Protecting Your Sponsored Brand: How Sponsor Fit and Level Impact Sports Event Value

What is it about?

This research investigated the reverse effects of sponsorship, focusing on how the nature of a sponsorship portfolio influences the brand equity (BE) of the sponsored sports entity. Drawing on schema and categorization theories, two experiments examined the effects of sponsor congruence (fit), sponsorship level, and portfolio size on consumer perceptions. The findings revealed that having an incongruent sponsor (one perceived as a poor fit) designated as the title sponsor was significantly detrimental to the perceived BE of the sponsored property. This negative effect was largely isolated to the highest level, as an incongruent sponsor holding a less prominent position, such as presenting sponsor, did not cause the same damage. The study demonstrated that the detrimental effects caused by an incongruent title sponsor could be managed and ultimately mitigated. Specifically, increasing the size of the sponsorship portfolio successfully attenuated the negative reaction, provided that the large roster consisted primarily of congruent co-sponsors. This occurs because the large, complex nature of the portfolio triggers assimilation effects rather than accentuating the dissonance caused by the initial incongruent sponsor. These results stress the importance for sponsored organizations to strategically manage their roster of sponsors, prioritizing strong brand fit, particularly at premium sponsorship levels.

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Photo by Stefan Lehner on Unsplash

Photo by Stefan Lehner on Unsplash