Strengthening Sponsorship Fit: Testing for the Influence of Sponsor Category and National Culture

Abstract This study aimed to identify sponsorship-fit profiles of individuals regarding perception of sponsors of national volleyball teams in three countries and its effect on affective outcomes. We examined: (a) if sponsorship-fit profiles were similar for two sponsor categories (sport equipment/apparel companies and financial service companies) and in three countries (France, Iran and Russia); (b) whether individuals with distinct sponsorship-fit profiles differed in their attitudes toward sponsor and toward brand, (c) whether the relationships between sponsorship-fit profiles and attitudes toward sponsor and brand were similar between the two sponsor categories and the three countries; and (d) whether the scores of fit and attitude toward sponsors and brands differed across cultures and categories of sponsors. To investigate this, we collected data from 166 randomly selected student in France, 270 in Iran and 168 in Russia. The results of the cluster analyses revealed two or three sponsorship-fit profiles across the sponsor categories and countries: low, medium and high fit. Respondents had significantly different scores of fit and attitude toward sponsor and brand for the different sponsor categories and countries.