Sports Sponsorship Effectiveness Investigating Awareness, Sponsor Equity and Efficiency
1.1 Introducing the Sponsorship Market
Over the last decades sponsorship has evolved from a merely philanthropic activity to a popular marketing vehicle and consequently budgets have been rising (Nufer & Bühler, 2010). In the current sponsorship market million-dollar contracts are the rule rather than the exception. The majority of sponsorship investments is in the area of sports, such that sponsorship and media rights are the “main engines” of growth and professionalism in the global sports market (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2011, p.4). In particular Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) projects a worldwide increase in spending on sports sponsorship to $45.3 billion in 2015 (PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2011). Sponsorship managers recognize the commercial value of associating their business with a well-known and beloved property. They hope to achieve a multitude of objectives, including brand equity and customer relations goals, through sponsorship. Yet in the current difficult economic situation, marketing investments, including sponsorships, are under increased scrutiny such that “companies that are signing new or re-signing deals are showing...