Patronage, public relations and philanthropy: «Fendi for fountains» case study

Abstract

The present study addresses an academic review of the concept of patronage, its evolution and application nowadays, in order to specify its application with public relations and with corporate philanthropy. In addition to theoretical deepening on the object of study, we analyzed, through a quantitative and qualitative exploration, the patronage campaign "Fendi for fountains" and its repercussion on the media.  The fashion industry seems to have relieved the Renaissance patrons and become one of the most active sectors in this field. We try to contextualize patronage, justify its application as part of the business strategy in the 21^st century and confirm its coincidences with ancient patronage and with its philanthropic essence. The analysis confirms that a good campaign patronage serves to consolidate the image of a company and its commitment to the strategic public as well as to improve the corporate relations of the company with the community in which it operates. Although patronage can be susceptible to be used for purposes other than its raison d’etre, if it is well managed in terms of nature, messages and targets, it can become one of the most important parts in management of corporate intangible assets.