The Impact of Repeat Attendance on Sponsorship Effects

Abstract

Understanding the impact of retaining sponsors and event attendees offers important insight to organizations that are contemplating long-term sponsorship relationships and to event marketers seeking ongoing sponsorship partnerships. Yet prior to this study, the impact of multi-year sponsorship and attendance on a sponsoring brand have not been investigated. The study addresses this gap through the examination of field survey results obtained during a professional cycling event, the Tour de Georgia, which drew more than 800,000 spectators over a six-day period in April 2005. Data from a sample of 1,280 spectators suggest that multi-year attendance is associated with enhanced brand image and purchase intentions of an ongoing title sponsor’s products.

Keywords: sponsorship, event marketing, relationship marketing, consumer behavior, sport marketing

JEL Classification: M31