This study aims to investigate the effects on attitudes towards corporations according to the objectives and fitness of sponsorships as recognized by consumers for corporate performance arts sponsorships.
Accordingly, the objectives of sponsorship we...
This study aims to investigate the effects on attitudes towards corporations according to the objectives and fitness of sponsorships as recognized by consumers for corporate performance arts sponsorships.
Accordingly, the objectives of sponsorship were categorized into private and public while characteristics of sponsoring companies and fitness for performance arts were set as categorized into high, low and set as independent variables. Consumer level of involvement in performance arts was introduced as the moderating variable. The effects on attitudes towards corporations by consumers were analyzed according to such basis. The results of the study are as follows.
First, a more positive result was shown in terms of corporate preference and reliability when the recognition by consumers on the objectives of corporate performance arts sponsorships were seen as public rather than private.
Second, change in corporate attitudes according to characteristics of sponsoring corporation and fitness with subject of sponsorship did not show a statistically meaningful difference. Such may be the result of limiting the characteristic of a corporation according to only its functional characteristics (industry, products). In other words, such is suggestive of the fact that differences in the functional characteristics of corporations will not result in a change in the consumer attitude towards a corporation. When comparing such fact to previous studies on fitness, it can be observed that consumer recognition is more affected by association or similarity with the image characteristics rather than the functional characteristics of a corporation.
Third, this study attempted to measure the moderating effect of the involvement in performance arts by consumers. The results of measuring change in corporate attitudes after categorizing into two groups according to high and low involvement, the group with higher involvement was shown to have a more positive corporate attitude. However, regarding interactivity (objectives * level of involvement) between the objectives of sponsorship and level of involvement, a statistically meaningful difference was shown only for corporate reliability while a statistically meaningful difference was not shown for corporate preference. In addition, a statistically meaningful difference was not shown for interactivity (fitness*involvement) between the fitness of sponsorship and level of involvement. Such results are suggestive of the fact that although a statistically meaningful difference is shown for corporate attitudes according to level of involvement, fitness does not result in a meaningful change in corporate attitude.
In conclusion, a more positive change in corporate attitudes by consumers is shown when the objectives of corporate performance arts sponsorship is recognized to be more public rather than private. In addition, although a higher level of involvement in performance arts by consumers results in a more positive change in corporate attitude, with regards to the moderating effect of levels of involvement, a statistically meaningful difference for corporate reliability was shown when the level of involvement was high and the objectives of sponsorship was recognized to be public. On the other hand, differences in corporate attitude according to fitness of sponsorship was not shown to result in a statistically meaningful difference. Such is suggestive of the fact that consumer recognition on the fitness of a corporation for performance arts is more affected by similarities with the image characteristics of a corporation rather that its functional characteristics. In the future, conducting studies which consider such points is expected to contribute significantly to the understanding and application of performance arts sponsorships.