Examining Some Behavioural Effects of Sponsorship and Ambush Marketing

Ambush marketing is often regarded as an unethical marketing activity that decreases the effectiveness of legitimate sponsorship and degrades it as a promotion investment. However, there is little empirical research to support these claims and the research that does exist typically focuses on respondents’ attitudes and beliefs rather than their behaviour. Perceptions of sponsors are often shaped by respondents’ brand repertoires, or by the size and dominance of brands in the product category of interest. These well-documented confounding variables query reliance on cognitive measures of confusion and point to the need for more robust, behaviourally-based measures. This paper reports on a survey that will explore the relationship between sponsorship attribution and a range of influential variables. The effect of these variables and consumers’ awareness of sponsorship will also be used to predict purchase behaviour. Supervisor: Professor Janet Hoek Advisor: Christina Mossaidis