Linking With Sponsor Brand Through Sports Competition: The Activation Processes of Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty in Sports Fans

• In Event: Sports Communication, Marketing, and Management

Abstract

Approaching the interplay between sports fans and brand-related perceptions in the context of sports sponsorship, two studies were developed to examine the effects of sport fans’ self-enhancement strategies: basking in reflected glory (BIRGing), and cutting off reflected failure (CORFing). The first study found that both team performance and sports fandom yielded main effects on brand connection. Specifically, sports fans with higher fandom reported highest brand connection after wins, while others with lower fandom exhibited lowest brand connection after losses. The second study suggested that team performance and game venue yielded both main and joint effects on brand trust and loyalty. Moreover, team identification mediated the joint effect of team performance and game venue on brand trust and loyalty. Practical implications were also discussed.

Authors

• Po-Lin Pan, Arkansas State University

• Joe Phua, U of Georgia