Sponsor Partnerships - It's a lot like dating

<p>This research is an investigation into the scope and evaluation of corporate sponsorship relationships with performing arts organisations (PAOs). Based primarily on Relationship Theory, the aim of this research is to develop a framework for investigating strategic business-to-business marketing and development opportunities. The idea is to find a simple lens to explore ways to enrich the current sponsorship relationship beyond the dollars for tickets experience. This investigation is based on behavioural observations that are the result of a complex mix of variables from business and artistic environments. The phenomenological approach focuses on interpreting behaviours from each participants’ point of view and the interaction of those behaviours (Bryman & Bell, 2011, pp16-19). The method adopted was one of comparative case studies built on the experiences of multiple expert informants. Data was primarily collected through a series of semi-structured interviews covering both sides of the sponsorship relationship. In searching for existing best practice materials in current literature, it became evident that many of the approaches suggested by the studies strongly resembled dating. From this the Dating Analogy Model was developed (Appendix A). The findings of the interviews strongly correlate with the framework of the dating analogy following many of the same behaviours one would expect to find in any successful partnership. The key repeated themes were: • Research • Values congruence • Communication • Partnership • Investment of time • Regular evaluation This report finds that the Dating Analogy Model provides an opportunity to examine the interaction of each perspective. While transactional sponsorship arrangements appear to dominate, they also have elements that create deeper, enduring, high value engagements that strongly align with partnering relationship theory. How those relationships look varies according to the nature of the business of the sponsor, the nature of the interaction (in kind, cash or a combination), and the reasons for sponsoring that particular PAO. This report also shows that the high time component of relationship management needs to be balanced against the expected value of the gains. This report also acknowledges that the analysis conducted has limitations. Cost and time comparisons with other trust funding sources were not included in this study. It is also acknowledged that the validity of the Dating Analogy Model would benefit from practical application or a workshop exercise.</p>

Sponsor Partnerships - It's a lot like dating

<p>This research is an investigation into the scope and evaluation of corporate sponsorship relationships with performing arts organisations (PAOs). Based primarily on Relationship Theory, the aim of this research is to develop a framework for investigating strategic business-to-business marketing and development opportunities. The idea is to find a simple lens to explore ways to enrich the current sponsorship relationship beyond the dollars for tickets experience. This investigation is based on behavioural observations that are the result of a complex mix of variables from business and artistic environments. The phenomenological approach focuses on interpreting behaviours from each participants’ point of view and the interaction of those behaviours (Bryman & Bell, 2011, pp16-19). The method adopted was one of comparative case studies built on the experiences of multiple expert informants. Data was primarily collected through a series of semi-structured interviews covering both sides of the sponsorship relationship. In searching for existing best practice materials in current literature, it became evident that many of the approaches suggested by the studies strongly resembled dating. From this the Dating Analogy Model was developed (Appendix A). The findings of the interviews strongly correlate with the framework of the dating analogy following many of the same behaviours one would expect to find in any successful partnership. The key repeated themes were: • Research • Values congruence • Communication • Partnership • Investment of time • Regular evaluation This report finds that the Dating Analogy Model provides an opportunity to examine the interaction of each perspective. While transactional sponsorship arrangements appear to dominate, they also have elements that create deeper, enduring, high value engagements that strongly align with partnering relationship theory. How those relationships look varies according to the nature of the business of the sponsor, the nature of the interaction (in kind, cash or a combination), and the reasons for sponsoring that particular PAO. This report also shows that the high time component of relationship management needs to be balanced against the expected value of the gains. This report also acknowledges that the analysis conducted has limitations. Cost and time comparisons with other trust funding sources were not included in this study. It is also acknowledged that the validity of the Dating Analogy Model would benefit from practical application or a workshop exercise.</p>

Gas, Oil and Heritage

How does corporate sponsorship shape the narration and curation of Dutch history in public museums? This article evaluates the significance and impact of private funding in the Dutch heritage and museum sector. By focusing on three museums that have received funding from Dutch oil and gas companies we foreground specifically the nexus heritage, oil, and funding. We show how a particular type of ‘energy literacy’ is promoted, a narrative that is favourable to the agenda of the gas and oil sector. Our explorations are based on interviews with museum officials, an analysis of policy documents, and a close reading of exhibitions. By describing the impact of oil and gas money on the Dutch heritage sector, this article charts the growing influence of corporate players in the Dutch public cultural sector. Following neoliberal reforms in 2011-2012 promoting cultural entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency, museums and heritage sites had to act even more like businesses and attract sponsorships and gifts from private players. This development is part of a global retraction of the state in the public sector. Our discussion of the intricacies of corporate heritage funding in the Netherlands shows that through a fairly limited investment, enterprises acquire disproportionate outreach and influence in the cultural heritage field, an environment that is generally perceived by the public as reliable and independent.Hoe beïnvloedden private spelers en bedrijven de manier waarop musea de Nederlandse geschiedenis vertellen en presenteren? Dit artikel onderzoekt het belang en de invloed van private financiering in de Nederlandse erfgoed- en museumwereld. We onderzoeken de invloed van de industrie op de publieke erfgoedsector aan de hand van drie musea die in de voorbije decennia geld hebben ontvangen van de Nederlandse olie- en gasindustrie. Dit artikel beschrijft hoe een bepaald ‘energiediscours’ wordt gepromoot in tentoonstellingen, een narratief dat de olie- en gassector in een positief daglicht stelt. De resultaten van dit onderzoek zijn gebaseerd op interviews met medewerkers van musea, een analyse van beleidsdocumenten en een close reading van de tentoonstellingen die worden, of werden, gefinancierd door de industrie. Het artikel brengt de groeiende invloed van private spelers in de Nederlandse cultuursector in kaart door de impact van de olie- en gasindustrie op de Nederlandse erfgoedsector te beschrijven. Het gevolg van neoliberale hervormingen in de periode 2011-2012 is dat cultureel ondernemerschap en financiële onafhankelijkheid worden aangemoedigd, wat er voor zorgt dat het voor musea en erfgoedsites steeds noodzakelijker wordt om zich op te stellen als bedrijven die sponsorcontracten met, en giften van, partners uit de industrie moeten najagen. Deze evolutie is niet eigen aan Nederland en maakt deel uit van een wereldwijde ontwikkeling waarbij de staat zich uit de culturele sector terugtrekt. Onze analyse toont echter dat de unieke financieringsmechanismen voor private spelers in Nederland ervoor zorgen dat bedrijven met een minieme investering een disproportionele zichtbaarheid en invloed verkrijgen in het culturele erfgoedveld, een omgeving die door de bevolking over het algemeen wordt beschouwd als betrouwbaar en onafhankelijk. Actualiteitsparagraaf Besmeurd verledenBMGN-LCHR toont invloed van fossiele industrie op het vertelde verhaal in Nederlandse musea De Nederlandse olie- en gaswinning zijn in toenemende mate controversieel, niet in de laatste plaats door klimaatverandering en de aardbevingsproblematiek in Groningen. Historici Gertjan Plets en Marin Kuijt onderzochten voor BMGN – Low Countries Historical Review (BMGN-LCHR) het belang en de invloed van bedrijven uit deze sectoren, zoals Shell en de NAM, in de museale sector in Nederland. Zij onderzochten die invloed aan de hand van drie musea die de voorbije decennia geld hebben ontvangen van de Nederlandse olie- en gasindustrie: het Nederlands Openluchtmuseum, het Drents Museum en Rijksmuseum Boerhaave. Hun onderzoek, gebaseerd op interviews met medewerkers van musea, een analyse van beleidsdocumenten en een close reading van tentoonstellingen, laat zien dat de fossiele industrie met relatief kleine investeringen veel inhoudelijke invloed weet te vergaren. Gevolg: de belastingbetaler betaalt in feite mee aan de PR en marketing voor de fossiele economie. Video

Growing the Talent Pool: How Sponsorship of Professional Sales Programs Enhances Employer Branding

Increasingly, professional sales programs receive financial support from company sponsors in exchange for varying types of branding and recruiting opportunities. This study builds on the literature regarding employer branding and talent acquisition by examining the effect sales program sponsorship has on students. Grounded in organizational reputation theories, brand equity, and the literature on corporate sponsorship, it is proposed that sponsoring a sales program leads to positive student–firm related perceptions. Additionally, it is predicted that classroom engagement in the form of coteaching enhances these positive effects. Two natural field experiments, one involving two semesters of professional sales students ( n = 90), the other involving four semesters of professional sales students ( n = 174), are conducted to test the conceptual model. Results confirm the study’s predictions that sponsoring firms are perceived more favorably by students, and classroom engagement enhances these positive perceptions. Finally, results suggest that firms with lower initial familiarity among students have the most to gain in terms of enhancing student perceptions through coteaching.

Beyond the Crew: Hip-Hop and Professionalization in Mexico City

In recent years profesionalización – professionalization – has become an increasingly influential concept in the hip-hop scene in Mexico City. This term can refer to a variety of changing practices relating to artistic presentation, the organization of hip-hop events, and the hip-hop scene’s model of creative production. The influence of professionalization relates to the rising specialization of hip-hop production and the increasing importance of the digital circulation of music and images; increasingly, success is made on YouTube and Spotify. It also relates to new sources of income, such as freestyle rap battles with corporate sponsorship, and to nascent spaces for hip-hop within adult education. Above all, professionalization relates to a series of structural changes connected to the declining influence of crews, oriented around something akin to Spillman’s ‘non-strategic solidarity’: fraternity, informality, and shared identity. In some cases, crews are giving way to more formal ‘teams’, oriented around the solo artists that now dominate the hip-hop scene. This article builds on ongoing ethnographic research since 2012 and a series of interviews with over 40 local hip-hop artists, to explore professionalism and professionalization as emergent, negotiated values within Mexico City’s hip-hop scene. It offers a frame through which different ideas of the ‘professional’ may be considered: object-forming (relating to the creation of a ‘professional’ music object) and subject-forming (relating to the formation of a ‘professional’ subject). Profesionalización cannot be understood in a functionalist sense, nor may the hip-hop ‘professional’ be conceptualized as a straightforward antonym of ‘amateur’. This article instead shows different ways that ‘object-forming’ and ‘subject-forming’ professionalization both incorporate and texture the ‘non-strategic’ and distinguish hip-hop ‘professionalism’ from the same texture the ‘non-strategic’, and distinguish hip-hop professionalism from it.

Niche Sport Sponsorship: Providing the Target Market Sponsors Want?

Professional niche sports are tremendously reliant on the resources received via corporate sponsorship as they are unlikely to attract substantial revenue via media contracts, ticket sales, or merchandise sales, especially when compared to mainstream sports. Furthermore, niche sports are vying for the same corporate support as their more established mainstream counterparts. However, niche sports have been found to have the ability to provide sponsors with a more specific demographic of fans compared to mainstream sports. If that demographic aligns with a corporation’s target market, the value of this relationship could increase substantially. Yet, the findings of the current study revealed nearly 60% of the 67 sponsors of two different niche sport teams indicated their target market included all of the categories provided for sex, ethnicity, education, and income, even though results also indicated the two teams were attracting statistically significant different fan bases: from a demographic perspective.

Tolerable Suboptimization: Racial Consequences of Defunding Public Universities

We argue that the public defunding of public higher education and turn to private revenue streams—for example, non-resident tuition, grants, philanthropy, and corporate sponsorship—generates organizational racial resource disparities. We draw on a year-long qualitative case study of a University of California campus with a majority Latinx and low-income student body, including ethnographic observations and interviews with administrators, staff, and students, to argue that these disparities may impede majority-marginalized universities’ abilities to serve their student body. Our data demonstrate how limited organizational resources impact the provision of academic advising, mental health, and cultural programming for racially marginalized students. We articulate a racial neoliberal cycle of resource allocation: Colorblind constructs of “merit” lead to racial segregation and generate racialized organizational hierarchies that result in unequal organizational access to private resources. University leadership at resourced-starved majoritymarginalized universities may respond to fiscal constraints by accepting and normalizing suboptimal support for students—what we refer to as “tolerable suboptimization.” Tolerable suboptimization may also be unevenly applied within universities, such that supports accessed or needed by marginalized students are the most impacted. As a consequence, institutional racism can take on the appearance of financial necessity.

Non-profit brand and corporate sponsorship in performing arts organizations

This purpose of this paper is as follows. First, it will investigate Thompson and Stegemann's theory that suggests that for performing arts organizations, brand and brand equity are contributed to by a number of different sources, each of which may have their own brand and brand equity ("Brand Equity and the Cultural Event: The Amalgamation of Multiple Brands for a Unified Marketing Communications Performance", 2). The multi-faceted composition of brand equity will be examined with a specific application to potential impact on corporate sponsorship. Each of the key elements that contribute to brand equity will be examined with specific reference to the potential benefits and hazards they may bring to a corporate sponsorship relationship. Secondly, this paper will propose the addition of four additional sources of brand equity to those proposed by Thompson and Stegemann. These sources will also be evaluated for relevance to corporate sponsorship. It is hoped that this paper and further studies into non-profit brand will balance the brand equation in arts sponsorship relationships, where traditional emphasis has been placed on the brand of the donor. This may, in turn, work to pave the way for a more equitable and mutually beneficial sponsor relationship or partnership between corporations and arts organizations -- Page 2.

Art Worlds

Chapter 2 turns to contemporary configurations of the art world, its institutions, and actors. It maps how these actors relate to each other in Istanbul and Berlin and how they mobilize aesthetic theories in the form of pragmatic shorthand to describe their work. These vernacularized formulations of aesthetic theories also serve to reconcile conflicting understandings of art. In contrast to existing, if sparse, institutional studies of the art world that conceptualize art as a cooperative endeavor, the chapter details how structural dependencies, power differentials, and conflicting understandings of art permeate the daily workings of the art world. Showing that relationships between artists, audiences, critics, curators, and art dealers are frequently personalized through a friend/foe binary, it argues that motifs of amity and enmity serve to mediate structural dependencies and power differentials in the art world. A second mediating discourse, primarily employed by collectors and sponsors to deflect the periodic discomforts that arise around corporate sponsorship and the politics of collecting, reconciles divergent interests in art through the trope of art’s civilizing capacities. Within this trope, portrayals of art as a “greater good” that “serves the public” are framed in national terms despite the global connectedness of the art world.