Branding, sponsorship and advertising in the Barclays Premier League

This research aims to investigate the influence of the Barclays Premier League sponsors on the football spectators. It evaluates different types of advertising in football industry and analyses football clubs and players as brands, their attractiveness for the sponsors and seeks to understand their advantages in advertising. Also, it compares the influences of the football clubs and players in the Premier League on fans and identifies which of these have a bigger impact. Data collection was conducted in the form of questionnaires in 2010. Results revealed that sponsors of the Barclays Premier League are recognised by football spectators, but they do not influence them in their purchasing choice. Football fans do not have any negative attitude towards the sponsorship and advertising in the league. The purpose of sponsorship, which is brand awareness and recognition, has been achieved; besides, the research suggests perimeter, board and TV as the most efficient types of advertising in the football industry. However, it remains unclear if these factors eventually influence the product sales of the sponsoring companies.