A Model Of Fan Identification: Antecedents And Sponsorship Outcomes
Modern sponsorship has moved from primarily a philanthropic activity to mutually advantageous business arrangements between sponsors and the sponsored (Abratt et al., 1987). The objectives being sought by sponsoring organizations are focusing more and more on exploitable commercial potential and bottom-line results (Cornwell, 1995; Hoek et al., 1993; 1997; Irwin and Sutton, 1994; Marshall and Cook, 1992; Wilson, 1997), and less on altruism or a sense of social responsibility without expectation of return. With this recognition comes an increased significance on identifying attitudinal and tangible behavioral outcomes to sponsorship efforts (Hoek et al., 1993). Despite the growth and recognized importance of sponsorship activities, academic research in this area has to date been limited (Cornwell and Maignan, 1998; Speed and Thompson, 2000). Sport is a natural area for sponsorship as it can carry very strong images,