Explaining and Articulating the Fit Construct in Sponsorship

Abstract

The fit between a sponsor and object (i.e., sponsored organization, cause, event, or individual) has been shown to be an important construct in predicting sponsorship effects, but little research has been done to understand the basis for fit perceptions. The current research uses three studies to find and test the underlying dimensions used to judge the degree of overall fit between a sponsor and object. Starting with an exploratory study that uses qualitative cognitive mapping to uncover seven dimensions that form the basis for overall fit perceptions, a follow-up experiment determines their ability to predict overall fit and sponsorship-related attitude changes. The last study tests whether overall fit perceptions can be manipulated both positively and negatively with fit dimension-related communications about the sponsorship. The research finds that sponsor product relevance, attitude similarity, geographic similarity, audience similarity, and sponsorship duration significantly predict overall fit and/or can be used to manipulate fit perceptions positively.

The relative performance of TV sponsorship versus television spot advertising

“…Furthermore, in cases where natural fit is low, explanations of fit have been shown to enhance sponsorship effects (Cornwell et al, 2006;Olson and Thjømøe, 2011;Simmons and Becker-Olsen, 2006), while higher interest and expertise in the sponsored event has been shown to enhance the ability of audience members to see fit (Roy and Cornwell, 2004) and enhance overall sponsorship effects (Olson, 2010).…”

Is Sport Sponsorship Global? Evidence from the United States, the United Kingdom, and India

“…Yet, contrary to cultural dimensions theory, the structural relationships of sponsorship fit with attitude toward the sponsor and with purchase intentions were significant for every country in this study, despite the CFC's sponsor not having any natural perceived fit with the team or with the sport of soccer. However, the current study's results can be explained by arguing that it is not necessary to find a strong link between the team and the sponsor at an international level, so long as marketers are able to articulate a positive relationship between the two (Olson & Thjømøe, 2011). For instance, companies that sponsor a team may wish to incorporate corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies that include social objectives within sponsorship initiatives (Alexandris et al, 2012) as consumers are more likely to notice and support a fit with socially-oriented companies (Close & Lacey, 2013).…”

Determinants of Community-Based Sponsorship Impact on Self-Congruity

“…Little research examines the antecedents of overall perceived fit (Olson & Thjomoe 2011;Roy & Cornwell, 2004). From a managerial perspective, especially for sponsors that do not enjoy an obvious basis for perceived fit with the relevant image in their market, identifying antecedents of congruence can improve the ability to choose sponsorship relationships.…”

“…This study focuses on the effect of CSR similarity between the sponsor and the property on perceived fit. When people read sponsorship information, they access event and brand schemas from memory and compare them to produce judgments about the congruence of the sponsorship (McDaniel, 1999) Olson and Thjomoe (2011) find that attitude similarity influences perceived fit positively, so attitude similarity may be another predictor of overall fit. Therefore, H1: CSR similarity between the sponsor and the event increases perceived sponsorevent fit.…”