Investigating Brand Image Transfer on Single and Multiple Sponsorship in Sport Events

Introduction

In this contemporary era, brand image has become the important assets for most company in the
world. Moreover, one of the most particular reasons for a company to perform a sponsorship is to
enhance their corporate image and to create or reinforce their brand associations that they believe
can toughen their brand image (Kotler, 2012). The main areas which sponsorship usually been used
are sports, programmes/broadcasts, arts, and the encompass activities such as wildlife/conservation
and education. Of all of these, sport has attracted most attention and sponsorship money. Some of
the reasons why sports activities have been very attractive to sponsors because the high media
coverage, large audiences, simplistic measure of audience segmentation, and the chance for
sponsors to be visible are high because of the duration of each event (Fill, 2013).

According to this issue, there are lots of journals which explore about single sponsorship activities.
On the other hand, as we can see in mega sport events (such as World Cup, Olympic Game, Formula
1, etc) there are a lot of brands which participate to be the sponsor of the event. This review will
discuss about brand image transfer within brand sponsors and sport events (sponsored entities)
through sponsorship activities using three different journals (Gwinner and Eaton:1999, Smith:2004,
and Chavanat et al:2010). Two journals (Gwinner and Eaton:1999 & Smith:2004) focus on single
sponsorship arrangement while journal which is written by Chavanat et al (2010) focus more on
multiple sponsorship arrangements. All of journals give us three different point of views in examine
the relationship within brand image and sport events through sponsorship activities.

Reporting the Content

Gwinner and Eaton (1999:47) focus their study to assessed which sporting event's image was
transferred to a brand through event sponsorship activity. In order to answer their research
question, they use two hypothesis which is based on single theory. The theory they use is brand
association. From the theory of Keller (1993), brand associations can be influenced when a brand
becomes linked with a celebrity through an endorsement or linked with a sporting event through
sponsorship activities. (Gwinner and Eaton, 1999:47)

Experiment using undergraduate students employed by Gwinner and Eaton (1999) in assessing the
degree to which a sporting event's image was transferred to a brand through similarities on brand-

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event personality components than subjects who were not exposed to the event-brand sponsorship
link, thus supporting the notion that sponsorship results in image transfer. The results of this paper
also suggestthat when event and brand are matched on either an image or functiorietnal basis the
transfer process is enhanced.

Smith (2004:457) uses a different perspective to find out the occurrence of brand image transfer
through sponsorship activity. This journal tries to explain how brand image transfer takes place in
the mind of the consumers. Smith develops the discussion by using literature based research
methodology. According to Smith (2004:461-463), there are external and internal sponsorship
contingency factors that influence brand image transfer. The external factors are: the sponsorship's
domain, composition, status and duration. The internal factors are: brand knowledge and brand
image. Besides of that, Smith (2004:464) also suggests that there are two more factors which
influence consumers to assess the association of brands in the sponsorship activity. These factors are
fit and quality. The collaboration of brand's associations are held in consumers' memory, great brand
knowledge and strong sponsored event's image, the greater the likelihood of spreading activation
and thus transfer. The linkage between the sponsor and the sponsee will be strong if both of them
are match-up. (Smith, 2004:465)

Previous journal mostly focused on single sponsorship arrangements. But, this research paper
explores more about multiple sponsorships. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM),Chavanat et
al., (2010:49) validated causal relationship of brand image degree between the sponsor entities and
the sponsored entities. Methodological and data collection phase which used by Chavanat et al
(2010) was conducted in two steps: a pilot study step followed by a main study step. The case study
in doing this research are the relationships between sponsees (2006 FIFA Soccer World Cup
Germany, the French National Soccer Team, and their captain Zine´dine Zidane) and a given sponsor
(Adidas) within the framework of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany. Approximately 289 French
university students, interested in the 2006 FIFA Soccer World Cup Germany and who had watched at
least two matches of this event, voluntarily participated in the main study.

The research results of Chavanat et al. (2010) confirm another research about image transfer
happens in sport event sponsorship as discussed in the previous discussion (Gwinner & Eaton, 1999).
Another finding of this research is that multiple sponsorships allowed interactions between each
images of sponsees. This research also suggests that in multiple sponsorship situations, sport event
consumers associate almost all the image factors. (Chavanat et al., 2010:69)

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Evaluating the Content

Although Gwinner and Eaton (1999) study can answer all research questions significantly, there are
still not enough to give a strong evidences to prove that image transfer happened in the relationship
of sport events and sponsorship activities. First boundary in this paper is that they only use
undergraduate students as their sample. We understand that participants of sporting events are in
the wide range from kids until elder people. Using wide variations of sample can also expand the
research based on sports team identifications. Secondly, it will be more insightful if the researchers
exploring not only on single sporting event sponsorships but also on image transfer built in multiple
sporting event sponsorships. Different methodology can also be used by researcher to discover more
about image transfer process in sport event sponsorship activities.

Smith (2004) works on understanding brand image transfer process on sponsorship activities give a
new point of view for practitioners to consider more on brand image building through sponsorship.
This journal gives guidance to evaluate which kind of powerful events should be sponsored. On the
contrary, this research is still not yet answer about the process of brand image transfer in multiple
sport event sponsorship. Although there is a paragraph to explain about this issue (Smith, 2004:462),
this explanation did not describe on how brand image transfer happen between major and minor
sponsor internally. Are there any benefits from brand image transfer from major sponsor which will
enhance the degree of image of sponsors with have lower quality brands.

Statistical findings in the research paper of Chavanat et al. (2010) using SEM demonstrate clearly
that multiple sponsorship generates significant image dimension inter-exchanges between sponsees
and sponsor whatever the nature of the entities involved. It gives a manifestation on how company
should spend their advertisement cost to build their brand image. However, this journal does not
give more over explanation about what kind of sport event should be sponsored by specific brand. In
addition to that, in multiple sponsorships arrangements there are so many brands which want to
level up their brand image. So, there must be conflicts from one to other brands. It will be more
insightful if the research paper also gives some explanation about how this situation takes place in
the minds of consumers. Thus, it is also interesting to understand what kind of images which steal
the attention of consumers. Also, it will be interesting if the authors do the research in the pre and
post sport events to ensure the image building of brand from the beginning and after the event end.

Conclusion

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It is clear that there is an image transfer between sponsor brands with sponsored entities. Sport
events become important things to a lot of brands to be a site of image transfer. The low brand
image will have a potentiality to increase their degree if the sport event they are sponsored have a
higher level of image. According to Gwinner and Eaton (1999), sports event and brand are matched
on either an image or functional basis the transfer process is enhanced. While Smith (2004) stated
that sponsorship’s role in developing a brand’s equity through brand image transfer remains huge.
Those two statements has been agreed by Chavanat et al. (2010) that sponsorship arrangement
should not be considered as an isolated initiative but it should be part of a multiple sponsorship
strategy focused on strengthening the brand image into the future.

To conclude, findings of three research papers that have been reviewed suggest practitioners to
integrate sponsorship activities on their brand image building strategy with regard to assess what
kind of events that will enhance the degree of its brand image. Thus, both single sponsorship and
multiple sponsorships arrangements have a good impact for brand. But still, sponsor entities should
consider and take a look to the other matters such as sponsor and sponsee match up and also the
quality of the sport event they are chosen.

References

Chanavat, N. et al. 2010. Brand Images Casual Relationships in a Multiple Sport Event Sponsorship
Context: Developing Brand Value Through Association With Sponsees. European Sport Management
Quarterly.10(1). Pp.49-74

Fill, C. 2013. Marketing Communications: brands, experiences, and participation. 6th Edition. Harlow:
Pearson Education Limited

Gwinner, K. and Eaton, J. 2009. Building Brand Image Through Event Sponsorship: The Role of Image
Transfer. Journal of Advertising.28(4). Pp. 47-57

Kotler, P. and Keller, K. 2012. Marketing Management. 14e Global Edition.Harlow: Pearson
Education Limited

Smith, G. 2004. Brand Image Transfer Through Sponsorship: A Consumer Learning Perspective.
Journal of Marketing Management.20. Pp. 457-474.

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