This bachelor thesis focuses on the central characteristics of sports marketing, specifically sports sponsoring in professional sports. It defines the elements of marketing, particularly in sports, and examines Adidas' sports marketing of tennis. The paper also differentiates between "marketing of sports" and "marketing in sports." As examples, the thesis analyzes Adidas' sponsoring of athletes like Federer and Woods, teams like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and sports events like the 2012 Olympics and US Open. The result demonstrates how marketing has increased the business of sports and made sponsoring professional sports more important for companies.

1. “Characteristics of sports marketing”
Bachelor thesis by Louisa B. Sommer / Abstract
This bachelor thesis focuses on the central characteristics of sports marketing
with its main focus of attention to sports sponsoring in professional sports. Thus, it
contents the elements of marketing and in particular, marketing in sports.
My paper is based on the generic terminology of marketing as well as its
usage in the tennis department of the “Global Sports Marketing” at the leading sports
goods manufacturer in Germany, Adidas. Additionally, a precise break down of
marketing in it’s two main subareas “marketing of sports” and “marketing in sports”
has been conducted, which helps the reader to clarify an explicit differentiation of
the term “sports marketing”. The ambition of this bachelor thesis is, besides the
declaration of the common marketing in companies, the explication of sponsoring as
a communication tool in above mentioned subarea. Therefore, its different varieties,
forms of appearances as well as its practical main aims of sponsoring were analyzed.
Furthermore, to give an example of successful sports marketing, the representation of
the target groups of Adidas were examined.
The main part of the paper is based on six examples for sponsoring in sports:
The sponsoring of athletes (R. Federer, T. Woods), teams (FC Bayern Munich, Borussia
Dortmund) and sports events (Olympic Games 2012, US-Open). Generally speaking,
the study underlies the proceedings and financial contributions of different sport
sponsors and how they made their way into sports sponsoring.
The result of this bachelor thesis is a demonstration of the change of sports
business associated with the increasing importance of marketing for companies.
Furthermore it is endorsed by the increasing relevance of the business sector sports
and it’s importance for companies to sponsor professional sports.