Banca de DEFESA: PALOMA SOUZA DE CASTRO MELO

Understanding Naming Rights: an analysis of sponsorship as a strategy advertising in sport

Naming Rights. Sports Marketing. Advertising. Sponsorship. Comunication.

The sports scene remains as one of main contact channels with the consumer's daily life. Upon understanding the sports world as a space for entertainment, sports brands and entities compete for the attention of the so-called The Elusive Fan (REIN; KOTLER; SHIEDLS, 2008). As a result the sports market is interpreted as a business and an opportunity to put up spectacle (DEBORD, 1997). Sponsorship categories, for instance, generate especial opportunities for the promotion of an investing company. This paper aims at discussing a particular kind of sponsorship known as Naming Rights - used by companies in Brazil's sports scene - in order to understand what it means as well as its use also as a advertising strategy. To do so, this work's supporting literature brings concepts such as Sports Industry (PITTS; STOTLAR, 2002); Sports Marketing (CARDIA, 2004); Spectacle Sport (BORDIEU, 1989) and Sponsorship (MELO NETO, 2003). Ultimately, our research takes care of conceptualizing the Naming Rights by considering another look at this term; besides provide a diagram in order to outline the sponsorship in the promotional mix and to recognize the role of NR in sports. In-depth interviews (FARBER; FELERICO; GOMIERO; MARONI; ROCCO JR., 2019) are presented and analyzed as a means to reinforce over the theoretical support given here. Understanding the nature of Naming Rights will aid the development of sports sponsorship throughout Brazil, whether via facilities, events or teams.