Brand and Value Co-Creation:

A stakeholder approach to ’s CFL expansion franchise

By:

François Rodrigue

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Human Kinetics

School of Human Kinetics

Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Ottawa

August 2014

© François Rodrigue, Ottawa, Canada, 2014

BRAND AND VALUE CO-CREATION IN PROFESSIONAL SPORT ii

Acknowledgements

Beginning in 2012, my Masters was a marathon that could not have been completed with the assistance of many great individuals that supported me along the path. First and foremost, I have to thank my thesis supervisor, Dr. Benoit Séguin. He not only believed in me from our first meeting to the last, but he also helped me to grow as a man. Being similar on many aspects, from being former athletes to being focus on multiple projects, he taught me some valuable lessons that will definitely be applied beyond institutional boundaries.

I also have to thank the committee members for their insightful suggestions and valuable comments. Dr. Parent and Dr. MacIntosh had a significant role in my progression. The completion of this two-year race would not have been possible without their feedbacks.

Thank you to all the research participants and in particular, to Mr. and the

Ottawa REDBLACKS, for allowing me to access key individuals from their network as well as to participate in one-on-one interviews. The rhythm of the business world can be really high, yet they still made time for my research project. Thank you!

It goes without saying that my girlfriend, my parents, my parents-in-law, and my godparents played an immense role in my tenacity and determination over those two years. They cheered me up in my down times and prevented me from resting on my laurels when I was ahead. As a coach, I believe that skills are important, but I believe that your work ethic is even more important. They are the ones who made me the worker I am, and I have to sincerely thank them considering the sacrifices they made for me to achieve my goal.

Finally, I have to thank Anh Nguyen for being such a wonderful “co-supervisee” that embraced a teammates’ philosophy. I also have to thank my closest friends that appreciated my presences rather than criticize my absences. BRAND AND VALUE CO-CREATION IN PROFESSIONAL SPORT iii

Abstract

This study intended to advance the understanding of brand and value co-creation in sport management. A single exploratory case study of the , the CFL expansion franchise launching in 2014, was conducted. The purpose of the research was to unveil the practices that could lead to brand and value co-creation in the relationships between the Ottawa

REDBLACKS and their stakeholders.

Semi-structured interviews were performed with 20 participants from the focal organization’s network of stakeholders. The sample was built through a purposeful and snowball sampling method that added to stakeholders identified from the literature. Archival data of media publications, organizational online content, and radio podcasts were also gathered in order to complement the data from the interviews.

The deductive and inductive data analysis highlighted five main practices that could lead to brand or value co-creation in the stakeholder-firm relationship performance in a unique sport context: establishing relationships, supporting public relations, sharing resources, enhancing the experience, and driving brand image. The findings explained that joint actions between stakeholders and the REDBLACKS can lead to increases in brand equity and value creation. In the , the study suggested that future research should inv