Sports Marketing & Sponsorship - FIFA/CIES International University ...

Team attributes, identification and sponsor imageRESEARCH PAPERwhich meanings are derived from event type, eventcharacteristics and individual factors. By recognisingthe presence of a highly identified team or the level ofteam identification as a possible event characteristic orindividual factor, respectively, this paper bringstogether the notions discussed above andconceptualises a structural model in which teamattributes affect team identification, which in turnplays a mediating role in sponsor identification andthe image transfer from an event to its sponsor.This study is significant because it attempts toanalyse the relationships of all the constructs as awhole, as opposed to previous studies, whichanalysed only parts of the relationship. Specifically,the following hypotheses were made: (1) teamattractiveness, team similarity and team familiaritypositively affect team identification; (2) teamidentification positively affects sponsor identification;and (3) sponsor identification positively affects sponsorimage. For assessment, a questionnaire adaptingitems from relevant constructs in past research wasdevised, and responses were collected from a total of991 conveniently sampled fans at 10 professionalsoccer games in Korea. The hypotheses were thensimultaneously tested using the data and employingthe AMOS structural modelling program (version 4.0).It was found that the data fitted the conceptualisedstructural model, and consistency was found in theresults when the hypotheses were tested againindividually.IntroductionOne of the most important effects of sportssponsorship is the building of a positive image for thesponsor’s brand, product and/or company(Meenaghan, 1991), and this image building takes onthe form of establishing, strengthening or changing thesponsor’s image (Gwinner & Eaton, 1999). Today,competition for sponsorship has become very strong,such that an assessment of the strength of imagetransfer from an event to the sponsor has becomeincreasingly important in evaluating the effectivenessof a sponsorship (Grohs & Reisinger, 2005). While acommon method is to quantify the link between eventimage and sponsor image, very few studies have beenconducted in this area (Grohs & Reisinger, 2005).Instead, more studies have focused on explainingthe process by which sports sponsorship leads to theenhancement of the sponsor’s image. In one study,Gwinner (1997) asserted that meanings are derivedfrom the event type, event characteristics andindividual factors to build an event image, which istransferred to the sponsor’s brand image.Consequently, specific factors affecting the eventimage or the image transfer have been examined, andevent-sponsor fit and event involvement wereempirically found to be two important factors (Grohs &Reisinger, 2005).Grohs & Reisinger (2005) explained eventinvolvement’s positive effect on the strength of imagetransfer through the notion of the learning theory. Thetheory implied that increased event involvement leadsto greater processing of information, and greaterknowledge about the connection between the eventand its sponsor in turn boosts the image transfer. Thisis consistent with Pitts & Slattery’s (2004) finding thatrecognition (i.e. awareness and identification) ofsponsors improved over an extended period of time. Itis also consistent with Meenaghan’s (2001) assertionthat since highly involved fans are best able tocomprehend the meanings associated with sportsevents, they are most capable of transferring themeanings to the sponsor through the association.When one recognises the importance of eventinvolvement as a mediating factor in sponsorshipidentification, as well as the transfer of meanings tothe sponsor, the importance of identifying factors thatenhance event involvement becomes apparent. Teamidentification, defined as the level of psychologicalattachment felt by a sports fan towards his or herfavourite team (Branscombe & Wann, 1992), wasrecognised as one form of event involvement, and216 International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship ● APRIL 2009 ●