An examination of the NBA jersey sponsorship program : the role of congruence, articulation, and CSR in attitudes, consumer behavior, and activation strategy

This research focuses on consumer behavior and sport sponsorship within the context of the jersey sponsorship program in the National Basketball Association. The aim of this work is to advance the understanding of how brand-property congruence and articulation strategy influence the perception of jersey sponsorships and how consumer-level factors such as team identification affect sponsorship outcomes. This research applied schema congruity theory and expands beyond a one-dimensional fit construct to examine additional dimensions of team-sponsor congruence that build on previous fit, fandom, and articulation research. Different types of fit and sponsor categories were tested to determine the most effective foundation of fit as determined by outcomes of attitude toward team and sponsor, sponsor patronage, and perceptions of team and sponsor social responsibility.

Additionally, sponsorship articulation is examined to determine how official communications that explain the patch partnerships influence fan receptivity, attribution of team and sponsor motives, and sponsorship success for corporate and nonprofit sponsors. Results indicated a significant relationship between fit type and sponsor patronage, and team identification is shown to significantly predict attitude toward the team, attitude toward the sponsor, and sponsor patronage. Corporate sponsors that were categorized as having a functional-based fit with the team were found to result in significantly greater purchase intention than corporate sponsors with a schema-based congruence with the team. However, corporate sponsors that were schema-based showed slightly better performance in driving fan attitude than functional-based sponsors. Additionally, significant positive correlations were observed between attitude toward the team and sponsor and purchase intention, as well as CSR perception, team identification, and fandom with sponsor patronage.

This research informs sponsorship strategies for brands and properties and provides actionable recommendations for effective commercial and CSR-linked executions. It also equips researchers with direction for future academic study in the field of sport sponsorship, fan behavior, and the role of fandom and team identification. These findings provide practitioners with insight into evidence-based sport sponsorship strategy and equip leaders of brands, properties, and advertising agencies with actionable insights for informing sponsorship decision-making, leveraging team and sponsor assets, and driving maximum sponsorship value.