Rethinking brand management within sport: advancing towards the integrative sport brand ecosystem (ISBE)

Brand, Lars; Stegmann, Pascal; Ströbel, Tim (2023). Rethinking brand management within sport: advancing towards the integrative sport brand ecosystem (ISBE). European Sport management quarterly Taylor & Francis 10.1080/16184742.2023.2264316

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Research Question
Current research increasingly takes a multi-actor-dominant logic and situates sport brands within ecosystems. However, the multi-actor-dominant logic has not been captured in a holistic concept yet. We aim to advance current thinking of sport brands and therefore conceptualise the integrative sport brand ecosystem (ISBE), emerging around a single sport brand.

Research Methods
We adopt a qualitative single case study approach to the German football club brand FC St. Pauli. Semi-structured interviews with multiple actors (N = 26) and secondary data (N = 35) inform our conceptualisation of the ISBE. Following an abductive approach, the ISBE evolved simultaneously through theoretical and empirical work.

Results and Findings
The ISBE comprises all actors interested in a sport brand. Actors engage on institutional and emergent brand engagement platforms to co-create the sport brand. As the focal actor within the ISBE, the brand conductor develops and communicates a first brand identity and facilitates brand meaning co-creation processes. Brand identity needs to be constantly adapted and reinforced by the brand conductor.

Implications
This article provides a holistic perspective on brand co-creation among multiple actors and the role of the brand conductor. We examine the organisational brand management perspective, the network of actors actively co-creating sport brands, and the underlying structures of brand co-creation within the context of sport brands and the multi-actor-dominant logic. This opens new directions for research on sport brands, but also encourages sport practitioners to rethink their brand management.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Sport Science (ISPW)
07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Sport Science (ISPW) > Sport Sociology and Management

UniBE Contributor:

Stegmann, Pascal

Subjects:

700 Arts > 790 Sports, games & entertainment

ISSN:

1618-4742

Publisher:

Taylor & Francis

Language:

English

Submitter:

Franziska Krebs

Date Deposited:

02 Apr 2024 14:39

Last Modified:

02 Apr 2024 14:48

Publisher DOI:

10.1080/16184742.2023.2264316

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/195087

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/195087

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