91 106 Caslavova
91 106 Caslavova
Abstract:
This article presents the results of research on the brand personalities of big sport events such as the
FIFA World Cup, the Tour de France cycling race and the Olympic Summer Games. The authors evaluate
the brand personality of each of these sport events as a set of human characteristics associated with the given
brand. The research uses the method standardized by the American author J. Aaker who specializes in brands.
Forty-two (42) traits of sport brands divided into 5 dimensions were evaluated in the research. The results
gained by questionnaires were subjected to a detailed statistical analysis where each trait, forming the basic
dimension of the brand, was evaluated using the statistical tools of arithmetic mean, mode, standard deviation
and skewness. The results present traits describing positively the given brand for each sport event, as well
as traits that do not describe the given brand. The authors then present a suggestion for action for each sport
brand management to an improvement of the brand personality that can be used for a better understanding
with the fans, spectators and public, for forming a communication strategy and for creating a brand value
with the public.
Introduction
Sport branding is currently an actual topic of Evaluation of these factors is visible mainly in
sport marketing, and the expression of its identity major European soccer clubs (Manchester United,
is a crucial factor for business practices in the sport Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich) or in profession-
field. The factors determining the sport brand are al sport teams such as Ferrari F1, McLaren Mer-
formed by: cedes, etc.
- the fan platform – a sufficient number of fans There are four methods used in the research of
both at home and at the international level, their brand identity which can help companies to clarify
purchasing power and license sphere, and differentiate the brand: the view of the brand
- history of success – long-term and extensive as a product, the view of the brand as a company,
success has influence on the growth of the sport the view of the brand as a person and the view of
brand value, the brand as a symbol (Aaker, 2003).
- communication strategy of the brand – ways of The conception of the brand as a product is
communication of the brand toward the gene- determined by the customer’s associations with
ral public maximizes its financial value (i.e. the particular product or product category. For the
communication strategy during the top soccer brand associated with the company, the customer
championships), focuses mainly on the values connected with the
- brand value – specific values defined for the company’s employees, the company’s culture,
sport brand and attractive to the public (i.e. Man- values and programs. The brand personality is
chester United: “the theatre of dreams”), judged as a specific person ( friendly, competent,
- athletes in the position of stars – connecting the trustworthy, etc.) and it is important how the
past and the present they provide splendor and customer views this “person”. The symbol brand is
desire to be connected with the brand, based on the presence of the symbol when building
- regulated deficiency – it influences the growth the brand. If the symbol is elevated into the position
of the brand value (i.e. regulated access to the of a permanent component of the brand identity, it
championships, fewer teams in the champion- shows the potential strength. An example would be
ships, etc.) (Čáslavová, 2003, 2006, 2009; Schil- the symbol of the Olympic rings for the Olympic
haneck, 2005). Games.
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Čáslavová, E. and Petráčková, J.: THE BRAND PERSONALITY OF LARGE ... Kinesiology 43(2011) 1:91-106
According to J. Aaker, brand personality is - they are sport events that have a specific relation
defined as a set of human characteristics associated for the Czech Republic: soccer is one of the
with a brand. Why is it so important to view the most popular sports for the general public in
brand as a person? When consumers think about a the Czech Republic (Čáslavová & Janák, 2007);
brand, the human characteristics that they associate - cycling belongs to the group of 10 most popular
with this brand help them to create and form a sports, following soccer and ice hockey, and the
relationship with the brand (Guzman & Paswan, Tour de France sport event’s general sponsor,
2009) (e.g. sport event). Such a relationship between Skoda Auto, is economically the most impor-
a consumer and a sport event can be further used tant company in the Czech Republic;
in the field of sport marketing, specifically through - they are the most suitable brands to be com-
secondary sport products related with the sport pared with the brand of the Olympic Summer
events. A positive attitude to the brand personality Games.
traits of sport events can not only influence the
content and way of sport events’ promotion but also Methods
their complex marketing strategy. Furthermore, it The selection of methods for evaluating brand
also has an indirect impact on the creation of new personality plays a very important role in the aspect
financial sources. of detailed research and an evaluation of personality
The purpose of this article is to identify brand traits of particular brands. There are various ways
personality traits of the previously mentioned sport and methods of measuring brand personality that
events that are perceived either positively or nega- strive to analyze brand personality most accurately.
tively by consumers. This analysis can be further However, it is very important that the method used
used for a modification of current or the creation shows the difference between the researched sport
of new marketing strategies, especially concerning events and outlines the reasons and possible impli-
fans, spectators and general public. In connection cations for the brand position in the sport market.
with the sport events, it mainly concerns organizers For the current research we chose the method
of these sport events, i.e. national and international that was verified for the brand personality measure-
sport federations, their marketing departments as ment by Jennifer Aaker (1997) in the United States.
well as independent marketing agencies. Brand personality measurement is a very
We used the view of brand as a person to complicated matter because the brand personality
evaluate the brands of big sport events, for the cannot be easily uniformly defined. Previously used
reason that fans and spectators in sports evaluate methods tried to evaluate the brand personality with
their relationship toward the brand based on the the help of a model dealing with human personality
perception of the sport event as attractive, dynamic, analysis. However, the problem was that the brand
fun, etc. Thus they evaluate the brand personality personality was very different from the human
as a set of human characteristics connected with pers-onality. Currently used methods take into
the given brand. There is no doubt that the brand account specific brand personalities and strive for
personality is used and communicated for a better objective evaluation, which is very important not
understanding with fans, spectators and public, for only for the formation of brand marketing strategy,
creating a communication strategy, and for creating but also for overall strategic planning in the future
the brand value with the public. (Aaker, 2003; Voeth & Herbst, 2008).
Three sport events of world significance were The mentioned methodology by J. Aaker creates
chosen for this research: the FIFA World Cup, a basis for a generalized spectrum of measuring
the Tour de France, and the Olympic Summer the brand personalities. It involves a group of
Games. We mainly concentrated on the brand of variables that were deduced in order to assure the
the Olympic Summer Games as there has been a most possible objectivity from:
constant discussion both in the Czech sport and - personality psychology,
general public around the possibility of holding - already existing variables used for measuring
the Olympic Games in Prague and the subsequent brand personalities,
candidacy application of Prague for the Olympic - variables determined according to the associa-
and Paralympic Games in 2020. The discussion and tion of consumers.
the approach of the public towards this issue showed To ensure the validity and generalizability
the view of the brand personality of the Olympic of this brand personality scale, the author used a
Games and an evaluation of the economic impact sample of respondents respecting the five demo-
on public finances. graphic dimensions – gender, age, household in-
We chose these events for the following reasons: come, ethnicity and geographic location.
- they are events of world significance and supra- The author sent 1,200 questionnaires with a re-
-national character and they have their own turn rate of 55%. The subjects of the study were
economic and marketing potential; asked to use a five-point Likert scale to rate the ex-
tent to which the 114 personality traits describe 37
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Čáslavová, E. and Petráčková, J.: THE BRAND PERSONALITY OF LARGE ... Kinesiology 43(2011) 1:91-106
given brands. Primarily positively valenced traits 6. Spirited – spirited; calm (well-balanced); youth-
were used because brands are typically linked to ful.
positive associations. 7. Imaginative – imaginative; unique (typical).
In order to prove that this method of measur- 8. Up-to-date – up-to-date (progressive); inde-
ing the brand personality is not dependent on the pendent; of the day (modern).
test brands or a certain population sample, another 9. Reliable – reliable; hard working; evocating a
independent population sample and brands were sense of security.
used. The same demographic profile was used and 10. Intelligent – intelligent; technical; team spirit.
250 questionnaires were sent with the response rate 11. Successful – successful; able to lead people; self-
of 72%. In comparison with the original 114 per- -confident.
sonality traits, only 42 carefully chosen traits and 12. Upper class – upper class; splendid; good look-
20 different brands were used. The results under- ing.
went statistical analysis based on test-retest corre- 13. Charming – charming; feminine; elegant.
lations and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The test- 14. Outdoorsy – outdoorsy; male; western.
retest correlations for each of the five factors were 15. Tough – tough; striking (prominent).
greater than .70 and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for Since this framework can be generalized across
each of the dimensions was equal or greater than product categories, it enables researchers of the
.90. Thereby the reliability of the five brand person- brand personality theory to understand the sym-
ality dimensions was confirmed. bolic use of brands in general and provides theo-
The result of J.L. Aaker’s study was the for- retical insights into when and why consumers buy
mation of five factors (dimensions) that cover 42 brands for self-expressive purposes.
carefully chosen traits that reliably and accurately In order to define the dimensions, it is neces-
represent these dimensions. The dimensions are as sary to evaluate all 42 traits individually and then,
follows: sincerity, excitement, competence, sophisti- according to the results, deduce the scores of these
cation and ruggedness. Each of these dimensions is dimensions. The basic objective is not to determine
represented by several chosen facets (15 altogether) the individual differences in how different people
that best describe this dimension, which means such respond to single brands, but to identify the brand
facets that show the highest correlation regarding personality dimensions as perceived by consumers,
the particular dimensions. The brand personality as depicted in their minds. Thus the Likert scale was
framework is shown in Figure 1. used to evaluate the traits instead of the semantic-
The particular facets represent the selected -differential scale. It is important to determine the
cluster of 42 traits and their value is dependent extent to which a brand can be described by cer-
on the results of measuring these characteristics. tain human characteristics rather than to determine
These facets are always represented by two to three when brands are associated with negative versus
characteristics: positive personality characteristics.
1. Down to earth – matter-of-fact (deliberate); This measurement scale of brand personality
friendly toward family; suburban. can be used with particular groups of subjects
2. Honest – honest; sincere (publicly accessible); which were confirmed by factor analysis on four
proper. sub-samples of subjects (females, males, younger
3. Wholesome – wholesome; original. subjects and older subjects). This analysis proved
4. Cheerful – cheerful; warm-hearted; affable the similarity of the results of the four principal
(kind). components both qualitatively and quantitatively.
5. Daring – daring (risky); fashionable (stylish); The relevance of J.L. Aaker’s theory has been
exciting. proven by much empirical research and studies;
Brand Personality
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therefore we considered this theory suitable for sions in order to provide a detailed view of the
evaluating and measuring the brand personalities sport events’ brand personality. Furthermore, we
of big sport events. On this basis we consider the also present both a brief evaluation of the sport
theory as a good foundation for brand personality events’ brand personalities and recommendations
analysis. for further marketing development of the brands.
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Factor
Characteristic Average Mode σ Skewness Indicator Average σ
(dimention)
Down to
Down to earth 3.52 4 1.02 -3.29 Sincerity 3.195 1.003
earth
Family oriented 3.51 4 1.04 -3.34
Small-town 4.05 5 1.03 -5.66
Honest 3.22 3 .89 -.15 Honest
Sincere 2.55 2 .98 3.01
Real 3.08 3 .91 .45
Wholesome 3.27 3 .94 -1.47 Wholesome
Original 2.64 2 1.03 3.25
Cheerful 2.29 2 .97 3.53 Cheerful
Sentimental 3.49 4 1.22 -3.96
Friendly 3.53 4 1.00 -3.88
Daring 2.12 2 .97 5.21 Daring Excitement 2.473 .975
Trendy 2.41 2 1.06 3.65
Exciting 1.94 1 1.12 8.09
Spirited 1.78 1 .88 7.66 Spirited
Cool 3.96 4 .89 -6.89
Young 2.38 2 .89 2.93
Imaginative 2.68 2 .97 1.93 Imaginative
Unique 2.56 2 1.06 3.19
Up to date 2.44 2 .99 4.00 Up to date
Independent 2.95 3 1.12 0.76
Contemporary 1.98 2 .77 3.90
Reliable 3.25 4 .96 -2.18 Reliable Competence 2.579 .939
Hard working 2.79 2 1.11 1.53
Secure 3.91 4 .92 -5.80
Intelligent 3.48 3 1.06 -1.98 Intelligent
Technical 2.55 2 1.10 3.06
Corporate 1.52 1 .76 11.57
Successful 1.73 1 .76 5.79 Successful
Leader 2.22 2 1.00 4.03
Confident 1.76 2 .78 7.68
Upper class 3.02 3 .88 -.54 Upperclass Sophistication 3.128 1.045
Glamorous 2.79 3 1.28 1.10
Good looking 2.22 2 .97 5.29
Charming 2.92 3 1.09 0.74 Charming
Feminine 4.30 5 .89 -10.11
Smooth 3.52 4 1.16 -1.78
Outdoorsy 3.84 4 .97 -3.81 Outdoorsy Ruggedness 2.51 .976
Masculine 1.54 1 .84 13.18
Western 2.50 2 1.20 3.45
Tough 2.47 2 .93 2.03 Tough
Rugged 2.20 2 .94 4.04
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Factor
Characteristic Average Mode σ Skewness Indicator Average σ
(dimention)
Down to
Down to earth 2.57 2 .88 4.44 Sincerity 2.997 .97
earth
Family oriented 3.12 3 1.00 .05
Small-town 4.08 4 .84 -6.50
Honest 2.98 3 1.14 1.15 Honest
Sincere 2.57 2 .99 2.13
Real 2.55 2 .91 2.14
Wholesome 2.46 2 .86 3.80 Wholesome
Original 2.86 3 1.03 -.98
Cheerful 3.19 3 .93 -1.57 Cheerful
Sentimental 3.35 4 1.02 -2.07
Friendly 3.24 4 .94 -1.72
Daring 2.27 2 1.01 3.80 Daring Excitement 2.705 1.04
Trendy 2.87 3 .98 -.30
Exciting 2.60 2 1.14 2.21
Spirited 2.72 3 1.10 1.14 Spirited
Cool 2.94 3 1.13 .001
Young 2.82 3 .94 -.54
Imaginative 3.19 3 .97 -1.03 Imaginative
Unique 2.51 2 1.12 3.38
Up to date 2.73 2 1.00 .72 Up to date
Independent 2.58 2 1.11 2.67
Contemporary 2.53 2 .89 2.86
Reliable 2.77 3 .95 1.68 Reliable Competence 2.602 1.008
Hard working 1.96 1 1.03 6.31
Secure 3.42 4 .97 -2.33
Intelligent 2.61 3 1.01 1.93 Intelligent
Technical 2.40 2 1.08 3.11
Corporate 3.19 4 1.32 -1.87
Successful 1.96 2 .85 4.48 Successful
Leader 2.99 3 1.12 .34
Confident 2.12 2 .87 3.61
Upper class 2.42 2 .98 3.48 Upperclass Sophistication 3.033 .954
Glamorous 2.79 3 .92 1.94
Good looking 2.71 2 1.00 2.20
Charming 3.17 3 .96 -1.24 Charming
Feminine 3.99 4 .91 -4.52
Smooth 3.12 3 1.03 .78
Outdoorsy 2.55 2 1.05 3.63 Outdoorsy Ruggedness 2.324 .992
Masculine 2.04 2 .91 4.21
Western 2.49 2 1.08 4.24
Tough 1.92 2 .90 6.51 Tough
Rugged 2.62 3 1.02 1.11
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Table 3. Results of measuring the brand personality of the Olympic Summer Games
Factor
Characteristic Average Mode σ Skewness Indicator Average σ
(dimention)
Down to
Down to earth 2.32 2 .90 3.58 Sincerity 2.479 .9
earth
Family oriented 2.40 2 .97 4.39
Small-town 4.27 4 .84 -8.20
Honest 2.37 2 .96 3.05 Honest
Sincere 1.87 2 .83 5.46
Real 2.03 2 .83 5.39
Wholesome 2.21 2 .82 3.50 Wholesome
Original 2.24 3 1.02 2.63
Cheerful 2.31 2 .92 2.29 Cheerful
Sentimental 2.65 3 1.11 0.95
Friendly 2.60 2 .95 2.03
Daring 2.23 2 1.05 4.52 Daring Excitement 2.381 1.014
Trendy 2.35 2 1.00 3.24
Exciting 1.88 1 .97 7.10
Spirited 2.20 2 1.02 3.12 Spirited
Cool 3.00 3 1.03 -1.33
Young 2.79 3 1.03 .16
Imaginative 2.50 2 .96 .95 Imaginative
Unique 2.06 2 .95 4.46
Up to date 2.39 2 .99 2.62 Up to date
Independent 2.60 2 1.17 2.23
Contemporary 2.19 2 1.00 3.93
Reliable 2.35 2 .89 2.66 Reliable Competence 2.173 .998
Hard working 1.93 2 .92 6.26
Secure 2.93 3 1.16 -.07
Intelligent 2.34 2 .97 3.78 Intelligent
Technical 2.39 2 1.05 3.04
Corporate 2.02 1 1.09 5.45
Successful 1.57 1 .72 8.64 Successful
Leader 2.19 2 1.02 3.95
Confident 1.84 2 .82 6.26
Upper class 1.95 2 .95 6.95 Upperclass Sophistication 2.353 .912
Glamorous 2.07 2 .85 2.75
Good looking 2.15 2 .94 4.76
Charming 2.41 2 1.00 2.70 Charming
Feminine 3.00 3 .82 2.90
Smooth 2.54 2 .95 2.62
Outdoorsy 2.69 2 1.09 1.73 Outdoorsy Ruggedness 2.422 .996
Masculine 2.60 3 .86 .64
Western 2.83 3 1.20 1.52
Tough 1.98 2 .90 4.85 Tough
Rugged 2.01 2 .93 4.42
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improvement. The trait youthful was marked as this sport event is generally perceived as a very
partially describing and partially not describing emotional and sensitive, where random chance
the OSG brand personality which is clear from the and luck play a role. Thus these traits cannot be
mode values and the average values as well as from considered as crucial for the FIFA World Cup and
a very low value of skewness. The reason for such their influence on the overall dimension of sincerity
an attitude is probably the fact that the OSG brand is insignificant.
is a very traditional brand based on its tradition Based on the analysis of the results regarding
itself. Thus it is not necessary for it to be perceived the dimension of sincerity, it can be assumed that
as youthful. the FIFA World Cup should concentrate mainly
on supporting the traits of friendly toward family,
Dimension of competence honest and proper. There are several reasons why
The dimension of competence is clearly the the FIFA World Cup brand might be described as
most characteristic dimension of the OSG brand not friendly toward family. One of them could be
personality because its average value was the lowest the way in which soccer games are perceived in the
Czech Republic; namely, that it is fun, primarily
in comparison with the values of other dimensions.
for men, directly at the stadium and also on TV.
All but one trait of this dimension had a very posi-
Another reason could be the physical harshness
tive influence on forming this dimension, and thus
of the games, which contain ruthless fouls and
on the overall personality of this brand.
unscrupulous behavior of some players which
The trait evocating a sense of security, the only consequently has a negative influence on the traits
trait that cannot be described as having an unam- such as honest and proper as well.
biguously positive influence, dis not have a major
impact either on the personality of this brand or on Dimension of excitement of the FIFA
the other two brands and thus it is not necessary to World Cup
stimulate it.
The dimension of excitement has a very positive
Dimension of sophistication influence on the personality of this brand and it
can be said that it is the most important dimension
Table 3 shows that this dimension is perceived of the FIFA World Cup brand personality because
as unambiguously describing the OSG brand perso- the overall average value of 2.473 was the lowest in
nality which is evident in the positive perception comparison with all other dimensions of this brand.
of the traits of this dimension other than the trait The only trait of this dimension that requires certain
feminine. This trait is not a key element of the OSG stimulation is the independent trait. According to
brand personality and thus it is not significant for the subjects, the most important determinants of
the brand to be perceived as feminine or male. In these dimensions are exciting, spirited and of the
contrast to the FIFA World Cup or the Tour de day (modern) because the average value of these
France, the Olympic Summer Games are very traits was below 2. These traits can be perceived as
neutral and everyone can find something interesting characteristic for this brand because they describe
from a wide selection of options. the brand mostly in comparison with all the other
traits of this dimension.
Dimension of ruggedness
The last dimension of the OSG brand personality Dimension of competence of the FIFA
is ruggedness. All of the traits of this dimension World Cup
were perceived as rather describing the personality There could be many reasons why this brand
of this brand and the traits tough and striking was not considered to be reliable. The most signi-
(prominent) can be marked as characteristic. The ficant reason that the FIFA World Cup was described
perception of the traits male and western was not as not reliable is most likely due to the fact that
fully definite, and the value was not very high for random chance and luck play very important roles
this brand personality due to the already mentioned in this sport event and that the outcome of the game
neutrality and global impact. Still, the OSG brand is unpredictable until the last minute and can change
can be considered as rugged, based on the research in the last second. On the other hand this is also
results. one of the reasons why the FIFA World Cup is
considered to be thrilling and very exciting.
Discussion and conclusions The reason why this brand was not described
as intelligent is most likely due to soccer players
Dimension of sincerity of the FIFA World generally not being viewed as very intelligent
Cup people. Consequently, in connection to such an
The reason why the FIFA World Cup was not attitude in the minds of the public, the FIFA World
described by the subjects as matter-of-fact (deli- Cuip brand is perceived as not very intelligent.
berate) and wholesome could be due to the fact that Such a connection is similar to connecting the
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employee’s behavior with the personality of a the open but in stadiums. Such a connection with
certain brand. These are called direct determinants soccer games is logical but the outdoorsy trait is
which are established by real people who transfer more important these days and the positive percep-
their characteristics on to the brand. Thus the brand tion of the public is very important. Thus the FIFA
personality can be influenced directly from the heart World Cup brand should definitely focus on improv-
of the company by various employees. In the case ing this trait in the eyes of the public.
of the FIFA World Cup, it is the players who are in
direct contact with spectators and can thus influence Suggestion for potential actions leading
their attitude as regards the FIFA World Cup. to the improvement of the FIFA World Cup
Based on the above conclusions, the FIFA brand personality
World Cup brand should concentrate positively on Based on the analysis of the FIFA World Cup
the feature of intelligence because the unfavorable brand personality, it is possible to describe this
perception of the public has quite a negative brand as modern, exciting, spirited, successful, self-
influence on the personality of this brand. The FIFA -confident and male with a strong team spirit. These
World Cup is, in this dimension, best described as traits are hence characteristic of the personality of
self-confident, successful and having team spirit. this brand.
These traits can be perceived as characteristic of Owing to this research, several insufficiencies
the FIFA World Cup brand personality based on the displayed by the FIFA World Cup brand personality
very positive view of the public and an evaluation were identified. These insufficiencies consist
lower than 2. partially of negative attitudes toward the following
traits: friendly toward family, honest, proper, inde-
Dimension of sophistication of the FIFA pendent, intelligent, upper class, charming and
World Cup outdoorsy. The brand should pay a lot of attention
There may be many reasons why the FIFA to these traits in its marketing campaign with the
World Championship brand is perceived as partially TV advertisement playing the major role. A suitable
not upper class and partially not charming. One of solution seems to be the usage of an important
the main reasons is again the connection to success personality from the soccer world in TV advertis-
as such and the often bad behavior of the players ements. The emphasis should be on the fact that
during the games and eventually outside the games. this person is generally considered as intelligent,
Based on theoretical knowledge, these influences proper and honest with having a sense for family.
can be ranked as direct determinants that have a It would be ideal if this person had his/her own
fundamental influence on the brand personalities family. This advertisement campaign should not
of sport events because the brands are symbolic. miss references to fair play and the need always to
The traits elegant and feminine have minimal have a well thought out strategy, as these are the
influence on the FIFA World Cup brand personality main attributes of a victorious game. Additionally,
because the brand is unambiguously male, therefore it would be useful to mention the facilities created at
soccer cannot be considered as an elegant sport. the stadium for families with children which make
Thus it is not necessary for the FIFA World Cup it possible to enjoy the soccer game. There could be
brand to concentrate on improving these charac- various promotional events or fashion shows that
teristics. are valued mainly by women or children’s play areas
Based on these results we can say that the trait corners both for small and bigger children. In this
good looking is the only trait of this dimension way it would be possible to stimulate positively
marked as unambiguously describing the FIFA the traits friendly toward family, honest, proper,
World Cup brand personality. However, this trait intelligent, upper class and charming. These traits
had the average value of 2.22 and thus it cannot be are connected to each other. Mainly, the traits intel-
marked as characteristic for the FIFA World Cup ligent, upper class and proper have many common
brand personality. All other traits showing signifi- determinants, so that it is possible to influence them
cant influence on the dimension of sophistication with similar or the same instruments.
need to be stimulated properly, so that they could One of the ways to influence positively the
be improved in the eyes of the public and thus lead independent trait is the usage of video recordings
to the improvement of the overall sophistication of when the main referee is not sure about a certain
the FIFA World Cup brand personality. decision or if the team captain asks for it. Of course,
the usage of such recordings is limited; however,
Dimension of ruggedness of the FIFA they could help to make decisions in a more
World Cup objective way and thus lead to the improvement
The reason why the FIFA World Cuip was not of the independence trait of the FIFA World Cup
perceived as outdoorsy in comparison with the Tour brand personality.
de France and the Olympic Summer Games could As already said, the trait outdoorsy is very im-
be that the soccer games are not played outside in portant for the personality of this brand and thus
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the FIFA World Cup should not forget to focus on The Tour de France should focus primarily on
this trait in the marketing strategy. TV advertise- supporting the traits fashionable (stylish) and imagi-
ments should be oriented toward bringing atten- native. The traits youthful and calm (well-balanced)
tion to those aspects in which the FIFA World Cup do not have much value for this brand personality
is definitely outdoorsy and emphasize them. The because the Tour de France is a traditional brand
previously mentioned suggestions should help the that needs to be partially “unbalanced” and made
FIFA World Cup brand to improve the perception exciting because it is a sport event. On the whole,
of its brand personality and thus increase its value. it is possible to say that this dimension should be in
However, the basis of the marketing strategy should the center of the Tour de France’s interest because
be those traits that are characteristic for this brand it plays a very important role for this brand. The
and the brand should build its image upon them. support of the previously mentioned traits that were
perceived neutrally and other traits that form this
Dimension of sincerity of the Tour de dimension could be very beneficial to this brand.
France
Suggestion of potential actions leading
The reason why the friendly toward family trait to the improvement of the Tour de France
is perceived as partially not describing the Tour de brand personality
France brand personality could be the fact that this
sport event is perceived more as an event for adults, According to the research, the Tour de France
mainly due to the physical demands and slowness. brand is perceived as hard working, successful and
The subjects had the same attitude toward the trait a male person. These traits are characteristic for this
original. The reason for such an attitude could be sport event and thus the Tour de France should base
the tradition of the Tour de France with not many its image on them
recent changes or innovations. The last trait marked On the other hand, there are several traits
as partially not describing the Tour de France brand which cannot be marked as describing this brand
personality was the trait honest. The Tour de France personality and they are still important for this
should focus mainly on problems with doping which brand. Based on the research results and the
has lately had quite a negative influence on this previously mentioned assumptions, these are the
brand. This is probably the main reason why this traits friendly toward family, honest, original, ima-
brand was not marked as honest. ginative, elegant, fashionable (stylish), charming
The traits friendly toward family, honest and and able to lead people. These traits represent
original play very important roles in forming the certain insufficiencies of the Tour de France brand
overall brand personality of this sport event and personality and they need to be stimulated by
it is for this reason that the Tour de France should suitable means. A suitable instrument which could
pay a lot of attention to them. Their value is sig- stimulate several traits at once would be the usage
nificant for the personality of this brand and their of a marketing campaign with the emphasis on TV
improvement could have a very positive influence advertisements. In comparison to the FIFA World
on the dimension of sincerity and consequently on Cup it is not necessary to build an advertisement
the overall Tour de France brand personality in the around a famous personality. It would be more
eyes of the subjects. suitable to use, for example, interesting observations
both from the past and the current Tour de France,
edit them originally and eventually enrich them
Dimension of excitement of the Tour de with something. Owing to this it is possible to show
France what the Tour de France is in reality and put
None of the traits from this dimension were emphasis on its merits. In this way it would be
marked as not describing the Tour the France brand possible to positively influence the traits original,
personality but the subjects assumed a nondescript imaginative and charming. If the editing emphasizes
attitude toward four traits. The reasons for such an the importance of cooperation within the scope of
attitude toward the trait fashionable (stylish) could various teams, it is possible to influence positively
be that the Tour de France is based on extreme the trait able to lead people as well. An appropriately
physical achievements, perseverance, and the color- chosen marketing campaign can partially influence
fulness or diversity of the uniforms is very narrow. the traits fashionable (stylish) and elegant even
The range of fashion trends used is also very though it is not an easy matter for the Tour de France
narrow in cycling. As far as the imaginative trait is brand.
concerned, it has a certain connection with the trait It is important for the Tour de France brand to
original. The Tour de France is perceived more as concentrate on the traits honest and friendly toward
monotonous and not promoting many innovations, family which are often connected. The biggest
which results in perceiving the brand as traditional problem here is probably the connection with
and conventional. That is one of the main reasons doping. The athletes who use prohibited substances
why this brand is not perceived as imaginative. indirectly damage the overall image of this brand.
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Čáslavová, E. and Petráčková, J.: THE BRAND PERSONALITY OF LARGE ... Kinesiology 43(2011) 1:91-106
Czech Republic as specified in the objectives of this recognized certain insufficiencies, specifically in
research. The detailed analysis of all dimensions the traits friendly toward family, honest, original,
of the sport events’ brand personalities enabled an imaginative, elegant, fashionable (stylish),
identification of the traits that are characteristic for charming and able to lead people. As some of
each brand. In order to provide a comprehensive these traits could represent an important part of
view of the brand personalities, the traits that can be the Tour de France brand per-sonality, they need
considered as the weak spots of these sport events to be stimulated by suitable means, e.g. by specific
were also identified. marketing activities. The marketing campaign
The FIFA World Cup is seen as modern, could be based on interesting observations both
exciting, spirited, successful, self-confident and from the past and from the current Tour de France in
male with a strong team spirit. However, also some order to show what the Tour is in reality and to put
insufficiencies were also identified that consist emphasis on its merits. In this way it is possible to
partially of negative attitudes toward the following positively influence the traits original, imaginative
traits: friendly toward family, honest, proper, inde- and charming. An appropriately chosen marketing
pendent, intelligent, upper class, charming and campaign can also partially influence the traits
outdoorsy. Therefore the brand should adapt its fashionable (stylish) and elegant even though it is
marketing strategies according to these findings in not an easy matter for the Tour de France brand.
order to form its personality in the desired way. The traits honest and friendly toward family are
Thus, the core of the marketing strategy should negatively influenced mainly by the connection of
consist of those traits that are characteristic for this the Tour de France with doping. Even though the
brand and the brand should build its image upon Tour de France struggles hard against doping, every
them. year doping affairs occur during the event, which
Futhermore, the FIFA World Cup brand should indirectly damages the overall image of this brand.
concentrate on the traits that represent its weak- Based on the performed analysis of the OSG
nesses in its marketing campaign with TV adverti- brand personality, we can state that the public has
sements playing a major role, where an important a very positive view of this brand. The OSG brand
personality from the soccer world could be used. personality in the Czech Republic is perceived
This personality should mainly personify the as proper, sincere (publicly accessible), exciting,
traits intelligent, proper and honest with having a unique (typical), hard working, successful, self-
sense for family. The independence trait could be -confident, upper class, splendid, striking (pro-
strengthend by the usage of video recordings when minent) with team spirit. In contrast to the other
the main referee is not sure about a certain decision two brands there were no relevant insufficiencies
or if the team captain asks for it. identified. The strength and uniqueness of this
According to the research, the Tour de France brand is built on the previously mentioned traits and
brand is perceived as hard working, successful its marketing strategy should therefore be formed
and a male person and therefore the brand should accordingly in order to support the desired image.
base its image on these traits. Additionally, we
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Correspondence to:
Prof. Eva Čáslavová, PhD
Sport Management Department,
Faculty of PE and Sport
Charles University
J. Martího 31, 162 52 Prague, the Czech Republic
Phone: + 420 22 01 72 032
E-mail: [email protected]
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Čáslavová, E. and Petráčková, J.: THE BRAND PERSONALITY OF LARGE ... Kinesiology 43(2011) 1:91-106
Ovaj članak predstavlja rezultate istraživanja i koeficijentom asimetričnosti. Kao rezultat ovoga
osobina brenda velikih sportskih događaja kao što istraživanja predstavljene su karakteristike koje po-
su FIFA nogometno svjetsko prvenstvo, biciklistička zitivno opisuju, ali i one koje ne opisuju određe-
utrka Tour de France i ljetne Olimpijske igre. Autori ni brend natjecanja. Autori također predstavljaju
su vrednovali karakteristike brenda svakoga od prijedloge za daljnje marketinške akcije za svaki
navedenih sportskih događaja kao skup ljudskih od sportskih brendova koje bi unaprijedili osobine
karakteristika povezanih s određenim brendom. U brenda natjecanja i koje bi mogle koristiti u boljem
istraživanju je korištena metoda koju je standardi- razumijevanju s navijačima, gledateljima i ostalom
zirala američka autorica J. Aaker. U ovom su istra- publikom, u formiranju komunikacijske strategije te
živanju vrednovane 42 osobine sportskoga brenda, pri zajedničkom stvaranju vrijednosti brenda s pu-
podijeljene u 5 dimenzija. Rezultati dobiveni po- blikom.
moću upitnika bili su detaljno statistički analizirani
pri čemu je svaka karakteristika koja je formirala
osnovnu dimenziju brenda bila opisana aritmetič- Ključne riječi: upravljanje brendom, strategija
kom sredinom, modom, standardnom devijacijom marketinga, sportski događaj
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