Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe the key driving forces in international sponsorship during the years preceding the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Design/methodology/approach – A “means‐objectives model” is applied, thereby linking sponsorship to brand...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the advertising behavior seen as an activation strategy performed by Olympic sponsors in an emerging market context. It provides insights into the strategic goals related to sponsorship. Design/methodology/approach – The...