Football teams going international -- The strategic leverage of branding.

Richelieu, André; Desbordes, Michel

Sports, which not so long ago were merely a very local affair, have become a major global activity. Through media, exhibition games and tours abroad, star players, fan communities on the web and licensed merchandising, among other things, sports teams have increased their global appeal and thus their international reach. Beyond the Real Madrid, Manchester United, New York Yankees and the likes that usually come to mind, sports clubs have realised the power that branding encapsulates in marketing their team beyond their local market. This paper looks at sports teams as brands in their own right and how they can achieve their internationalisation as such. In this regard, a graph of the internationalisation of a sports team brand is introduced. The authors then present four strategies sports team brands could use in order to grow internationally and, when their potential allows, to become global brands. In this regard, cases of European football teams are used. The discussion is concluded with a reflection on the internationalisation of a sports team brand that takes into account the nature of the sport involved, the club's country of origin and the way the league is managed.

EUROPE; FOOTBALL teams; BRANDING (Marketing); SPORTS sponsorship; GLOBALIZATION; SPORTS teams

Journal of Sponsorship, 2009, Vol 3, Issue 1, p10

1754-1360

Academic Journal