Consumer reactions to sport-event sponsorship: a case study of the 2006 Cape Argus Pick ’n Pay cycle tour

Abstract

Sport-event sponsorship has rarely undergone systematic study, and few empirical studies have looked at the effect of sponsorship on the consumer. This study investigated consumer reactions to the sponsor organisations and identified factors that influenced reactions among participants of the 2006 Cape Argus Pick ’n Pay Cycle Tour (CAPPCT). The descriptive research design consisted of self-administered questionnaires, conducted online, on the CAPPCT website. Emails containing a hyperlink to the survey were sent out to eligible participants from the CAPPCT database. A response of 213 valid answers was received. The findings indicated that event participants have a highly positive reaction to event sponsors. There are three components of this positive reaction: i) participants have a highly positive reaction toward the event; ii) they do not believe that the event is over-commercialised; and iii) the event sponsorship has a positive influence on the participants’ attitudes towards behavioural intent (namely high levels of awareness of and support for sponsors, as well as influencing the image perceptions of and satisfaction with sponsors, and increased likelihood to purchase).