Recognizing a sponsor’s name is different from being attracted to a sponsor

Abstract

As mainstream as sport sponsorship has become, it may be unreasonably optimistic to expect that simply placing product logos, banners, and signs at a sporting facility will automatically attract the sport spectator’s attention (Choi, Stotlar, & Park, 2005; Park & Choi, 2011). A number of factors beyond simple logo exposure may determine the likelihood of a stimulus being attended to and remembered. The main purpose of this study was to identify whether the sponsored promotional activities at a sporting venue, such as logo placement, product demonstrations, hospitality centers, etc., actually can attract the eye and attention of fans.  A total of 27 graduate and undergraduate students (18 years or above) who were enrolled in a sport management program at a college in the Northwestern United States were asked to participate in this study. The participants attended the Spokane Shock games on March 12^th, March 30^th, and April 14^th of 2012. A total of 13 people (138 photos) successfully provided the photos and short essays in a timely manner.  Photos were analyzed and separated into four categories (see table 1): (1) visual signage (VS) – standard non-digital signage including field signage, (2) PA announcement (PA) – digital signage and products brought onto field as announced by the public address announcer, (3) personal contact (PC) – fans, mascots, employees and promo employees, and (4) giveaways (GW) – items handed to fans or picked up from display tables, including merchandise and concessions. As seen in table 2, the most frequently recalled five sponsors were Dishman Dodge (24.3%), George Gee Kia (10.7%), Century Link (8.3%), Tailgator (4.1%), and Rockwood (4.1%).