Meaning transfer between events and sponsor brands: Integrating the role of emotions — a new conceptual framework

Event sponsorship in sports has become one of the most prominent non-traditional components of the marketing communication mix for many companies across the globe. Past literature has shown that event sponsorship helps the sponsor brand in terms of brand positioning, image build-up and even in raising favourable purchase intentions. However, literature about sponsorship has not investigated the mediating role of consumer emotions or affect on consumer attitudes towards the sponsor brand. The present study was conducted to identify (a) whether sponsorships are important in developing countries such as India; and (b) whether brand and event emotions play a mediating role in creating consumer attitudes towards the sponsor brand as a result of an event sponsorship. Based on primary data collected from 289 respondents using a questionnaire-based survey, the study has generated interesting findings. The fit between an event and a brand was found to affect consumer emotions towards the brand and the event. Consumer emotions/affect were found to have a significant impact on event-related attitudes as well as sponsor attitudes. Sponsor brand attitudes were found to have an impact on event attitudes. The present study not only opens up areas for academic research, but also highlights the need for practitioners to choose the events to sponsor and promote their brands, if they want to avoid negative emotions and negative attitudes from their consumers.