The effectiveness of image congruence and the moderating effects of sponsor motive and cheering event fit in sponsorship

Abstract

Using the case study data of the South Korea 2002 and 2006 World Cup sponsorship campaigns, this study examined (1) whether more favourable sponsorship response occurs as image congruence between a sponsor and the World Cup increases, and whether (2)consumer attributions of a sponsor’s motives in sponsoring the World Cup and (3) a sponsor’s perceived fit in aiding World Cup cheering events, namely cheering event fit, moderate image congruence’s effects on sponsorship response. Consistent with prior research, results suggest that high vs low image congruence sponsorships generate more favourable responses to the sponsorship, as measured by attitudes and intentions at three different levels of the hierarchy of effects. Results also show that high cheering event fit leads to more favourable sponsorship response. Furthermore, a negative interaction between image congruence and cheering event fit indicates that, albeit still significant and positive, the effect of image congruence on sponsorship response becomes significantly weaker at higher levels of cheering event fit than at lower levels of cheering event fit. A moderating role of a sponsor’s sponsoring motive has not been supported. Overall, the finding sunder score the significance of image congruence as well as the utility of cheering event fit as a particular type of ‘created fit’ that can be used to reduce the perception of low fit and its associated risks.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sangpil Han

Sangpil Han (PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is a professor at the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Hanyang University, South Korea. His current research interests include cross-cultural advertising, consumer information processing and new media advertising. His papers have been published in Journal of Advertising, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Advances in Consumer Research, Korean Journal of Advertising and elsewhere.

Jiwon Choi

Jiwon Choi is the CEO at The SLATE, a marketing communication consulting agency. He is a doctoral candidate at Yonsei University. Current research interests include brand-related decision making, consumer behaviour, spontaneity in the on-line brand community, etc. His papers have been published in The Korean Journal of Advertising, Korean Journal of Consumer and Advertising Psychology and elsewhere. He wrote this paper while working in the SK Marketing & Company.

Hyunchil Kim

Hyunchil Kim is a senior researcher at The SLATE. He received his MBA from Yonsei University. Current research interests include consumers’ self-efficacy, consumer behaviour, brand asset management, etc. He wrote this paper while working in the SK Marketing & Company.

John A. Davis

John A. Davis (MBA Columbia University, BA Stanford University) teaches at the Lundquist College of Business, University of Oregon. He is the author of several acclaimed marketing books, including Measuring Marketing (©2013 Wiley) and The Olympic Games Effect (©2012 Wiley). His research interests are in brand building, marketing strategy and sports marketing. He was honoured as the ‘Best Professor in Marketing’ from Asia’s Best Business School Awards. He has presented at many global conferences, including TEDx, World Knowledge Forum and the Brand Finance Annual Forum. Before academia he led marketing teams for Nike, Informix and Transamerica, and is an award-winning entrepreneur.

Ki-Young Lee

Ki-Young Lee (PhD, Michigan State University) is an associate professor in the School of Advertising and Public Relations at Hongik University, South Korea. His research addresses consumer psychology in new media and strategic media management.