Creating Brand Experiences Through Activational Sponsorship Leverage

A commonly accepted notion is that companies should leverage their event sponsorships with promotional and communication activities beyond the sponsorship contract. Activational sponsorship leverage is an experiential marketing strategy that encourages consumers to engage actively in brand-related activities. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate how level of consumer participation in brand-related activities at a sponsored event can improve brand evaluations by creating brand experiences. The paper presents findings from a field quasi-experiment conducted at a sponsored sporting event, in which three levels of consumer participation with the sponsoring brand (active-, passive-, or non-participation) were examined. Drawing on brand experience theory, the main prediction is that active participation represents the highest level of consumer brand engagement, and therefore should have the greatest potential for creating impactful brand experiences. The study provides valuable information for brand managers who seek to create memorable brand experiences through sponsorship-linked brand communication and activities.