ABSTRACT
Strong sport brands yield benefits that can escalate exponentially over the length of their existence. As lower costs and higher returns accrue to strong brands, so too does brand value. This chapter explores how sport brands can be leveraged or activated to ensure that the intuitive relationship between strong branding and commercial success is fulfilled. It highlights the need to invest in maintaining the right form of awareness about a brand, and, more importantly, how the more complex notions of brand personality and attitude must be addressed. The concept of ‘ambush branding’ is introduced, highlighting both a potential opportunity and concern that brands must consider in an increasingly competitive environment. To ensure an appropriate translation of theory into practice from the concepts established in the book thus far, the chapter concludes with an examination of a popular consumer branding category, sporting footwear.
