Branding of Small-Scale Sport Events
Abstract
Background: Although according to previous studies hosting major sport events contributes a wide range of economic, infrastructural, social, cultural, and sporting benefits to local communities, many countries cannot take the risk of providing initial funding for hosting. Small-scale sport events, with less financial and professional investment than mega-events, offer good opportunities and positive social consequences for the host communities. This is if such events are branded to become distinguishable and sustainable.
Methods: We used a mixed-methods and 360-degree perspective to analyse the branding of small-scale sport events. We conducted interviews with event organisers as well as experts in sport marketing and branding and subsequently collected data from event participants by utilising a questionnaire to create a model.
Results: The findings identify six key domains relevant to the branding of small-scale sport events in Iran: leadership and organising committees, event nature, venue features, brand orientation, media, and innovative technology.
Conclusion: Factors like media attention, public relations, promotions, social networks, social media, sponsorships, and celebrity involvement tend to exert more impact on smaller events than they do on larger ones. It is crucial to understand that in significant sport events, some items like technology and event management are vital for event branding, whereas these components are less critical for smaller events. Therefore, it is important to consider the relevance scores of the model factors identified in our research when planning and allocating budgets for branding small-scale events in Iran.
Keywords: Sports competitions, branding, sport marketing, hosting events
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