Effect of corporate image of the sponsor on brand love and purchase intentions: The moderating role of sports involvement

ABSTRACT

Indians adore cricket and tend to establish an immediate connection with the brands that associate with it. Of late, well-known brands have taken the road less traveled and sponsored non-cricketing sports (sports other than cricket) leagues in India. This paper focuses on non-cricketing sports sponsorships and explores the influence of the corporate image of the sponsor on brand love, which is further hypothesized to influence purchase intentions for the sponsor’s products. The study further examines the moderating role of sports involvement between corporate image and brand love. The moderating role of sports involvement between brand love and purchase intentions is also studied. The mediating role played by brand love between corporate image, and purchase intentions is tested. A structured questionnaire was administered to 638 respondents who followed non-cricketing sports leagues. The results established that corporate image is positively associated with brand love, which further leads to purchase intentions. Sports involvement strengthened both these relationships.

印度人喜爱板球, 并倾向与板球相关的品牌建立直接联系。最近，知名品牌在印度选择了少有人走的路线, 赞助非板球运动(板球以外的运动)联赛。本文以非板球运动赞助为研究对象, 探讨了赞助商的企业形象对品牌爱的影响, 进而假设品牌爱会影响赞助商产品的购买意愿。本研究进一步探讨体育参与在企业形象与品牌爱之间的调节作用。还研究了体育参与在品牌爱与购买意愿之间的调节作用。品牌爱在企业形象与购买意愿之间的中介作用得到了检验。对638名非板球运动联赛的参与者进行了结构化问卷调查。研究结果表明, 企业形象与品牌爱呈正相关关系, 品牌爱又进一步导致购买意愿。体育活动强化了这两种关系。

KEYWORDS:

• Sports involvement
• corporate Image
• brand love
• purchase intentions
• India

关键词:

• 体育参与
• 企业形象
• 品牌爱
• 购买意图
• 印度

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.