| This study was conducted to gain insight into sport sponsorship in Canada from the perspective of both sponsors and sport groups. The study groups included Canadian companies with a history of sport sponsorship involvement (n = 75), and a combined sample of sport governing bodies representing national and provincial levels of sport (n = 72).;Findings indicated that sponsors considered sport sponsorship to be a strategic activity used to achieve commercial objectives. Important criteria indicated by corporate sponsors included "exclusivity", "awareness", and "image". "Sales" and "dealer/trade feedback" also were cited as important measures of a successful sponsorship. Sport groups exhibited an overall understanding of sponsorship criteria that were considered important to sponsors. However, sport governing bodies over valued the importance placed by sponsors on a number of criteria. Companies were more likely to discontinue sponsorship than sport governing bodies, and attributed discontinuance to poor return on investment, unmet objectives, and changes in the corporate strategy. Sport governing bodies and sponsors both agreed that sport groups were more likely to initiate sponsorship relationships, and less likely to terminate them. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
