This study examines the impact of fan identification on four distinct sponsorship outcomes: sponsor recognition, attitude toward the sponsor, sponsor patronage, and satisfaction with the sponsor. In addition, consistent with the identification literature we investigate the antecedents of prestige, domain involvement, and fan associations for predicting fan identification among sports spectators. Utilizing structural equation modeling the findings support the premise that highly identified fans are more likely to exhibit the investigated sponsorship outcomes. In addition, we found that the investigated antecedents may aid in predicting fan identification. Our findings are discussed, managerial implications presented, and future research directions provided. Modern sponsorship has moved from primarily a philanthropic activity to mutually advantageous business arrangements between sponsors and the sponsored (Abratt et al., 1987). The objectives being sought by sponsoring organizations are focusing more and more on exploitable commercial potential and bottom-line results (

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With growing competition and the increasing complexity of commercial information, interpersonal communication continues to be important to marketers. Market mavens, those consumers with general product knowledge that act as disseminators of product information, play a central role in influencing others’ purchase decisions. Previous research, which has focused on mavens’ demographics and media consumption, has neglected the motives that drive these consumer communicators. From a survey of 326 consumers, we explore how those respondents ranked high on the maven scale differ in terms of their motivations to engage in word‐of‐mouth behavior from those scoring lower on the maven scale. Our results indicate that market mavens, compared with moderate and non‐mavens, are motivated to a greater extent by a sense of obligation to share information, a desire to help others, and feelings of pleasure associated with informing others about products. The relationship between initial information diffusion, maven group, and the investigated motivations are also explored. Implications for marketers targeting mavens are offered.

The impact of service recovery attributions in determining consumers’ intentions of engaging in post‐recovery word‐of‐mouth behaviors is examined. Research questions are investigated utilizing satisfactory service recovery scenarios that vary in their perceived likelihood of reoccurrence (i.e. stability) and responsibility for the recovery (i.e. locus) in three service industries. Results indicate that consumers who have service failures satisfactorily corrected demonstrate a strong propensity to share positive information about their experience. As a person’s social network extends outward, stability and locus interact to influence intentions to discuss a service failure/recovery. A greater propensity to share information and higher levels of customer praise and recommendations were found for shorter service recovery times. Recommendations for customer service managers are provided.

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