The influence of Sport Sponsorship on Brand Equity in South Africa

This study scrutinizes the influence of sport sponsorship on brand equity in South Africa. It examines the impact and contribution of brand awareness, brand image, brand loyalty and perceived quality resulting from sports sponsorship. The objective was also to understand the influence of sponsorship fit between event and sponsor on brand awareness and brand image. To date, extant research has been conducted in the developed world, mainly in the United States, Europe and Asia. Investigations of sports sponsorship in Africa are sparse. Marshaling the sports sponsorship and brand equity literature, the results show that sponsorship has a major role to play in building brand awareness and brand image. An important and unexpected finding is that the perceived appropriate fit between the sponsor and the sport event has a negative influence on brand awareness and brand image. The implications and recommendations are then discussed.