Consumers' perceived functions of and attitude towards corporate sponsors of small-scale amateur sporting events

• Main Author: Low, Bernice Xiao Ting
• Other Authors: Pyun Do Young
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business::Marketing
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/59156
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Aspiring to become a sporting nation, one recommendation from Singapore’s Vision 2030 is to develop a sustainable resourcing model, by encouraging more corporate companies to sponsor sporting events. This research aimed to identify the perceived functions of corporate sponsors, which influenced consumers to develop positive attitudes towards these sponsors. Using convenience sampling, 229 undergraduate students participated in this study, of which 210 were regarded as valid responses. Participants’ ages ranged from 21 to 26 years (M = 23.3, SD = 1.3), where 50% were females and 50% were males. The five perceived functions of corporate sponsors were ubiquity, sincerity, credibility, sponsor-event fit and profit-orientation. It was hypothesised that perceived ubiquity and profit-orientation negatively influenced consumers’ attitude, while perceived sincerity, credibility and sponsor-event fit were positive influences. Descriptive statistics and internal consistency were tested during the preliminary stages. Multiple regression was used during the main analysis, to identify the relationships between the five functions and consumers’ attitude. Results identified perceived ubiquity (p = .034) and sponsor-event fit (p = .016) as the functions which positively influenced consumers’ attitude towards corporate sponsors of small-scale sporting events. Therefore, to better reach out to their target audience, it is recommended for corporate sponsors to be more involved in small-scale sporting events, and also, brand their image or tagline to fit the sponsored event. Furthermore, organisers of small-scale events can also be more proactive and confident in approaching potential corporate sponsors, with more effective sponsorship proposals. Keywords: corporate sponsorship, small-scale events, perceived functions, consumers’ attitude