Sport Sponsorship Research Articles

The paradox of challenging and reinforcing stereotypes in women’s sport sponsor communication

ABSTRACT In recent years, women’s sport has experienced sustained growth, resulting in a positive shift in media coverage and increased attention from corporate sponsors. Past research has extended our understanding of the challenges, objectives and motivations of sponsors however, less is known with respect to whether sponsor communication perpetuates a gender-based narrative. In addressing this research gap, this study examines women’s sport sponsor communication to understand how gender stereotyping manifests in messaging around sponsorship objectives and women’s sport/athletes. Findings show that sponsor communication of objectives mirrors the traditional social roles held by women (centred on a communal orientation), while agentic gender traits associated with masculinity emerge in communication around women’s sport/athletes. Our study highlights the importance of message framing in sponsor communication and the need for simultaneously embracing and valuing both feminine and masculine traits. This is an important step towards creating a balanced narrative around women athletes and women’s sport.

Examining the Impact of Sports Sponsorship on Fan Attitude and Purchase Intentions towards Sponsors' Products in Professional Football: A Study of the Ghanaian Fan Base

This paper investigates the mediating role of fans' attitudes in the relationship between sports sponsorship and the purchase intention of Ghanaian football fans. Survey data were collected from 398 official supporter groups of Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC (Circles) and Accra Hearts of Oak SC (Chapters) using a purposive sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was utilized to gather the data. The study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to validate the model. The results indicate that sponsorship significantly influences purchase intention and fans' attitudes. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that fan attitude mediates the relationship between sponsorship and purchase intention. These findings suggest that sponsorship plays a significant role in improving the purchase intention of football fans, and the impact of sponsorship on purchase intention is strengthened by fans' attitudes. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the complex dynamics between sponsorship, fans' attitude, and purchasing intention, particularly in the context of Ghanaian football fans. While the study provides useful findings for industrial players and practitioners, it is essential to acknowledge that this study relied on cross-sectional survey data, which limits our ability to establish causal relationships. Additionally, the current study focused specifically on soccer fans of only two Clubs in Ghana, which may restrict the generalizability of the findings to fans of other teams or sports, limiting the applicability of the study's results to a broader context.

A bad bet for sports fans: the case for ending the “gamblification” of sport

ABSTRACT A “gamblification” of sport has occurred over the last 25 years. Sports betting operators are now major sponsors of sport, and gambling activities and cultures are firmly embedded into sport. This paper considers the key issues affecting harmful gambling amongst sport audiences arising from this gamblification and implications for sport management. A narrative literature review identifies seven key issues: 1) harmful sports betting and negative consequences, 2) increased access to sports betting through smartphones, 3) innovated betting options that appeal most to bettors already experiencing gambling harm, 4) how advertising exacerbates harmful betting, 5) the normalisation of sports betting amongst sports fans, 6) impacts on children and adolescents, and 7) the heightened risk of harmful betting amongst sports participants. Sports organisations play an instrumental role in the gamblification of sport and derive revenues from wagering operators that are, in large part, derived from harmful gambling by sports fans. Rising community backlash against the normalisation of sports betting, and increasing regulatory restrictions on sports betting sponsorship and advertising, suggest that gambling sponsorship of sports will increasingly become untenable. Sports organisations need to plan for a future without wagering sponsorships and use their considerable influence to reduce gambling harm amongst their fans, players and broader communities.

The Impact of Sports Sponsorship and How to Maximize the Effect of Sports Sponsorship

The purpose of this study is to examine sports sponsorship to promote sporting events. Sports sponsorship is an equal and mutually beneficial combination between sports and enterprises. Sports sponsorship plays a positive role in the development of sports: it expands the financial resources of sports, releases the charm of sports, activates all kinds of competitions; satisfies people's viewing experiences and promotes mass sports; at the same time, it beautifies the corporate and brand image and improves the brand awareness and brand image of enterprises. To gain the wide goodwill and attention of the community. It creates a favorable environment for the survival and development of different enterprises. This paper discusses the origin and development of sports sponsorship through the literature analysis method analyzes the role of sports sponsorship in the sports industry and the benefits to the participating enterprises, as well as the development of countermeasures, and puts forward some suggestions on how to make sports sponsorship more effective.

Improving the Generalizability of the Effects of Sport Sponsorship on Brand Awareness: A Longitudinal, Multilevel Perspective

Abstract: While the effects of sport sponsorship are widely researched, many studies suffer from a lack of generalizability and are oftentimes cross-sectional, given the challenges inherent in the collection and analysis of longitudinal data. Tis study seeks to remedy these issues by analyzing a longitudinal, heterogeneous dataset comprised of more than 500 sponsorships of North American sport leagues spanning 14 years. Results reveal an 8% increase in brand recognition in the first year following the initiation of the sponsorship. However, lagged variables indicate that the effect is reduced significantly after the second year. A second analysis confirms that effects are generalizable across multiple leagues and sponsorship categories. These results contradict the prevailing assumption that investments in sponsorship necessarily need to be long-term, suggesting that effects on brand awareness are more immediate and that effectiveness wanes the longer a brand remains a sponsor, representing an important and novel managerial contribution.

The Effects of Sports Sponsorship on Buying Response for Jordanian Fans

This study aims to investigate the effect of sports sponsorship activities on the buying behavior of sports audiences, in addition to determining the statistical differences in the level of sports sponsorship activities and the buying response according to some organizational and demographics. The research population consists of Jordanian sports audiences who live in Amman city. The Convenience sampling technique is used. The researcher selects the respondents from coffee shops, cafes, famous malls in Amman, and social media users. The recommended sample size is 385. The unit of analysis is the Jordanian who attended and watched the sports activities for up to 19 years living in Amman. The study concludes that sports sponsorship activities strongly positively affected the buying response “ATR” of the sports audience. It is found statistically significant differences in the awareness tend to males and B. A degree holder. It is also found that the age between 42 - 46 is the most experienced, but it is found that there are no differences between the sports audience segments in the repeated purchase stage. Finally, it is a statistically significant difference in sponsorship activities and tends to the telecom companies in Jordan. The study presents a set of recommendations that enhance using the sponsorship in the local sports market.

기업의 위기 상황에서 스포츠 스폰서십의 완충효과에 관한 연구

This study was conducted to examine buffering effects of corporate sport sponsorship during a corporate crisis on public’s crisis perception, attitude towards corporation after the crisis, and product purchase intention. This study surveyed 150 college students. The collected data was run through SPSS(ver. 12.0) programs and then analyzed. The results are listed as follows. As a result, it was found that corporate sports sponsorship activities in a corporate crisis have a buffering effect, such as strengthening consumers' awareness of overcoming corporate crisis and positively affecting brand attitudes and purchase intentions. However, there was no difference according to image suitability between the sponsor company and the sports event.

Co-branding drivers between professional sport organizations and on-field sports apparel sponsors

PurposeThis study aims to investigate drivers of co-branding, and the relative strength of these drivers within the Persian Gulf Pro League (PGPL). The study examines sport sponsorship, and specifically the relationship between professional football teams and on-field apparel sponsors.Design/methodology/approachSixteen experts participated in semi-structured interviews and ranked the co-branding drivers. The expert opinions were organized into estimates and triangular fuzzy numbers were established before the Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System converted the fuzzy outputs into crisp output values using the Centroid method. Next, the rankings of the drivers by the same 16 participants were analyzed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP).FindingsThe study identified four main factors with 19 indicators: brand management (i.e. enhancing brand value, utilizing the knowledge and experience of partner brands, brand position, brand identity, brand equity and brand image), partner relationships (i.e. satisfaction, mutual trust, commitment, common interest, product reliability and innovative strategies), marketing factors (i.e. marketing mix, market position, competitive advantage and entry into new domestic markets) and supporting factors (i.e. copyright, contracts and social media law). The AHP identified the most influential factors as marketing, partner relationships, brand management and support.Originality/valueBased on the study’s findings, the authors recommend that PGPL teams adopt a partnership mindset, seek alignment of values and recognize the plurality of stakeholders to a sponsorship and their relationships to each other. The study highlights the challenges of co-branding activities in a developing country where trademark laws are not well developed.

Sports Marketing Dalam Menarik Minat Penonton Formula E di Indonesia

This research was conducted to test and find out the influence of sports marketing (sports advertising, star athletes, and sports sponsorship) in attracting Formula E spectators in Indonesia. Quantitative approach is the technique used in this study. Data collection was carried out by distributing online questionnaires and a total of 135 respondents were obtained. Data was collected using an online survey. After being created using the Google Form, the questionnaire was distributed to the Indonesian people online. Questionnaire measurements were carried out using a Likert scale, where 1 indicated strongly disagree and 5 indicated strongly agreed. Testing is done by testing the instrument, namely testing the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The analysis technique used is multiple regression analysis. The research findings found that there is a simultaneous effect of sports advertising, star athlete, and sports sponsorship variables on audience interest. Meanwhile, based on partial research results, the elements of sports marketing that influence audience interest are sports advertising and star athletes. Sports sponsorship does not have a significant influence in attracting audience interest.

The Legal Nature of the Sports Sponsorship Contract

يعد عقد الرعاية الرياضية من اهم العقود التي تبرمها المؤوسسات الرياضية من اجل الحصول على التمويل الكافي لاجل اداء نشاطاتها ، فقد كان لاحترافية النشاطات الرياضية ومتابعتها من قبل فئات عديدة من الجمهور ووجود مؤوسسات تجارية او صناعية تريد ابراز اسمائها من خلال هذه النشاطات الاثر البالغ في ظهور هذا العقد وتطوره.
 تطرقت هذه الدراسة للطبيعة القانونية لعقد الرعاية الرياضية من خلال البحث في مدى انطباق بعض احكام العقود المسماة عليه ، ومن ثم تطبيق أي احكام عليه ، وذلك من خلال تناول العقود الواردة على المنفعة كعقد الترخيص ، وعقد الوديعة ، والعقود الواردة على العمل كعقد العمل وعقد المقاولة.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sports Sponsorship from Banking and Financial Services, Case Study: Badminton

Indonesia is known for its badminton success, yet its badminton and sports industry still has fundamental problems in its management, funding, and regulations impacting the athletes' performances. Whereas an athlete's performance is vital for the sponsors as it results in more exposure an athlete can expect to earn for the sponsors' visibility. Therefore, BNI's decision to sponsor the Indonesian badminton team is now arguable whether the company will benefit from this sponsorship deal. Previous research imposed the role of customer perceptions as the determinant of the sponsorship responses that implies the sports sponsorship effectiveness. Thus, the current research is meant to extend the understanding of sports sponsorship effectiveness, specifically from banking and financial institutions in the context of the Indonesian badminton team. The quantitative method through a questionnaire survey was chosen to conduct this research with a purposive sampling technique targeting the non-BNI users who are also the spectators of Indonesian international badminton tournaments in the last 2 years. The descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM were then utilized to analyze the 308 survey responses acquired. The results showed that consumers consider badminton events significant in Indonesia, although not for them. The sponsorship from BNI is also perceived as favorable and matches with the Indonesian badminton team. However, only some variables contribute positively to the sponsorship responses in brand awareness, corporate image, and purchase intention. To gain benefits from sports sponsorship, a company should attract the right target audience while showing real sincerity in sponsoring the sports property. Further research may be extended into other sports and locations of research to explain better the sports sponsorship effectiveness from consumers' perceptions.

“Why Can’t We Be Friends”? An Examination of Academic and Industry Alignment in Sport Sponsorship

The purpose of this study is to produce an analysis of content published in both academic literature and industry related publications that specifically examines the theme of sport sponsorship. Scholars suggest a gap between academia and industry, yet it is undetermined how published articles about sponsorship are aligned and why certain topics may overlap in interest where others are independent topics. While a number of other studies have examined content in academic publications, no study has yet been applied comparing industry publications. Our intention is to compare the published academic articles and what is written in industry publications to better understand the content that is being discussed across the various channels, and to see if there is a gap between industry and academia. Findings show academics focused on certain categories while industry focused on others. Within some categories there was a clear distinction in how differently they discussed certain topics. However, some categories did demonstrate balance.

Effects of Commitment to CSR-Linked Sport Sponsorship on Consumers’ Fit Perception, Attitude toward Sponsor, and Word-of-Mouth Intention

Abstract: Corporate social responsibility (CSR)-linked sport sponsorships attract attention from sport marketing professionals and scholars alike. The purpose of this research was to examine how the effectiveness of a CSR-linked sponsorship varies depending upon the sponsor’s commitment to the CSR program. The results of our experiment showed that a CSR-linked sponsorship could hurt consumers’ fit perception if the sponsor shows only minimum commitment to the cause. We also found that a CSR-linked sponsorship is more effective than a standard sponsorship in inducing consumers’ positive attitudes toward the sponsor and word-of-mouth intentions only if the sponsor is strongly committed to the CSR program. Finally, our mediation analysis revealed that strong commitment to the CSR-linked sponsorship indirectly increases consumers’ word-of-mouth intentions through enhanced fit perception and attitude toward the sponsor. Therefore, sports organizations and their sponsors should incorporate CSR into their sponsorship only if they can be strongly committed to the program.

A research agenda at the intersection of sport sponsorship and service

PurposeThe purpose of this work is (1) to supply a framework of actors in sport sponsorship and articulate the service relationships that support these partnerships and (2) to propose research questions in this space that are unaddressed and forward-looking.Design/methodology/approachSponsorship is part of a complex network of actors and service relationships found in sport. The sports team, activity, or event is a sport property, often with long-term and dynamic service relationships. The authors consider how a sponsor's relationship with the sport property intersects with organizing bodies, venues, communities and society. The authors identify clusters of actors that interact with and influence other clusters (e.g. governing bodies, media, host community and venue/teams/fans) within an ecosystem, paying special attention to aspects of co-creation and co-destruction and the feedback loops that cause them.FindingsThrough this analysis, the authors identify areas of needed research at the intersection of sport sponsorship and service. The model synthesizes the literature from service-dominant logic, sports, sponsorship, systems thinking and co-creation/co-destruction research areas. Using the model and relevant cases, the authors can better understand the complexities of sport service relationships and advance research at the intersection of sport sponsorship and service.Originality/valueThis is the first sport sponsorship service ecosystem model. It is also the first integration of systems thinking with constructs in sport sponsorship and services.

A meta-analysis: Investigating the impact of virtual and augmented reality technologies on brand equity and brand loyalty in sports sponsorship

A meta-analysis: Investigating the impact of virtual and augmented reality technologies on brand equity and brand loyalty in sports sponsorship

Examining the Marketing Effectiveness of Sports Team Sponsorship on Consumer Behaviour: A Cross-Cultural Comparison between Low and High Context Cultures

Sports sponsorship is a marketing activity that requires huge budget where companies seek to achieve business objectives. The study compares between low and high context cultures to understand the effect of football team sponsorship on consumer behaviour. An online survey was conducted through Qualtrics with 380 responses. Results show that culture affects the outcome of football team sponsorship on brand image, purchase intention, and brand loyalty. Football team sponsorship leads to higher marketing effectiveness in low context culture. Low context culture has either the same outcome of high context culture or better and vice versa. High context culture tends to have some negative attitudes toward the brands that are sponsoring football teams. It is recommended for marketers to allocate football team sponsorship budget to low context culture for better outcome. Future work should aim to compare cultural effect on sports sponsorship in other sports such as basketball, tennis, golf … etc.

Case Study: Money Management in Kosovo Sports

Sport in the country is supported through program policies and is also supported in its development even with the difficulties that our society and the sports activity of the country has gone through. The management of sports clubs, federations and sports organizations in general develop their activities facing difficulties of a material nature when it comes to participation in international competitions. Therefore, this paper presents the management of money in sports organizations, infrastructure and other stakeholders. This paper is presented as a model, which has to do with the management, sports, infrastructural capacities that are at the moment, then also the distribution of the budget for federations, clubs, sports infrastructure and other organizations that perform these activities. The management of money for sports in the country has been executed for about 35 sports federations with about 867 sports clubs, where in total approximately 81.041 participate in sports activities, of which 67.583 are men and 13,458 women, and their amount spent was about 14,247,919 euro from the revenues of 18.489.005 euro that were from the country’s government. The management of money for sports in the country would open the way if appropriate measures are taken to increase the budget by engaging serious investors in terms of sports infrastructure in public- private partnerships, where this would then affect the addition of sports facilities and their management as rationally as possible where sports activities would then be increased and then this would also bring incomes. Meanwhile, sports organizations should be further supported in the operationalization of fiscal facilities for companies that are helping clubs and federations that wish to enter sports sponsorship, where this would also be pushing force in the development and improvement of sports and its conditions for the progress of sports activities.

Content Analysis of Sports Sponsorship: Spor Toto Super League

Sponsorluk, küreselleşmenin ve rekabetin arttığı günümüz dünyasında gelişmekte olan bir iletişim aracıdır. Sponsor markalar, sponsorluk faaliyetleri ile toplum faydası ve marka imajı sağlarken aynı zamanda kurumun halkla ilişkiler hedeflerine de hizmet etmektedir. Sponsorluk türlerinden biri olan spor sponsorluğu da medyanın gelişmesiyle daha da belirgin hale gelmiştir. Literatürde spor sponsorluğu ve sponsorluk kapsamında yapılmış birçok çalışma bulunmaktadır. Ancak Türkiye’de spor sponsorlarını sağlıklı ve sağlıksız olarak nitelendiren bir çalışmanın bulunmadığı görülmektedir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, 2021-2022 sezonu Türkiye Spor Toto Süper Lig’inde yer alan futbol takımlarına sponsor olan markaları sağlık ve sağlıksız olarak nitelendirmektir. Türkiye’de ve Türk takımlarına yönelik böyle bir çalışmanın yapılmamış olması araştırmanın özgün değerini oluşturmaktadır. Veriler, futbol takımlarının web sayfalarında belirtilen sponsorluklar esas alınarak 12-26 Nisan 2022 tarihleri arasında içerik analizi ile incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda en fazla sponsorluğun gıda sektöründe en az sponsorluğun güvenlik sektöründe yer aldığı görülmüştür. Elde edilen diğer bir sonuç ise Spor Toto Süper Lig takımlarına sponsor markaların çoğunlukla gri kategorisinde yer aldığı ardından ise yeşil kategorisinde bulunduğudur.

Alcohol Marketing and Consumption in Thailand: Results from the International Alcohol Control Policy Study

Background: Alcohol marketing is a facilitator of alcohol consumption and related harm. The objectives of this study were to examine associations between alcohol consumption and exposure to and liking of alcohol marketing activities in Thailand.
 Methods: Data were obtained from the Thailand International Alcohol Control Policy study in 2012/2013 with 5,808 respondents aged betwee 15 and 65 years. Logistic regression models were applied to determine factors associated with liking alcohol advertisements and being a current drinker, regular drinker and binge drinker.
 Results: Of all respondents, 75% were exposed to alcohol advertising on television followed by sports sponsorship (69%) and point of sale (66%). Youth reported higher levels of exposure to alcohol advertising via all activities/channels, particularly online media, than adults (except radio). Respondents with high exposure to alcohol advertising were more likely to like alcohol advertising (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=7.32, 95%confidence interval (CI): 4.91-10.92), compared to respondents who never exposed to alcohol advertising. The odds ratios of being a drinker (AOR=2.28, 95%CI: 1.82-2.85), a regular drinker (2.10, 1.57-2.81) and a binge drinker (2.57, 1.94-3.41) were significantly higher among those who highly liked alcohol advertising compared with those who did not.
 Conclusion: Thailand should place greater restrictions on alcohol advertising and marketing activities.

Consumer Reactions to Negative Incidents in Sports Sponsorship:

本研究の目的は，スポーツイベントへのスポンサー契約にネガティブなインシデントが発生した場合の，消費者の反応を探索的に検討することである。具体的には，2021年に開催された2020東京五輪に関して，2022年に入って指摘されはじめた五輪汚職を事例に，Twitter上で発生したネガティブな口コミを探索的に検討する。そして，ネガティブな事象が発生した場合の，スポンサー企業への消費者の反応を明らかにする。実際にツイートデータを抽出した企業は，AOKIとKADOKAWAの2社である。これらのツイートデータに関して，ネガティブインシデントが発生した時系列ごとに頻出単語を整理した。その結果，一度ネガティブインシデントが発生して以降は，消費者の反応の増減に関わらず，ネガティブな頻出単語の性質には変化はないことが示された。