Assessing brand image transfer in sponsorship
Morris, Andrea Leigh
Marketing literature has revealed that sponsorship is a key marketing communication tool used to break through promotional clutter. Sponsorship is a means by which marketing managers are able to transfer knowledge about organisational offerings to consumers and communicate how organisations are able to satisfy consumers‟ needs. Satisfying consumers‟ needs is a key philosophy of marketing, thus, it is an important objective for marketing managers to transfer knowledge to consumers about their need-satisfying capabilities. Research has shown that knowledge is transferred to consumers by first creating awareness of brands, then building consumers‟ knowledge of brands, and finally establishing and enhancing consumers‟ perceptions of brand image. According to marketing literature, the process of building brand awareness, brand knowledge and brand image ultimately contributes toward the enhancement of brand equity.
Previous research has shown that establishing brand awareness is an initial and crucial objective of sponsorship endeavours. Little research, however, has been done on the importance of brand image objectives and strategies in sponsorship. Researchers agree that brand image can be transferred between a sponsor brand and sponsored event, thereby enhancing the brand image of the respective parties. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess brand image transfer in sponsorship.
The research problem considered the question whether the brand image of sponsor brands is transferred to the brand image of sponsored events, and whether the brand image of sponsored events is transferred to the brand image of sponsor brands.
Fictitious brands were designed to assess the transfer of brand image, namely FruityBliss (sponsor brand) and the ProFriz Frisbee Challenge (sponsored event). Four brand image attributes were selected to assess the brand image of the sponsor brand and the brand image of the sponsored event. These included physical product and price (sponsor brand) and status and size (sponsored event). The four brand image attributes were manipulated in sixteen experiments and the brand image scores of the sponsor brand and sponsored event were subsequently measured.
Results of the study showed that brand image scores of the sponsor brand were significantly higher than the brand image scores of the sponsored event. It was therefore concluded that brand image transfer does occur from a sponsor brand to a sponsored event and vice versa. Furthermore, product and price appeared to have a greater influence on the brand image scores of the sponsor brand and the sponsored event, than did status and size of the sponsored event. It was thus concluded that although brand image transfer does occur from a sponsor brand to a sponsored event and vice versa, the sponsor brand is influenced more by the sponsorship than the sponsored event. In other words, a stronger brand image transfer takes place from a sponsored event to a sponsor brand than from a sponsor brand to a sponsored event.
From the research results, a number of recommendations were made. It was emphasised that organisations should make use of sponsorship as a means to break through promotional clutter. Sponsorship is an effective technique in enhancing brand images, and ultimately enhancing the brand equity of organisations. Organisations should therefore take careful consideration in developing sponsorship strategies; sponsor products should be affiliated with sponsored events and vice versa. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:
Bemarkingsliteratuur toon dat borgskap ‟n belangrike bemarkingskommunikasie-instrument is om te midde van ‟n warboel produkreklame ‟n impak te hê op die uitbou van handelsmerkbeeld. Borgskap is ‟n kommunikasiemetode waardeur bemarkingsbestuurders inligting oor bemarkingsaanbiedinge aan verbruikers oordra, oftewel aan verbruikers verduidelik hoe organisasies in hul behoeftes kan voorsien. Bevrediging van verbruikers se behoeftes is 'n belangrike filosofie van bemarking, dus, is dit 'n belangrike doelstelling vir bemarkingsbestuurders om kennis oor te dra aan verbruikers oor hulle behoefte-bevredigende vermoëns. Navorsing toon dat inligting eerstens aan verbruikers oorgedra word deur hulle bewus te maak van ‟n handelsmerk; daarná hul kennis van die handelsmerk op te bou, en uiteindelik hul opvattings van die beeld van daardie handelsmerk vas te lê en te verbeter. Volgens bemarkingsliteratuur dra die opbouproses van handelsmerkbewustheid, handelsmerkkennis en ‟n handelsmerkbeeld uiteindelik by tot die versterking van merkekwiteit.
Vorige navorsing dui aan dat die vestiging van handelsmerkbewustheid ‟n aanvanklike en noodsaaklike doelwit van borgskap is. Tog is daar nog weinig navorsing gedoen oor die belang van handelsmerkbeelddoelwitte en –strategieë in borgskap. Navorsers is in eenstemming dat handelsmerkbeeld tussen ‟n borg en ‟n geleentheid oorgedra kan word, om só die handelsmerkbeeld van die onderskeie partye te versterk. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om sodanige handelsmerkbeeld-oordrag gedurende borgskap te beoordeel.
Die navorsingsprobleem het besin oor die vraag of die handelsmerkbeeld van borghandelsmerke na die handelsmerkbeeld van geborgde geleenthede oorgedra word, asook of die handelsmerkbeeld van geborgde geleenthede na die handelsmerkbeeld van die borghandelsmerke oorgedra word. Fiktiewe handelsmerke, naamlik Fruitybliss (die borghandelsmerk) en die ProFriz Frisbee Challenge (die geborgde geleentheid), is ontwerp om handelsmerkbeeld-oordrag te bestudeer. Vier handelsmerkbeeld-eienskappe, naamlik fisiese produk en prys (borghandelsmerk) en status en grootte (geborgde geleentheid), is gekies om die handelsmerkbeeld van die borg en dié van die geleentheid te beoordeel. Die vier eienskappe is in sestien eksperimente gemanipuleer, waarna die handelsmerkbeeldtellings van die borghandelsmerk sowel as die geborgde geleentheid gemeet is.
Die studieresultate toon dat die borghandelsmerk beduidend hoër handelsmerkbeeldtellings as die geborgde geleentheid behaal het. Daar was afgelei dat handelsmerkbeeld wél van ‟n borghandelsmerk na ‟n geborgde geleentheid oorgedra word, én omgekeerd. Voorts het produk en prys van die borghandelsmerk oënskynlik ‟n groter invloed op die handelsmerkbeeldtellings van die borghandelsmerk en die geborgde geleentheid gehad as die status en grootte van die geborgde geleentheid. Daaruit word afgelei dat, hoewel borgskap ‟n tweerigting-oordrag tussen borghandelsmerk en geborgde geleentheid impliseer, die borgskap tog ‟n groter invloed op die borghandelsmerk het as op die geborgde geleentheid. Handelsmerkbeeld-oordrag blyk dus om sterker te wees vanaf ‟n geborgde geleentheid na ‟n borghandelsmerk, as van ‟n borghandelsmerk na ‟n geborgde geleentheid.
‟n Aantal aanbevelings kan op grond van die studie gedoen word. Onder meer word beklemtoon dat organisasies borgskap moet aanwend om te midde van ‟n warboel produkreklame ‟n impak te hê op die uitbou van handelsmerkbeeld, om sodoende uiteindelik merkekwiteit te verbeter. Daarbenewens word voorgestel dat borgskap gebruik word om die handelsmerkbeeld van organisasies te bou en te versterk. Organisasies moet dus noukeurig oorweeg tydens die ontwikkeling van borgskap strategieë; borg produkte moet geaffilieer word met geborgde geleenthede én omgekeerd. Description:
Thesis (MComm (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
Masters Degrees (Business Management)