Do Sponsors Boost a League's Brand? Reverse Effects on Sport Brand Equity

What is it about?

This study investigated the concept of reverse effects of sponsorship, testing a model where the brand equity (BE) held by corporate sponsors influences the BE of the sponsored sport organization, specifically the National Hockey League (NHL). Findings support a reverse transfer effect, challenging the predominant view that BE transfer is unidirectional (from property to sponsor). When consumers encounter a sponsorship roster composed of high BE brands, this positively influences the perceived prestige of the NHL. This enhanced prestige subsequently results in an increase in the NHL's own BE. This reverse transfer effect is intensified by consumers' domain involvement (their level of emotional connection to hockey). The results imply that proactive sports brands can manage their own brand equity by strategically selecting sponsoring firms with high BE, recognizing that sponsors bring more value than just financial contributions.

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Photo by Alex Korolkoff on Unsplash

Photo by Alex Korolkoff on Unsplash