Investigating the different congruence effects on sports sponsor brand equity

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the following relationships in the Asian sports sponsorship context: first, the influence of self-congruity and perceived congruence on sponsor brand identification and sponsor credibility, respectively; second, the influence of sponsor brand identification and sponsor credibility on sponsor brand equity; and third, the mediating effect of sponsor brand identification and sponsor credibility on the relationship that self-congruity and perceived congruence each have with sponsor brand equity.

Design/methodology/approach

A field study was conducted in Taiwan, where 410 questionnaires were collected from baseball fans of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (the local professional baseball league).

Findings

The findings support all of the hypotheses and reveal that self-congruity and perceived congruence leverage sponsor brand equity through sponsor brand identification and sponsor credibility, respectively. Both sponsor brand identification and sponsor credibility partially mediate the relationship that self-congruity and perceived congruence each have with sponsor brand equity.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can assist sponsorship managers in realising how to leverage a sponsor brand equity.

Originality/value

The conceptual model investigated both direct and indirect (i.e. mediated) effects by providing different theoretical explanations to explore how self-congruity and perceived congruence leverage sponsor brand equity in the Asian sports sponsorship context.

Citation

Wang, M.C.-H. (2017), "Investigating the different congruence effects on sports sponsor brand equity", International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 196-211. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-05-2017-089