Perceptions of sponsorship in experiential marketing of sporting events
Cleber Dias, Daniel Augusto Pinto Moreira
Abstract
This article analyzes survey data collected at 15 sporting events of different modalities held across Brazilian capitals and inland cities, aiming to identify patterns of experiential marketing perception among event attendees. Drawing on a broad secondary database totaling more than 12,000 valid responses, the study examines, in a descriptive and exploratory manner, four dimensions of the relationship between consumers and sponsoring brands: communication channels perceived as most effective for brand connection, perceived influence of sponsorship on consumption decisions, self-reported behavioral conversion attributed to sponsorship, and the sponsorship activations most valued by attendees. Results reveal consistent patterns across the different contexts investigated. In-person experiences were identified by 61% of respondents as the primary driver of brand connection, compared to only 4% for television advertising. Sponsorship was perceived as a positive influence on consumption by 82% of respondents, and 69% reported having initiated or increased consumption of products from sponsoring brands as a result of event sponsorship. Prize giveaways (45%) and exclusive discounts (31%) were the most valued activations, while brand exposure on uniforms and event materials attracted only 9% of preferences. These findings challenge the prevailing logic of the sports marketing industry, largely based on media equivalency metrics, and offer insights for the management of sponsorships in sporting events, suggesting that tangible deliverables and meaningful experiences tend to be more valued by attendees than passive brand exposure.
Keywords
References
Ambler, T. (2003). Marketing and the bottom line: The marketing metrics to pump up cash flow (2nd ed.). London, UK: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
Brakus, J. J., Schmitt, B. H., & Zarantonello, L. (2009). Brand experience: What is it? How is it measured? Does it affect loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 73(3), 52–68. doi:10.1509/jmkg.73.3.52
Clark, B. H., & Ambler, T. (2001). Marketing performance measurement: Evolution of research and practice. International Journal of Business Performance Management, 4(2–3), 231–244. doi:10.1504/IJBPM.2001.000101
Close, A. G., Finney, R. Z., Lacey, R., & Sweeney, J. (2006). Engaging the consumer through event marketing: Linking attendees with the sponsor, community, and brand. Journal of Advertising Research, 46(4), 420–433. doi:10.2501/S0021849906060430
Cornwell, T. B. (2019). Sponsorship in marketing: Effective partnerships in sports, arts and events (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Cornwell, T. B., & Kwon, Y. (2020). Sponsorship-linked marketing: Research surpluses and shortages. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(4), 607–629. doi:10.1007/s11747-019-00654-w
Crompton, J. L. (2004). Conceptualization and alternate operationalizations of the measurement of sponsorship effectiveness in sport. Leisure Studies, 23(3), 267–281. doi:10.1080/0261436042000183695
Grohs, R., Wagner, U., & Vsetecka, S. (2004). Assessing the effectiveness of sport sponsorships: An empirical examination. Schmalenbach Business Review, 56(2), 119–138. doi:10.1007/BF03396689
Grönroos, C. (2011). Value co-creation in service logic: A critical analysis. Marketing Theory, 11(3), 279–301. doi:10.1177/1470593111408177
Gwinner, K. P., & Eaton, J. (1999). Building brand image through event sponsorship: The role of image transfer. Journal of Advertising, 28(4), 47–57. doi:10.1080/00913367.1999.10673595
Meenaghan, T. (2001a). Sponsorship and advertising: A comparison of consumer perceptions. Psychology & Marketing, 18(2), 191–215. doi:10.1002/1520-6793(200102)18:2<191::AID-MAR1005>3.0.CO;2-C
Meenaghan, T. (2001b). Understanding sponsorship effects. Psychology & Marketing, 18(2), 95–122. doi:10.1002/1520-6793(200102)18:2<95::AID-MAR1001>3.0.CO;2-H
Meenaghan, T. (2013). Measuring sponsorship performance: Challenge and direction. Psychology & Marketing, 30(5), 385–393. doi:10.1002/mar.20613
Meenaghan, T., & O'Sullivan, P. (2013). Metrics in sponsorship research: Is credibility an issue? Psychology & Marketing, 30(5), 408–416. doi:10.1002/mar.20615
Muller, J. Z. (2019). The tyranny of metrics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Parolini, P. L. L., Rocco Júnior, A. J., & Carlassara, E. O. C. (2019). Proposta de modelo para captação de patrocinador em eventos de corrida de rua. Revista Brasileira de Ciências do Esporte, 41(4), 405–411. doi:10.1016/j.rbce.2018.06.003
Pelser, A., Sung, B., & Butcher, L. (2023). Revisiting experiential marketing: A Delphi study. Journal of Brand Management, 31(1), 1–22. doi:10.1057/s41262-023-00333-w
Pencarelli, T., & Forlani, F. (2018). Marketing in an experiential perspective: From "goods and service logic" to "experience logic". In T. Pencarelli & F. Forlani (Eds.), The experience logic as a new perspective for marketing management. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-77550-0_3
Rossiter, J. R. (2002). The C-OAR-SE procedure for scale development in marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 19(4), 305–335. doi:10.1016/S0167-8116(02)00097-6
Rust, R. T., Ambler, T., Carpenter, G. S., Kumar, V., & Srivastava, R. K. (2004). Measuring marketing productivity: Current knowledge and future directions. Journal of Marketing, 68(4), 76–89. doi:10.1509/jmkg.68.4.76.42721
Schmitt, B. H. (1999). Experiential marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(1–3), 53–67. doi:10.1362/026725799784870496
Smilansky, S. (2022). Marketing experiencial. São Paulo, SP: Autêntica.
Speed, R., & Thompson, P. (2000). Determinants of sports sponsorship response. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(2), 226–238. doi:10.1177/0092070300282004
Srinivasan, S., & Hanssens, D. M. (2009). Marketing and firm value: Metrics, methods, findings, and future directions. Journal of Marketing Research, 46(3), 293–312. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1136332
Urdea, A.-M., & Constantin, C. (2021). Experts' perspective on the development of experiential marketing strategy: Implementation steps, benefits, and challenges. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(10), Article 502. doi:10.3390/jrfm14100502
Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. Journal of Marketing, 68(1), 1–17. doi:10.1509/jmkg.68.1.1.24036
Walliser, B. (2003). An international review of sponsorship research: Extension and update. International Journal of Advertising, 22(1), 5–40. doi:10.1080/02650487.2003.11072838
Zajonc, R. B. (1984). On the primacy of affect. American Psychologist, 39(2), 117–123. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.39.2.117
Zarantonello, L., & Schmitt, B. H. (2010). Using the brand experience scale to profile consumers and predict consumer behaviour. Journal of Brand Management, 17(7), 532–540. doi:10.1057/bm.2010.4
Submitted date:
06/17/2026
Accepted date:
07/23/2026
