ExxonMobil’s sponsorship of the Qatar Open: Major Sporting Events and Corporate Social Responsibility

Cynthia Chance Georgetown University

The Men’s Tennis Tournament, known as the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (part of the ATP World Tour 250 Series of the ATP World Tour) is not only a good model of sponsorship, but also a good example of how corporations are taking their responsibilities seriously to provide a benefit to society. This idea that corporations should create social benefits in addition to turning profits has come to be an expectation and aspiration of most highly successful companies. This consumer movement turned business imperative is called “Corporate Social Responsibility” or CSR. This case study explores the sporting event known as the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, and the sponsorship relationship that ExxonMobil has created with this ATP World Tour event and the nation of Qatar to illustrate the value of CSR. This will help us to understand the fundamental reasons why corporations ought to embrace certain opportunities to do good and not others, and why CSR is good business as well as being good for society.