Sports Mega-Event Sponsorship: The Impact of FIFA Reputation and World Cup Image on Sponsor Brand Equity

Abstract

The present study investigates the influence the organizing body's reputation has on the image of a sports mega-event and on the mega-event sponsors' consumer-based brand equities. The study's main theoretical references are Associative Network Theory (Collins & Loftus, 1975) and Schema Theory (Axelrod, 1973), both about the functioning of the human memory. The research was carried out during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilians and foreigners who attended the 2014 FIFA Fan Fest on Copacabana Beach were surveyed through a nonprobabilistic sampling, and 1,973 questionnaires were collected. Data analysis was performed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). We verified the reliability, convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity of the constructs. In order to test the substantive hypotheses, we applied Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using an Asymptotic Distribution-Free (ADF) technique. The empirical results suggest that FIFA's reputation influences the image of the FIFA World Cup, but may not directly influence the sponsors' consumer-based brand equities. We also verified that the perception of fit between the mega-event and the sponsor plays a partial mediating effect on the relationship between the image of the mega-event and the sponsor's brand equity.

Effect of Brand Enhancement on Buying Behavior towards the Sport Sponsorship Companies in Riyadh, KSA

“…is a distinctive action from other fans (Meir & Scott, 2007). The studies of Gwinner and Swanson (2003) and Pijkeren (2010) have confirmed that sports sponsorship has a positive impact on buying intentions and it is an important reason for buying decisions of the sponsor products (Coelho et al, 2019).…”

“…Finally, The Studies recognize the role of sponsorship in enhancing the brand and the ability to pass through the positive image of the brand and company strongly, so it can be considered an important reason for buying its products (Coelho, Amorim, & Almeida, 2019). This means that sponsorship improves the buying power of the sponsor company (Biscaia et al, 2017) through the positive financial indicators such as stock prices, property rights, and the brand value (Kim, Trail, Woo, & Zhang, 2011).…”

Evolution of Research on Elite Adult Athlete Sleep: A Systematic Review

“…Some factors can be considered for this result. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with approximately 400 million players in more than 208 countries [86]. In this way, the great popularity and financial interest can help to understand why soccer is the most researched sport.…”

Determinants of corporate sponsorship award opportunities for Soccer Premier League clubs in Kenya

“…Further, sponsorship fit is the similarity between the sponsors and the sponsored aimed at attracting customers to purchase the sponsor's products (Rodgers, as cited in Henseler et al, 2007). Moreover, team image is described by Wang as cited in Coelho et al, 2019) as the opportunity of transferring the positive characteristics of the club to the sponsor's brand. Facility average attendance is referred to as the average number of fans who attend a game in terms of whether the stadium is packed or empty (Coakley as cited in Lee, 2008;Origi and Deya, 2019).…”