Consequences of Event-Sponsor Fit in Sport Sponsorship: Evidence from the Indian Premier League

Abstract

This study investigates the sponsorship effectiveness in the context of the Indian Premier League (IPL). A conceptual model was developed with the event-sponsor fit as the independent variable and brand equity and purchase intention of the event sponsor as the dependent variables. Data were collected from 303 IPL fans using a questionnaire survey. Structural equation modelling was used. IBM SPSS 17 and AMOS 18 software were used for data analysis and hypotheses testing. The results showed that event-sponsor fit influences the attitude towards the sponsor and sponsorship as a whole. The attitudinal constructs influenced the brand equity and purchase intention of the sponsor brand. This is the first study that empirically tests the relationship between event-sponsor fit, attitudinal constructs, brand equity and purchase intention in the context of IPL. The findings of this study can help the brand marketers to make the best of the sponsorship deals.