Drivers of brand image improvement in sports-event sponsorship. Issue 3 (3rd May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grohs, Reinhard
• Is Part Of: International journal of advertising. Volume 35:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 391
• Page End: 420
• Publication Date: 2016-05-03
• Subjects: sponsorship -- sponsor image -- sports -- event -- measurement; Advertising -- Periodicals; 659.105
• DOI: 10.1080/02650487.2015.1083070
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1759-3948

Abstract

Abstract : This stock-taking article re-examines 20 years of research on conditions that influence the magnitude of brand image improvement through sports-event sponsorship. The study suggests a procedure to adequately measure sponsor image change in field sponsorships and investigates potential factors related to the sponsored property, the sponsorship relationship, the sponsor, and the individual sports spectator that may affect the magnitude of sponsor image improvement. An empirical analysis in the context of a large sponsored sports event shows that some drivers influence sponsor image improvement directly in a multiple regression analysis (spectators' perceived event image, event–sponsor fit, sponsor familiarity, and product category importance), while other drivers are related to sponsor image in bivariate analyses only (spectators' event interest, sport interest, event exposure, and demographic characteristics). Reasons for these findings (e.g., interrelationship between drivers of sponsor image improvement), managerial implications, and consequences for the development of a comprehensive model of sponsor image formation are discussed.