The purchasing impact of fan identification and sports sponsorship

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically verify the conventional cause‐and‐effect relationship of fan identification and purchase intention in the context of Asian fans when both the sponsoring firm and the sponsored team are Western. The paper also proposes and examines the mediating role of sponsor credibility and attitude towards sponsor in the relationship between fan identification and purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachA field study was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand, where 350 questionnaires were collected from football fans.FindingsThe findings reveal that, even when both the sponsoring firm and the sponsored sports team are western (i.e. foreign), Asian fans’ identification with the team increases their purchase intention for sponsoring firm's goods. The research also confirms that sponsor credibility and attitude towards sponsors partially mediate the fan identification‐purchase link.Originality/valueThe paper provides valuable insights into the under‐researched aspect of sports sponsorship, by examining the effect on Asian fans’ purchase intension when both the sponsoring firm and the sponsored sports team are western. Moreover, most of the prior literature on sports sponsorship focuses on the direct effect of fan identification on purchase intention. The current study extends the scope of knowledge on sports sponsorship by focusing on the under‐researched but crucial mediating effects of sponsor credibility and attitude towards sponsor.

The Impact of Sport Sponsorship Perceptions and Attitudes on Purchasing Decision of Fans as Consumers—Relevance for Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Practices

“…The estimated results and standardized path coefficients are also shown in Figure 2, in order to graphically illustrate the interrelations obtained between the used variables. The conclusions are that the sport sponsorship attitudes, as well as the sport sponsorship perceptions, have a strong positive impact on the purchasing decisions of consumers, regarding products of sponsors, which is in line with previous studies [6][7][8][9]12,14]. Our analysis has shown that the sport sponsorship perceptions and the sport sponsorship attitudes are also strongly correlated and their causal relationship is statistically significant, strong and positive.…”

“…A consensus has been reached by a large number of authors on the effectiveness of sport sponsorship, among which emphasis is placed on sponsorship attitudes and purchasing decisions [6][7][8][9]. A positive attitude about sponsorship is a prerequisite for decision making and purchasing, so this is one of the main goals of sport sponsorship.…”

Exploring the impact of Qatar’s soft power sponsorship in the Indian Premier League: a social identity perspective

“…First, consumer brand attitude was not considered in this study. Sponsorship research has identified a positive association between SBM 14,4 consumers' attitudes toward sponsors and their purchase intentions (Biscaia et al, 2013;Chang et al, 2021;Cho et al, 2021;Kamath et al, 2020;Rai and Singh, 2020;Wang et al, 2012). Future research may focus on exploring sports consumers' attitudes towards the event as well as other soft power sponsor brands since they could be an influential parameter affecting buying intentions.…”

Esports fan identity toward sponsor–sponsee relationship: an understanding of the role-based identity

“…Regarding brand identity, individuals can have meaningful and personal connections with brands (Bhattacharya and Sen, 2003) and it may even become an extension of themselves (Biscaia et al, 2018). This bidirectional relationship can be explained by fan perception toward the partnership since in sports contexts, events and sponsors are perceived as trustworthy partners, enhancing each other's credibility and support (Wang et al, 2012). Likewise, events are opportunities for sponsor brands to be associated with core values and concrete causes alongside other sport brands and organizations, becoming a distinctive resource and competitive advantage against competitors (Papadimitriou et al, 2008).…”