Exploring Paralympic digital sponsorship strategy: an analysis of social media activation

Rationale/Purpose: This study examines social media sponsorship activation during the 2018 PyeongChang Games period, seeking to investigate how sponsors of the Olympic and Paralympic Games activated their partnerships and how the Paralympic Games and para-athletes were portrayed in sponsor marketing. Design: Taking a national perspective, the research explores Canadian sponsors' social media activation on two platforms, Instagram and Twitter. A descriptive analytics approach was taken to analyze contrasting sponsors' activation strategies between events and across platforms. Findings: The study's results revealed a lack of activation of the Paralympic Games by sponsors measured by both a content analysis and through the number of posts that appeared on social media platforms. These findings suggest that Paralympic sponsorship activation remains largely absent and highlight the increased scope for engagement with followers during the Paralympic Games. Practical Implications: The lack of engagement by Paralympic sponsors reinforces the need for greater strategic intent and investment by sponsors in leveraging the Paralympic Games, and casts light on the latent value of social media engagement for sponsors. Research Contribution: The study advances and promotes Paralympic research and practice, offering new insight into the study of social media sponsorship activation and research.