Corporate greenfluencing: a case study of sponsorship activation in Formula E motorsports

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how companies activate their sponsorship of Formula E (for Electric) championship races to influence consumers' opinion of them as sustainable businesses.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on an original combination of promotional outputs (YouTube spots, social media releases and sustainability reports) from Formula E race title sponsors in the 2017–2019 seasons, the paper is a qualitative analysis of how these sponsors solve the value clash between traditional motorsport imagery and environmentalism to achieve “narrative authenticity”.FindingsFindings show that sponsors do not address this clash directly. Instead, the conflict itself is reframed as a question of what sponsors do to improve the environment, not what they ndo not do. Second, the timeframe for action is redefined, which means that the future is what counts, not the situation today or given aims like the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.Originality/valueSponsorship activation through Formula E as way of generating green brand equity would come across as more credible if companies improved the use of cross-platform synergies to convey narrative authenticity. To qualitative researchers on sport sponsorship, the findings strengthen the understanding of brands as “cultural narrators”.

Is ISO20121 Certification a Detour or Gamechanger for Eco-Striving Sport Events? A Conceptual Typology

“…For that reason, Krivevski ( 2018 ) claims that Formula E has one of the lowest carbon footprints among international sporting events. Even more importantly, the championship has according to Næss and Tjønndal ( 2021 ) an approach to “legacy” in ways that mirror LOCOG's David Stubbs' view on what events may bring of ES change: “taken at a large scale, the relatively temporary diversion of resources to deliver the Games can be significantly outweighed by the longterm gains from achieving a sustainable legacy” (Stubbs, 2011 , p. 118).…”

The Case of Formula E

“…Of late, the number of research outputs investigating Formula E has therefore rapidly increased. These roughly divide into media explorations (Robeers, 2019;Robeers & Van den Bulck, 2018), human-digital interactions (Finn, 2020;Jarvenpaa & Standaert, 2017), event studies (Sturm, 2019) and studies of Formula E's commercial ramifications (Naess, 2020). However, its innovation history is unexplored territory.…”

“…The business magazine Management Today cheered for the championship that showed it was money in sustainable innovation 2 at a time when Formula 1 was accused of 'greenwashing' (Miller, 2016). Recently, sponsors have thrown caution to the wind, moved from F1 to Formula E and lined up as the 'greenfluencing' opportunities have become solid (Naess, 2020). In academia, Skinner et al (2018), who under the heading The Future Impact of Culture on Innovation in Sport Enterprises emphasized that Formula E is perhaps part of not only the future of sport but also the world.…”

Selvledelse som mulighet i kunnskapsorganisasjoner: Trengs andre selvledelsesstrategier?

“…Motorsport generelt har nemlig slitt med miljøprofil og samfunnsansvar de siste to tiårene (Mackellar & Reis, 2014;Sturm, 2019;Tranter & O'Keefee, 2004). Samtidig har studier vist at Formel E har blitt en kjaeledegge for bilprodusenter og sponsorer med tro på teknologi som løsning på klimautfordringene (Naess, 2020a;Robeers, 2019). Dette viser seg i de økonomiske resultatene også: Selv om Formel E oppga et tap på €26,4 millioner i 2018, genererte det også en rekordinntekt for serien på €133,4 millioner -mest takket vaere økende sponsorinntekter og påmeldingsavgifter til løpene, og en forretningsmodell som mest av alt ligner en startup (Sylt, 2019).…”