Balancing Act: Proprietary and Non-Proprietary Sponsored Events

Abstract

Few studies have offered an empirical assessment of the outcomes that are associated with proprietary and non-proprietary event marketing and there is no healthcare research, of which we are aware, that has attempted to add to this debate. Accordingly, the objectives of this study are: to explore the trade-offs between proprietary and non-proprietary sponsored marketing events, and to assess the effects of healthcare marketing activities in association with a high-profile event. To address the latter objective, we analyzed field survey spectator results gathered at an annual professional sporting event in which a sponsoring healthcare organization’s exhibits, staff, and volunteers were involved.

We discuss in detail, the two major types of event marketing and the trade-offs of each approach. We then describe the sporting event, healthcare marketer, and major event beneficiary, along with the results of the study and analysis of the healthcare marketer’s impact on spectators at the event. Following the field study results, we examine a prominent healthcare organization and reasons why it subscribes to the alternative event marketing approach. Subsequently, we present information about event-related healthcare marketing that was gathered during telephone interviews with marketing executives (specialists, directors, and vice presidents) from hospitals, physician groups, HMOs, pharmaceutical companies, and nonprofit healthcare organizations. Finally, based on the findings concerning the two approaches – sponsorship and event marketing – we present implications for healthcare organizations and insights for further scholarly inquiry.