Consumer evaluations of sponsorship programmes

TLDR

The study investigates consumer reactions to various sponsorship programmes. The study compared sponsorship programmes varying in nature, origin, frequency, and sponsor–event link strength. Results show philanthropic sponsorship improves corporate image more than commercial sponsorship, that the sponsor–event link has a non‑linear effect, that consumer interest in the event boosts sponsor image, and that the factors interact to influence evaluations, offering strategic implications for sponsorship management.

Abstract

Presents the results of a study of consumer reactions to various sponsorship programmes. The programmes differed in terms of four factors: the nature of the sponsorship (philanthropic versus commercial), its origin (pre‐existing versus event created by the sponsor), its frequency (continuous versus one‐shot) and the strength of the link between the entity (or the event) and the sponsor (weak versus strong). The results show that philanthropic sponsorship has a more positive impact on corporate image than commercial sponsorship. Also, the link between the sponsor and the event has a non‐linear effect on corporate image. Consumer interest in the sponsored event has a positive impact on perceptions of the sponsor′s image. In addition, it was found that the factors have interactive effects on consumer evaluations. Strategic implications for sponsorship management are derived from these results.