The author argues that Coca-Cola and General Motors sponsor sports for reasons that go beyond the desire to boost short-term sales. He says they are interested in using sports to deliver cultural messages.

What are these messages, and why are they interested in delivering them?

Coca-Cola and General Motors are outstanding examples of using sponsorship as an effective tool to use sports to deliver cultural messages through their promotional activities sponsoring many small, regional sports teams and cultural events all around the world at schools, which goes far deeper than simply juxtaposing logos in return for investment. They have a strong history of investing their resources to create events that bring the spirit of sports to cities around the world, and support athletes and teams, connecting with teens in an interesting and fun way, so they can use their power as a brand to encourage participation in sports.

These companies are committed to providing social value through its sponsorships strategy to be measured on a much broader level that includes the positive social impact it makes and the brand associations that it brings.