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Research Conference in Sports Marketing: 

Focus on Sponsorship 

June 21 and 22, 2012 

University of Oregon 

Portland, Oregon 

Conference Program

Research Conference in Sports Marketing: Focus on Sponsorship 

Warsaw Sports Marketing Center 

Lundquist College of Business, University of Oregon 

Portland, Oregon 

June 21 and 22, 2012 

Wednesday, June 20 

Conference Registration 

4:00-6:00 

Vintage Plaza Hotel (Lobby) 

Thursday, June 21 

Conference Registration (outside entrance to 142/144 White Stag) 

7:30-8:00 

Welcome and Continental Breakfast (142/144 White Stag) 

8:00-9:00 

David Boush, Associate Dean, Lundquist College of Business 

Paul Swangard, Managing Director, Warsaw Sports Marketing Center 

Session 1 (142/144 White Stag) 

9:00–10:00 

Keynote Speaker: Anders Sundt Jensen 

Vice President Brand Communications, Mercedes-Benz 

Cars 

Sponsoring: A Strategic Pillar for Mercedes-Benz 

Brand Communications 

Anders Sundt Jensen, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars, presents the 

role and importance of sponsorship for the brand Mercedes-Benz. This sponsorship strategy is 

based on 5 international platforms with the goal to create global brand awareness and provide 

access to potential customers. 

Break: 10:00-10:15 (142/144 White Stag)


10:15-11:00 

Francois Carrillat, HEC Montréal 

Alain d'Astous, HEC Montréal 

Francois Bellavance, HEC Montréal 

Francois Eid, HEC Montréal 

On ‘Being There’: The Effectiveness of Sporting Event Sponsorship in On- 

Site versus Media Environments 

Discussant: Christopher Lee, University of Oregon 

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a field experiment where the effectiveness 

of field sponsorship, as assessed by sponsor recall and recognition, was compared in 

two radically different viewing environments: on-site and television. A series of 

research hypotheses concerning the effects of the viewing environment as well as the 

interactive effects of gender, affective valence (i.e., pleasure), and affective intensity 

(i.e., arousal) were put forward. Forty-four hockey fans attended a professional hockey 

game in the local team’s arena whereas forty-four others saw the same game, at the 

same time, on television. Emotion impacted sponsorship effectiveness among men but 

not among women. More specifically, for male spectators, pleasure decreased recall 

and recognition on-site relatively to television whereas arousal improved these 

outcomes on-site compared to television. Implications for sponsorship practice and 

research are presented. 


11:00-11:45 

Marc Mazodier, University of South Australia 

Karen Palmer, University of Adelaide 

Carolin Plewa, University of Adelaide 

Pascale Quester, University of Adelaide 

Being a Good Sport: Can Sponsors Use CSR to Build Their Brand? 

Discussant: Eric Olson, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs 

Abstract: In response to increasing clutter, cost, and pressure to be considered a good 

corporate citizen, sponsors have turned away from large, professional corporate properties 

to community-based properties that can deliver an engaged audience and demonstrate the 

sponsor’ s corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this paper, we conceptually develop 

and empirically show how community-based sponsorship may improve self-congruity. 

While self-congruity has been shown to act as a determinant of consumer behavior, little is 

known about its antecedents. In this study, we found perceived sponsor CSR image to 

mediate the relationship between perceived community-based sporting club CSR and 

consumers’ self-congruity with the sponsor. Moreover, perceived club-sponsor fit emerged 

as moderating the relationship between property CSR and sponsor CSR, while attitude 

toward CSR moderates the relationship between sponsor CSR and self-congruity. The 

paper concludes with theoretical and managerial implications and future directions for 

research.

Lunch (142/144 White Stag) 

12:00-1:00 


1:00-2:00 

Plenary Session Speaker: Jim Andrews 

Senior Vice President, Content Strategy IEG, LLC 

Baby Steps: Developments in Corporate Marketers' 

Approach to Sponsorship Measurement 

Abstract: Depending on your perspective, the progress made over the past three 

decades in evaluating the success of sponsorship programs can be captured by one of 

two song titles: “Things Have Changed” or “Is That All There Is?” With any luck, the 

most apt description may be, “The Best Is Yet to Come.” 

Although many leading sponsors have come a long way from the days when 

sponsorship measurement began and ended with counting the impressions generated by 

signage and other identification, still others look at what is easy to measure, not at what 

is truly insightful and useful to decision-making. 

The session will examine how more sophisticated practitioners are assessing their 

partnerships’ impact on brand perception, image, loyalty and sales, as well as applying 

advanced analytics to determine results connected to business objectives and to 

optimize spending on fees and activation. 

Break (142/144 White Stag) 

2:00-2:15 


2:15-3:00 

Debra Laverie, Texas Tech University 

William Humphrey, Texas Tech University 

The Social Sports Influencer: Driving Fan eWord of Mouth and Loyalty via 

Influence Targeting 

Discussant: Steve Andrews, Roger Williams University 

Abstract: Sports marketers can benefit by engaging consumers more effectively using 

customer relationship management technology. Advances have been made in this field 

through the implementation of lifetime customer value scores, but this number only 

provides a view of current value of existing customers to the firm. As social media 

usage grows in consumer participation and importance to the sports marketing 

manager, online influence and the power of a customer or prospect’s network. This 

research explores how sports marketers can use measures of online influence to target 

influential customers for product trials or prioritize customer service interactions with 

influencers to drive positive word of mouth. It is hypothesized that the ultimate result 

of this word of mouth is loyalty, which is of critical practical value to marketing

practitioners wishing to foster long-term customer relationships. By including real 

world examples of sports marketers that have tested this emerging concept, a case is 

made for further empirical research into this nascent area of firm strategy. 

Session 6 (150 White Stag) 

2:15-3:00 

Christopher Rumpf, Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln 

Predicting Sponsorship Outcomes with Artificial Neuronal Networks 

Discussant: Joe Cobbs, Northern Kentucky University 

Abstract: Despite a growing number of research contributions to the area of sponsorship 

measurement and evaluation the black-box of sponsorship information processing is barely 

discovered. In this paper, we will discuss a relatively new method in the statistical toolbox 

of sponsorship research, called artificial neural networks. Following the theoretical 

framework on sponsorship information processing, the application of artificial neural 

networks will be discussed. We will then present an artificial neural network’s application 

for predicting the consumer’s visual attention and memory for sponsorship information 

within sport telecasts based on the type of sport, exposure variables, and brand-related 

drivers as well as the color of sponsor signage on the television screen. 


3:00-3:45 

Joe Cobbs, Northern Kentucky University 

David Tyler, Western Carolina University 

Kwong Chan, Nielsen Worldwide 

Survival via Sponsorship Alliances: Not all Exchanged Resources are Equal 

Discussant: Dennis Howard, University of Oregon 

Abstract: Many sports and cultural enterprises—such as events, teams, leagues, and facilities— 

rely on inter-organizational exchange to access resources. Sponsorship alliances are a common 

method for resource acquisition; yet, this study reveals not all sponsorships are equal in their 

contribution to enterprise survival. An event history model examining 40 years of corporate 

sponsorship in Formula One motor racing demonstrates that sponsorships offering the team 

financial or performance-based resources, as opposed to operational resources, significantly 

reduce the probability of team dissolution (failure). However, managing corporate relationships 

also entail certain costs to the team, and the impact of such sponsorships on team survival is not 

immune to diminishing returns. 


3:00-3:45 

Sebastian Uhrich, University of Rostock 

Leveraging Sponsorship with Corporate Social Responsibility 

Discussant: Lance Kinney, University of Alabama 

Abstract: Mega-event sponsors increasingly engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) 

activities surrounding the events. This study examines how linking CSR to commercial 

sponsorship affects brand credibility and behavioral intentions towards the sponsoring brands. 

Based on schema theory, the study proposes that consumer CSR perception mediates positive 

effects of a CSR-linked sponsorship strategy, and that these effects only occur for low- (but not

for high -) congruence brands. Two experiments confirm that CSR perception mediates positive 

effects of CSR-linked sponsorship on brand credibility and behavioral intentions for lowcongruence 

brands, whereas no such effect exists for high-congruence brands. Empirical 

evidence from a field study of World Cup soccer provides support for the differences in the 

effects of a CSR-linked sponsorship strategy on sport spectators’ behavioral intentions between 

high- and low-congruence brands. The study derives theoretical and practical implications for 

sponsorship and CSR business research. 

Break (142/144 White Stag) 

3:45-4:00 


4:00-4:45 

Angeline Close, Texas at Austin 

Russ Lacey, Xavier University 

T. Bettina Cornwell, University of Oregon 

Sponsors Courting Viewers in Tennis: Visual Processing, Need for Cognition in Evaluating 

Event Sponsorships 

Discussant: David Boush, University of Oregon 

Abstract: Corporate sponsorships of events, such as sport, communicate primarily through visual 

elements. In fact, sponsorship has been noted as an impoverished media in terms of message 

development and communication. Thus, visual processing becomes important in understanding 

the potential of event sponsorship. In the context of tennis, the authors examine visual processing 

of a title sponsor’s logo placement. A field survey of event attendees demonstrates that 

individual differences in visual processing and need for cognition play a role in the perception of 

event quality and perceived fit of the event with the sponsor. Structural model results show how 

attendees who are visual processors high in need for cognition are more likely to notice the 

sponsor, think about how it fits with the event, and in turn have enhanced attitudes and intentions 

towards both the event and sponsor. Results provide scholars and managers with a better 

understanding of the role of individual differences in visual processing and need for cognition 

play in effective sponsorship and event marketing. 


4:00-4:45 

Elisabeth Wolfsteiner, University of Vienna 

Reinhard Grohs, University of Innsbruck 

Udo Wagner, University of Vienna 

An Experimental Investigation of Sponsorship Effectiveness in the Presence of 

Ambush Marketing 

Discussant: Tatjana Konig, HTW Saarland – University of Applied Sciences 

Abstract: Sport sponsorship is an important marketing communication tool, and stakes in 

sponsorship deals have become high. Therefore, sponsors want their investments to be effective 

and protected from competitors, that is, ambush marketers’ attacks. Still, very little is known 

how ambush marketing relates to correct sponsor identification and false identification of 

ambush marketers as sponsors. This stock-taking study investigates levels of sponsor and 

ambusher recall and recognition in experimental settings, controlling for the presence/absence of

an ambusher, communication modality, different ambush marketing strategies and questionnaire 

formats. Implications of the findings for researchers and managers and further research areas are 

discussed. 

6:30 Conference Dinner- Vintage Plaza Hotel, Pazzo Ristorante 

Friday, June 22, 2012 

Continental Breakfast (350 Shirley Papé Forum - Turnbull Center, Third Floor White Stag) 

8:00-9:00 

Plenary Breakfast Discussion: T. Bettina Cornwell 

Sponsorship-Linked Marketing 2.0 

Abstract: Unprecedented growth, increasing integration with traditional and new platforms and 

rapidly unfolding technology are just a few factors leading to increased complexity in 

sponsorship-linked marketing. Strategies that have worked before--may no longer. Topics for 

discussion will include sponsorship clutter, replacement, integration and policy. 

Session 11 (302 Wayne Morse Suite, Third Floor White Stag) 

9:00–9:45 

Tatjana Konig, Saarland Business School (HTW) 

Drivers of Event Sponsor Recognition and Image Transfer: Evidence from Seven 

Corporate Runs in Germany 

Discussant: Don Roy, Middle Tennessee State University 

Abstract: A major issue in sponsoring research and practice is the question of sponsorship 

effectiveness. Even though a large body of research identifies one or more drivers of sponsorship 

effectiveness, systematic approaches and measurement models are rare. This paper proposes a 

model of event sponsorship effectiveness building on prior research and new assumptions to 

move towards a more comprehensive understanding. Specifically, cognitive outcome measures 

(sponsor recognition and image transfer) are explained. For model testing, a participation sports 

environment is chosen, a rather neglected area for sponsoring research so far. Data was gathered 

from seven corporate runs in Germany. Results show that perceived fit between sponsors and 

event plays a central role, mediating between many other drivers and sponsorship outcome. 

Further event involvement is shown to exert the strongest effect among the independent 

variables. Negative effects on sponsorship outcome are measured for the number of sponsors, 

arousal and enduring (here: running) involvement.

Session 12 (346 Turnbull Classroom, White Stag) 

9:00–9:45 

Patrick O’Rourke, Methodist University 

Lance Kinney, University of Alabama 

NASCAR - Related Philanthropy and the Distilled Spirits Sponsor Category 

Discussant: Whitney Wagoner, University of Oregon 

Abstract: The National Association for Stock Car Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) has a long history 

with its roots in distilled spirits. While NASCAR has a long association with beer sponsors, 

distilled spirits sponsors were unwelcome until 2004. Since then, a number of spirits brands 

have sponsored the NASCAR federation, driver teams, tracks and individual races. NASCAR 

requires its sponsoring spirits brands dedicate 20% of their budgets to promoting responsible 

alcohol use. How does NASCAR’s corporate charitable foundation look when subjected to the 

same standard? This research concludes that the NASCAR Foundation does not meet the 

standard NASCAR requires of its spirits sponsors. The research concludes with suggestions for 

how NASCAR can be more transparent in its acceptance of distilled spirits sponsors. 

Session 13 (302 Wayne Morse Suite, White Stag) 

9:45-10:30 

Damon Aiken, Eastern Washington University 

Lynn Kahle, University of Oregon 

Old School Values in Men’s Collegiate Basketball: Exploring Relationships with Fan 

Identification and Sponsor Recognition 

Discussant: Nancy Lough, University of Nevada at Las Vegas 

Abstract: Old school values have recently emerged as an important segmentation dimension in 

sport marketing. This study explores the linkages between old school (OS) values and fan 

identification measures in relationship to sponsor recognition. A mail survey was administered 

to exiting fans at a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game. Results further validate the OS 

scale and also uncover significant relationships between OS values and identification. In this 

case, OS fans are more likely to be highly identified fans. In addition, OS fans have significantly 

higher sponsorship recognition rates. Finally, the study uncovers noteworthy demographic 

differences. For instance, while female fans (in this sport context) are significantly more OS 

than male fans in their attitudes towards winning, male fans are significantly more OS in their 

attitudes towards materialism. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well as 

directions for future research. 


9:45-10:30 

David Nickell, University of West Georgia 

The Role of Attitude Toward the Sponsor as a Mediator of Sponsorship 

Effectiveness: Applying the 1986 MacKenzie, Lutz, and Belch Study to Sponsorship- 

Linked Marketing 

Discussant: Bob Madrigal, University of Oregon 

Abstract: MacKenzie, et al. found that affect towards the ad not only directly impacts affect 

towards the brand on future purchase behavior but also indirectly influences affect towards the 

brand through its impact on brand cognition. Thus, we should consider their relationship of 

affect towards the ad and cognition of the brand to be intertwined and both drive affect towards

the brand. Hypothesized is that affect towards the sponsored event and cognition of the sponsor 

would drive affect towards the brand. Data was collected through a six-phase, field experimental 

survey study conducted at a major college football bowl game. Results did not confirm the 

MacKenzie et al study; rather, the relationship between affect for the sponsored property with 

affect for the sponsor is mediated by cognition of the sponsor. Other findings include that the 

sponsor’s activations, when moderated by affect toward the team, have a significant impact on 

brand cognition. 

Break (350 Shirley Papé Forum - Turnbull Center, Third Floor White Stag) 

10:30-10:45 


10:45-11:30 

Frank Veltri, Metro State College Denver 

Vish Iyers, University of Northern Colorado 

John Miller, Troy University 

Consumer Recognition of Product Endorsement by Professional Athletes: A 

Revisit after 15 years 

Discussant: Russ Lacey, Xavier University 

Abstract: Marketing practitioners spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year 

using endorsers in advertising campaigns. However, the endorsement process is 

complex, involving the interactions of source, product, message, and situational factors. 

This paper reports the results of a research project designed to reexamine one 

component of the endorsement process: consumer recognition of products endorsed by 

professional athletes. Overall, our findings confirm that identifying an athlete endorser 

and product is an important determinant of both athlete and practitioners. As more and 

more athletes are being utilized as endorsers for various products, it is important to 

investigate be impact of these endorsements on outcomes that relate to consumer 

recognition as well as the endorsed brands. Michael Jordan received the highest 

recognition rate in this study for both sport and products endorsed. 


10:45-11:30 

Bob Madrigal, University of Oregon 

Jesse King, Oregon State University 

Oh, Now I Get It: Making Sense of Incongruent Sponsor-Event Partnerships 

Discussant: Steffen Jahn, Chemnitz University of Technology 

Abstract: As marketers increasingly attempt to connect with customers through 

sponsorships, they run the risk of creating confusion by forming partnerships that are 

difficult to understand. The present research investigates the mechanics that underlie 

consumers’ understanding of sponsorship congruence across two studies. The results of 

the first study indicate that sponsorships emphasizing shared functional (vs. abstract) 

characteristics produce greater perceived fit, increased elaboration, and higher ratings 

of associative strength among naturally congruent sponsorship pairings. The second 

study investigates less congruent sponsorships and finds that activation triggers help to 

articulate the sponsorship relationship and improve perceived fit.


11:30-12:15 

Dan Hall, Samford University 

Darin White, Samford University 

Winning Isn’t Everything, It’s the only thing: The Role of Team Performance 

and Fan Avidity in Sports Sponsorship Success 

Discussant: Stephen Greyser, Harvard Business School 

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to evaluate how a fans’ loyalty to their team of 

choice affects their perception of the teams’ sponsors, willingness to purchase products 

from the teams’ sponsors and eagerness to advocate for the sponsors’ products. The 

study will also examine how team performance moderates the potential relationships. 

Two hundred seventy one fans representing seven fan bases from different levels and 

types of sport participated in an online survey. Teams and sponsors used for the survey 

were the New York Yankees (Pepsi), Los Angeles Lakers (Verizon Wireless), Detroit 

Red Wings (Coca-Cola), FC Dallas (Pizza Hut), Alabama Crimson Tide (Golden 

Flake), New England Patriots (McDonalds) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Wrangler). The 

results showed that fan avidity is a predictor of repurchase intentions and brand equity. 

However, it does not predict word-of-mouth intentions. Additionally, perceived team 

performance positively moderates the relationship between fan avidity and repurchase 

intentions and brand equity. 


11:30-12:15 

Marilyn Giroux, Concordia University 

Frank Pons, Laval University 

François Carrillat, HEC Montréal 

Is Hyperactivity Always Good for Sponsors?: Role of Sponsor Ubiquity in 

Sponsorship Evaluation 

Discussant: Lynn Kahle, University of Oregon 

Abstract: Companies and marketers use sponsorships in particular to build brand 

equity and awareness. In this paper, the authors examined the impact of the extensive 

presence of a sponsor in a series of sporting events (professional European soccer 

league) on consumers’ responses to the sponsorship. The survey revealed that the 

higher perceived ubiquity of the sponsor the more positive the impact on the attitude 

toward the sponsor, the interest for the sponsor, the probability to use the sponsor’s 

product, the global evaluation of the sponsorship and the perceived congruence 

between the sponsor and the sponsee. In addition, the authors explored the moderating 

role of brand attachment (or identification) with the sponsee on the impact of perceived 

ubiquity. Results showed that people who are highly attached to the sponsee will 

respond less positively to the extensive presence of the sponsor as the perceived 

congruence between the two partners is the most affected. The article concludes by 

discussing the several implications of those results in terms of managerial perspectives 

and future research directions are outlined. 

Lunch (350 Shirley Papé - Turnbull Center, White Stag) 

12:15-1:15


1:15-2:00 

Jan Drengner, Chemnitz University of Technology 

Steffen Jahn, Chemnitz University of Technology 

Sponsorship as Value Propositions: Investigating the Effects of Direct and Indirect 

Value Co-Creation on Sponsor Brand Relationships and Purchase Intentions 

Discussant: Dae-Hee Kwak, University of Michigan 

Abstract: Complementing the received view that regards sponsorship a tool to embed sponsor brand 

associations in memory, our central premise is that a company’s sponsorship engagement can be 

understood as a value proposition to consumers. We contend that activational and nonactivational 

communications are linked with the consumption experience in that they can result in (perceived) 

direct and indirect consumer value. Analyzing the main sponsor of an international rock music festival 

who provided a side event where attendees could experience an interactive photographic tool for 

festival-goers, results support our contention that direct and indirect value as results of sponsorship 

engagements contribute to sponsorship success. The more direct value the individual co-creates while 

consuming the activity and the more he or she believes the sponsorship improves his or her experience, 

the more likely is the individual to connect the brand with his or her self and to purchase the sponsor 

brand. These effects, however, are moderated by credibility of the sponsorship activity. When this 

activity is regarded unreliable and incredible, the positive effects diminish. 


1:15-2:00 

Monic Chien, University of Queensland 

Ravi Pappu, University of Queensland 

T. Bettina Cornwell, University of Oregon 

Framing Brand Evaluations Through Communication for Sponsorship Portfolio 

Adjustment 

Discussant: Shiro Yamaguchi, University of Oregon 

Abstract: This study examines the effects of sponsorship portfolio communication on inferences 

about the sponsor’s brand meaning and attitude toward the sponsor brand. Following the 

assumption that individuals’ subjective accessibility experiences provide an informational 

function, and act as judgment heuristics, we examine how presentation order of sponsored 

properties in a portfolio and the use of visual images influence processing fluency and 

subsequent brand evaluations. Hypotheses were tested using two experiments involving 

hypothetical sponsorship portfolios using student subjects. Results demonstrate that brand equity 

associated with the sponsored properties, underlies the effect of sponsorship presentation order 

and, exerts strong influence on individual processing experience. In particular, presentation of a 

sports sponsorship first (before a cause sponsorship) in portfolio communication indicates a 

logical flow of information, allowing people to grasp the meaning associated with the sponsor 

brand more easily. Sports as a communication context also offer a broad associative network to 

facilitate information processing compared to the narrower cause context. The current studies 

are among the first to demonstrate how brand evaluations are influenced by the manner in which 

a sponsorship portfolios is communicated. 

2:00 Bus to Nike Campus walking tour – Outside White Stag Couch Street entrance 

Return to Hotel Vintage Plaza approximately 6:00

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