The congruity effects of commercial brand sponsorship in a regional event

Abstract

Reduced funding and support from governments have turned regional events and festivals to seeking commercial sponsorships to maintain their financial viability. However, few studies have examined how sponsorship brand effects are formulated. Using congruity theory, the purpose of this research was to examine sponsorship brand effects in an integrative model based on the relationships among event image, sponsoring brand image, and visitors' self-images. Using a sample of 258 visitors to the Hwacheon Tomato Festival sponsored by the Ottogi brand in South Korea, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the study hypotheses. The findings indicate that self-congruity with sponsoring brand image influences sponsoring brand attitude, which, in turn, influences sponsoring brand loyalty. The congruity between event image and sponsoring brand image influences sponsoring brand loyalty by mediating the effects of event attitude and sponsoring brand attitude. Self-congruity with event image influenced sponsoring brand loyalty by mediating event attitude and sponsoring brand attitude.