Sponsorship and the Olympic Games: The Consumer Perspective

Abstract

Sponsorship has been gaining a legitimate and important place in the promotional mix of many firms. With over $3 billion devoted to sponsorship in 1992, a better understanding of how consumers react to sponsorship efforts is necessary. The current study reports a preliminary investigation of sponsorship during the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. A mail questionnaire surveyed consumers' recognition and recall of sponsors, as well as consumers' attitudes towards sponsorship. Results suggest that effective sponsorship requires leveraging through additional advertising or promotion to inform consumers of sponsor status. Consumers appear ambivalent about sponsorship, supporting the concept and wanting it to continue, but not allowing it to affect their immediate purchase decisions. The practice of “ambush marketing” is also discussed. Given the image-building value of sponsorship, companies-should develop long-term objectives for their sponsorship efforts.