On-field competition has been a hallmark of athletics throughout history.
Competition is an integral component of sports; it is part of what makes sports so
compelling and popular. Recent history has shown that the off-field competition among
teams has become just as fierce as the competition on the field. Because of its escalating
popularity, sport has grown into a highly commercialized and very competitive industry
in this country. Consumers have so many different sport and entertainment choices these
days that the competition is forcing sport organizations to become more professional in
their operations and marketing. Sport organizations have looked to the corporate world
for guidance and have begun modeling themselves after successful businesses. Many
companies have adopted brand management as the strategy that will sustain them in the
long run and offers them the opportunity to build and maintain a competitive advantage.
In short, brand management is the practice of building and maintaining successful brands.
“Companies must build strong brands to be competitive” (Joachimsthaler & Aaker, 1997,
p. 39). Brands are successful because they are able to leverage the brand equity that
consumers hold.