Effect Analysis for LPGA Korean Company Sponsorship: Moderating Effect of Title Sponsor and Player Endorsement

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine Korean companies' LPGA sponsorship activities and structural relationship of negative sentiments, social identification, and purchasing intention, and investigate moderating effect between company title sponsor and player endorsement. The data was derived from loose cross validation analysis using analysis of frequency, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, CFA, and multiple group analysis. The results were as follows. First, out of Korean company LPGA sponsorship activities, communication, image promotion, and event contribution affected negative sentiments. Second, event contribution and image promotion affected social identification. Third, social identification affected purchasing intention. Tournament title sponsor exerted greater effect compared to player endorsement when it comes to the effect that the event contribution exerts on social identification depending on the type of participation as a sponsor (i.e. tournament title sponsor and player endorsement).