Abstract
The purpose of this paper was to examine sponsorship management by professional sport franchises, taking the Brother Elephants professional baseball team as the subject. A qualitative interview was used to obtain the essential information. The interview guideline, as an instrument, was developed based upon previous studies. Two sport sponsorship experts were invited to review the instrument, which was modified based upon suggestions from experts. Triangulation was used for testing reliability of this instrument so that other printed materials related to the Brother Elephants were collected. After analyzing the results, several important conclusions were made, as follows: 1.) The club owner recognized the importance of sponsorship dollars upon the financial situation of the baseball club. Cooperation with other administration is also essential in sponsorship management. This may need more parallel communication. 2.) The club built a sponsorship sales division that managed sponsorship business. This division provided some data in presenting the unique aspects of the baseball club. The corporate philosophy was elicited in the sponsorship proposal. In addition, some sponsorable components, like an inflatable bottle or a blimp, were creative. 3.) Newspapers were the main source for the sponsorship sale division in identifying potential sponsors and obtaining information in relation to sponsors. Corporate image and sales opportunities were main factors when the club approached corporations. Contact methods included property approach, sponsor's direct contact, and hosting sponsorship sales seminars. 4.) Formulation of sponsorship goals depended upon the market demands. Sponsorship pricing was based upon the quantity of media exposure. Also, sales opportunity was another factor in pricing. 5.) Services for corporate sponsors were: news clippings, copies of photos about sponsorship activities, leveraging ideas, sponsorship evaluation, and collecting information about sponsors competitors.