How do consumers evaluate sponsorship in the aftermath of sport celebrity scandals? Uncovering evidence on social media data mining

Article

Sassenberg, Anne-Marie and Sassenberg, Cindy. 2024. "How do consumers evaluate sponsorship in the aftermath of sport celebrity scandals? Uncovering evidence on social media data mining." International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship. 25 (5), pp. 1044-1058. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-09-2023-0200
Article Title

How do consumers evaluate sponsorship in the aftermath of sport celebrity scandals? Uncovering evidence on social media data mining

ERA Journal ID19497
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsSassenberg, Anne-Marie and Sassenberg, Cindy
Journal TitleInternational Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship
Journal Citation25 (5), pp. 1044-1058
Number of Pages15
Year2024
PublisherEmerald
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISSN1464-6668
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-09-2023-0200
Web Address (URL)https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJSMS-09-2023-0200/full/html
Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of sport scandals on consumer perceptions of the associated sponsors and sport and to provide a typology of sport celebrity scandals to guide management response tactics.

Design/methodology/approach
The study conducted four focus groups that were followed by social media data mining. A total of 8,289 consumer comments were collected from 147 websites, and a total of 224 comments were analyzed in terms of themes and frequency.

Findings
The research found the impact of sport scandals on consumer perceptions of sponsorship evaluations depended on whether the scandal was gender related scandal, recreational drug use, gender violence, unplanned and planned on-field scandals. Gender violence and planned on-field scandals can have an overwhelmingly negative impact on sponsorship evaluations, while unplanned on-field scandals may result in positive effects. Consumer empathy may influence the impact of recreational drug use, and the gender of the sport celebrity can influence the impact of unplanned on-field scandals.

Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to sponsorship theory by indicating the type of scandal affects consumer perceptions of associated sponsors and sport.

Practical implications
The findings may guide management to develop response tactics to sport scandals. The response tactics may be based on consumer perceptions of the impact of the scandal on the associated sponsors and sport. Sponsor and sport management response tactics may be perceived as a differentiation of the sponsor and sport brands. It may be necessary that sponsorship agreements included pre-determined response tactics that contribute to value formation in the local community.

Originality/value
This study contributes to sponsorship theory by indicating the type of scandal affects consumer perceptions of sponsorship evaluations. Two additional factors may impact these influences: consumer empathy and the gender of the sport celebrity.

KeywordsBrand image; Sport celebrity; Scandals; Expertise; Sponsorship; Role models; Gender violence; On-field; Off-field; Recreational drug use; Empathy and gender
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020350605. Marketing management (incl. strategy and customer relations)
Public Notes

The accessible file is the accepted version of the paper. Please refer to the URL for the published version.

Byline AffiliationsSchool of Business
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