the centrifugal. (It is interesting that an artist so exceptionally given to symmetry in his early days should so rigorously exclude it in his maturity.) Focusing inwards is rejected by Mondrian when the object is rejected. Focusing inwards is involvement. Involvement with objects entails suffering. In the paintings of chrysanthemums - that most centripetal of flowers - there is a sense of concentration that is agonising. It is as if the artist were trying to hypnotise himself by gazing into this flower and as if he were trying to hypnotise the flower into suspending its process