Hur arbetar Svensk Elitfotboll (SEF) med sina huvudsponsorer Unibet och OBOS utifrån sin brand identity och hur uppfattas detta genom brand image?

Sammanfattning: AbstractKeywords: Brand image, brand identity, sponsorship, betting, football, branding. Purpose: How does Swedish Elite Football (SEF) work with its main sponsors Unibet and OBOS based on its brand identity and how is this perceived through brandimage? Methodology: The study is based on a qualitative approach. With semi-structured interviews and document analysis, we have collected material that has been processed through a thematic analysis. Theory: Theoretical starting points in this study are the concepts of brand image, brand identity and positioning. Results and conclusions: Previous research showed that gambling addiction and a normalization of betting were consequences formed in England since 1992 after a high exposure of gambling companies. This led to unhealthy betting behaviour, especially among adolescents, which may have affected the league's reputation. In our analysis, we investigated SEF's use of a privately owned gaming company as the main sponsor from a brand perspective. Based on SEF's brand identity, the organization will now be associated with Unibet in their exposure and marketing, which also means that their association will fall on SEF. Thus, SEF needs to create a good brand image for the gaming company, which it tries to do through different types of projects. Hemmaklubben and Unicoach are social projects that will develop Swedish football by, for example, training coaches further to develop better own products from the academies. SEF and Unibet have also initiated work against gambling addiction. They explain the project as that the problem is something that affects both organizations and should therefore be solved by the organizations. In this way, they want to inform the public that there are many benefits to the new collaboration, which are factors that strengthen SEF's identity. Based on our review of previous material, we can ́t see any previous studies where private betting companies as the main sponsor of a league social projects have done to counteract unhealthy betting behaviour, which SEF and Unibet do. From this point of view, we believe that the view of SEF's brand is partly dependent on the results the social projects will show. At present, SEF believes that they have received a positive response after turbulent discussions when the collaboration became official. Social projects have calmed the storm and supporters are probably waiting for the consequences of the values the collaboration can have. Thus, brand identity is probably dependent on positive results of the projects to be able to show that the organizations do have a value for Swedish Elite Football. This will then lead to a perception (brand image) about the organization. In further studies, we would like to see further research5on the organization's brand image to see how this has actually been received by supporters of SEF and whether the projects have been successful or not.