Investigating the moderating role of fit on sports sponsorship and brand equity

This paper outlines how managers involved in sponsorship decisions view the impacts of different levels of sponsorship on brand equity. The moderating role of fit between sponsor and sponsee is also investigated. The study participants were managers involved in sponsoring football clubs in the Netherlands. Sports sponsorship was conceptualised as a second-order formative index, the sport sponsorship index (SSI). Results indicate that the relationship between sport sponsorship and brand equity is significant, with greater variability being explained when fit and the interaction term is introduced into the model.