Level of involvement of high-performance Colombian athletes with sports sponsorship

Abstract

The objective of the article is to determine the level of involvement of high-performance Colombian athletes with the brands that sponsor them. For this, a qualitative methodology was used, under a phenomenological-interpretative approach. As data collection method, a netnographic study was carried out on the social network Instagram, taking into account the profiles of the athletes who did mention their respective sponsor brands. This study was carried out using the publications made between the months of September and November of the year 2021, additionally 15 interviews were conducted with high-performance Colombian athletes from different disciplines. Among the main findings of this study are the non-existing requirements of the sponsoring brands to the sponsored athletes and the management of the digital platforms. A situation that is worrying since nowadays a fundamental factor in the world of sport’s sponsorship is the visibility of the brand through social networks. On the other hand, it was also identified in most of the athletes interviewed who have had more than two or three sponsorships, that there is always a greater affinity towards one of the sponsorships. This becomes a relevant fact due to the benefits it brings to brands, given that several of the athletes stated, on one hand, that they acquired greater loyalty towards that brand or sponsorship with which they develop a better connection, and on the other hand, they became more cautious about the correct use of the brand in order to avoid any public scandals since this is one of the main risks that the company encounters when deciding to carry out a sponsorship.