Does a Manufacturer Matter in Co-branding? The Influence of a Manufacturer Brand on Sport Team Licensed Apparel

Abstract

Despite increased sales of sports team licensed merchandise, there is a lack of research examining the effect of the manufacturer brand on the sales of such products. This study examined whether manufacturers’ brand influenced sport consumers’ attitudes toward and purchase intentions of licensed apparel. Using information integration theory and classical conditioning, four different hypotheses were developed. The data were collected from 299 students (men = 201; women = 98). The questionnaire included attitude toward a manufacturer, attitude toward school athletic teams, attitude toward co-branded licensed apparel, and purchase intentions of co-branded licensed apparel. Three different brands were assessed (i.e., Nike, Starter, and Specs). Specs was a generic brand developed by the researchers to represent an unknown brand. The results indicated sport consumers’ attitudes toward and purchase intentions of licensed apparel were determined by their attitude toward a manufacturer. In addition, the attitude was modified by their team identification. The effect of a manufacturer's brand was decreased among individuals reporting high team identification, which could be partially explained by classical conditioning.