The impact of sports on city branding : the case of Braga as European City of Sports

• Main Author: Fernandez, Magna Patrícia Pinto
• Publication Date: 2019
• Format: Master thesis
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/28534
• topic: City branding; Sport events; European City of Sports; Braga; Eventos desportivos; Cidade Europeia do Desporto

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of sports on city branding, in other words, to understand how cities use marketing strategies, such as hosting sports events, for brand positioning and gaining competitive advantage from other cities. In this study, we will observe these effects using the city of Braga as a case study, due to the fact that in 2018, it was nominated European City of Sports and in 2019, the best European City of Sports. The major findings were that sports events are cost-effective and flexible marketing tools which allow the city to reach different target groups and create brand awareness. The communication process was a challenge because the city had to target the fans of different modalities, who have different needs, however, the use of a segmented marketing strategy contributed to improve the experience of the different publics with the city. By hosting medium events, the city of Braga gained visibility and was able to effectively differentiate itself from other competitors. The residents were a key public for the success of the city’s sports events, as they acted as true brand ambassadors. They embraced the challenge and supported all the initiaves with pride. The relevance of the residents is in line with several studies, which suggest that if the citizens do not support the city’s marketing strategy, the whole strategy can be put into question.