ATTITUDE TOWARDS ADVERTISING THROUGH SPORTS IN PAKISTAN

Usman Hameed Bachelors in Business Administration-Marketing R i p h a h I n t e r n a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y, I s l a m a b a d E-mail: usmaan.hameed@yahoo.com Advertising no doubt plays an important role in consumer decision making towards product/ brand. Companies spend a large amount of money on advertising; in particular they tend to advertise their product/brand during sports event. This study examines the attitude of customers/consumers towards sport advertising. Survey has been conducted to address the issue of sport advertising attitude. The instrument used in the study is questionnaire. The subjects are 200 young people belonging to different native languages. The results from the survey indicate that the overall attitude towards advertising through sport is positive. This study may be useful for those companies, which plan their advertising campaigns for sport events. It can also generate high value for companies that are promoting their brand through sport advertising. Keywords: Advertising, Sport advertising, customer attitude, purchase decision INTRODUCTION Flexibility, broader reaches and advanced levels of brand or corporate exposure leads many companies to consider advertising through sport an important medium. (Kropp et al, 1999). Another researcher found that sport is a natural area for sponsorship, as it can transfer very strong images, has a mass international audience and appeals to all classes (Ferrand and Pages, 1996) Above findings of different researchers bring to light the importance of sport sponsorship/advertising, which is the most powerful communication media and most studied in the sponsorship literature among sponsor market because sponsoring in sports give companies the chance of rising their exposure and fans goodwill towards their team will change to positive attitudes and purchase intentions towards the sponsoring brand. When attending or watching sporting events, people are exposed to a variety of advertising. People watch game for the sporting action rather than the advertisements, but they unwillingly receive these advertisements (Harshaw & Turner, 1999). Increased in worldwide television coverage sports becomes a precious partner for international brands. Sport and business share values such as the magnitude of teamwork, line of attack and striving also toward a goal. Thus, the business manager should know of each others objectives and effective to access. It is an indication that corporations have recognized the potential of advertising through sport to accomplish a range of goals and objectives because over the last some decades the growth of sports industry has resulted in increase, in advertising through sports (Lyberger & McCarthy, 2001). The paramount objects now the companies are that, the customer identification. The increase in the canonization of advertising through amusement has led to concerns about consumer identification also differentiation (Lyberger and McCarthy, 2001). But the affect of advertising through sports event more than sponsorships due to Meenaghan (2001) do that advertising may emblematize heuristic as a more activate besides less optimistic produce of marketing communications than sponsorship. This hypothesis reflects a consumers simple character helpful advertising reasonably then attitudes constructive an individual sticker or attitudes shows potential towards advertising as a natural foundation (Burns, 2003) The familiar study trained posture beneficial advertising due to sport with amusement energy considering an independent advertising medium. Consequently, bona fide attempts to provide a foundation over the recognize of beliefs also attitude healthful advertising through sport. The growing of the structure being this think over has been initiated from the concept of attitude toward advertising in general. It is again cash to clarify how character gainful advertising considering pastime differs from measuring posture toward sponsorship and stand toward the commercialization of game. Seeing the spending on advertising since sport over example of corporate marketing strategies has continued to increase, a growing ravenousness owing to scrutinize has come out (Dodd, 1997)

The development of the framework for this study has been initiated from the concept of attitude toward advertising in general. Based on the image that beliefs are act of an individuals set toward advertising in general, researchers have humongous their inspect interests to attitude toward advertising dominion an irregularity of inherent mediums, such as television, radio etc. Advertising with the extras of pastime may provide walloping excitement again emotional attachment among consumers (Copeland et al, 1996). The new mediums sports sponsorship or advertising because sports became an excessively heroic stiffener. Entertainment has been pointed a natural ground plan for advertising as irrefutable carries exorbitantly courageous images, has an accumulate international audience, again appeals to all classes (Gwinner & Swanson, 2003). LITERATURE REVIEW Attitude toward Advertising If the decision-makers behavior is bona fide towards advertising, he/she will endorse right toward advertising (Pollay besides Mittal, 1993). A fresh idiosyncratic conclusion of a consumer having a positive routine toward an impulse is that he or virgin is further likely to visually orient to it (Roskos and Fazio, 1992). Attitude toward the ad is generally defined seeing a proneness to respond access a favorable or unfavorable manner to a symptomatic advertising incentive during a cultivated display occasion (Lutz, 1985). According to the consumer perspective, the length of sponsorship involvement may manipulate the power of brand links in memory (Johar et al, 1999). The sponsor' present associated establish the parallel sporting event, after a time, gives the consumer s compounded opportunities to be mixed about the supposition of the product sponsorship and relationship, thus creating stronger associations in memory (Keller 1993). The Approach towards the promotion of the event, and behavioral intention through now at the hub of sponsorships belongings on consumers. (Lee et al, 1997). Future purchase intentions affected by the attitude towards particular brands, facilitate recall of the product, which could influence the consumers expectations of advertising enclosed in their advertising schemas (Goodstein, 1993). Sports marketing are single advance for an immovable to appear warm suffering and reach itself and/or its wares simultaneously to community members (Lachowetz and Irwin, 2002). A company had been sponsoring sports, more possible sponsor objectives had moved from to build awareness to image (Armstrong, 1988). Product Information Better decision-making by consumers drawn from that advertising which includes product information (Alwitt & Prabhaker, 1992). Customers felt that important means of information could be provided by advertising (Au, 1977). Attitude toward Internet advertising has also been found to be positively related with Information (Ducoffe, 1996). The value of advertising was the most important contributor, to consumers overall attitude toward television advertising, is perception of information (Mittal, 1994). The weight of advertising as a source of information, leading to enhanced marketplace efficiencies, seeing consumers are exceeding convincing to match their needs and wants beside producers offerings (Norris 1984). Hedonism/ Pleasure Attitudes towards Advertising has positive relationship with hedonic/pleasure (Ramaprasad and Thurwanger, 1998). To get consumers attentions advertisers often designed the advertisements which look like shows (Wells et al., 2000). The positive relationships encouraged by the advertising characteristics which can put up with family members, friends, or business links by participating in sport or attending games (Shank, 1999). Overall attitudes toward advertisements played great role by the associated feelings of enjoyment them (Shavitt et al, 1998). In global attitude toward advertising the enjoyment dimension has been significant contributor (Shavitt et al., 1998). Materialism A more powerful match-up effect in products endorsed by sports celebrities. (Boyd & Shank, 2004). A more positive brand attitude toward products cased by such effect (Petty et al., 1983). Use of deception might be considered advertising an offensive.( Bauer and Greyser, 1968). Perceptions of materialism and attitude toward television advertising and advertising in general have important and negative relationship (Larkin, 1977). People often influenced by advertising to buy things they should not to buy (Andrews, 1989). Materialism Generally respondents negative reactions toward direct marketing advertising generally by materialism (Korgaonkar et al. 1997). We can conclude that a respondents attitudes toward advertising through sport can be influenced by his/her beliefs regarding the economic benefits of advertising through sport. Social role and image In the development of a consumers self-image, consumers expect to promote products in a positive or idealized image and may even prefer attractive advertising aids (Richins 1991). Creating product meaning and self-image is a role of advertising functions (Tharp & Scott, 1990). To create a brands personality, advertising and marketing communication approaches are widely used (Redenbach, 2000).

THEORETICAL FRAME WORK Figure 1

Product Information Social Image/Role Hedonism/ Pleasure Materialism

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

Attitude Towards Sport Advertising

HYPOTHESIS H1: Product information is positively correlated to attitude toward advertising through sport. H2: Social role and image is positively correlated to attitude toward advertising through sport. H3: Hedonism/pleasure positively correlated to toward advertising through sport. H4: Materialism negatively correlated to attitude toward advertising through sport. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This quantitative study used the survey method, to collect data to compare the dependent variable, attitude towards sport advertising with independent variables product information, materialistic, social image/role and hedonism/pleasure. The instrument used in the study was, questionnaire. We used five point scale 1=Agree and 5 = strongly disagree DATA ANALYSIS Table 1 Frequency Table DEMOGRAPHICS DESCRIPTION AGE BELOW 20 21-30 31-40 ABOVE GENDER QUALIFICATION MALE FEMALE MATRIC INTERMEDIATE BACHELORS MASTERS M-PHILL MARITAL STATUS MARRIED SINGLE STUDENT PRIVATE EMPLOYEE GOVT. EMPLOYEE SELF EMPLOYED

FRQUENCY 39 61 0 0 50 50 3 47 49 1 0 18 82 67 30 3 0

%age 39% 61% 0% 0% 50% 50% 3% 47% 49% 1% 0% 18% 82% 67% 30% 3% 0%

OCCUPATION

Demographics table show that majority of respondents were of the age between 21 to 30, 64 % were of this age group, 39 % were of age less than 20. Watching sports on TV channels, or go to stadium is an enjoyment for the young people. Especially in Pakistan the more youngsters watch sports on different sports channels. Most of our respondents were Students; 67 %. The data collected from universities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi those were: Air University, CB collage, and Post graduate college for women, Bahria University Islamabad Comsats Institute of Information Technology, Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi. If move to the marital status only 18% was married, 33% was employed and 67% was students. Quiet a large number of our respondents 49% was doing bachelors and 47 % of our respondents were doing intermediate and 1 % was of Masters Level. CORRELATION AND REGRESSION ANALYSIS Table 2 Correlation Attitude towards through sport Product Information Hedonism/Pleasure Materialism Social role and image advertising AT 1 0.7113 0.5889 -0.2118 0.6945 PI HP ML SI

AT PI HP ML SI

1 0.5227 0.2997 0.6781

1 -0.1599 0.7814 1 0.4912 1

Table 3 Regression PI HP ML SI Coefficients 0.063454991 1.034910512 -0.032329412 0.075999001 0.08023425 7.250384497 -0.328380016 0.728548994 t P-value 0.944269 3.84E-09 0.744115 0.469971

R Square = 0.619871341 F = 18.545611

Adjusted R Square = 0.590516168 Significance F = 0.000 DISCUSSION

Sports industry growing rapidly, and there are lots of separate Tv channels, sport magazine come in the market. Investigating the consumer attitude towards advertising through sport was the main grounds of that research. After reviewing literature, researcher presented various factors which shape/modify the attitude towards advertising through sport. The results have demonstrated a strong link between the independent and dependant variable. The Correlation analysis showed that the relation between the independent variables i-e product information, social role and image hedonism/pleasure and materialism have the significant affect on dependent variable , attitude towards advertising through sports. The most significant factor affecting dependent variable was product information having 0.7113 correlations and the second factor was social role and image, which correlation was 0.6945. These two variables have more influence on attitude towards advertising to sports in Pakistan. If we see the overall culture of the Pakistan, then the literacy rate is too low, which means they need information for new products, by different mediums like radio, tv, magazines, newspaper, internet etc. so the advertising plays an important role to up-to-date, the sports culture is also good in Pakistan, according to Pakistan cable association, there are number of sports channels on-air through tv cable network and viewership is increasing day by day and second thing that Pakistan has an individual society, where peer pressure is high, so the influence of social image and role also high, thats why in my research these two variables(PI and SI) had strong relationship with dependent variable(AT). The two hypotheses H1 and H2, hence proved that they are positively correlated with attitude towards advertising through sports. The third variable Hedonism/Pleasure positively correlated to toward advertising through sport. There was a strong relation of hedonism/pleasure with product information and social role and image. When people get up-to-date any product/brand and it has an impact on their social image, which makes them favorable attitude towards advertising through sports. So the third hypothesis of the study also proved that hedonism/pleasure is positively correlated with dependent variable. Materialism found negatively correlated with dependent variable, as its correlation was 0.2118. The other variables showed favorable attitude towards advertising through sport so it means that the

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