The sponsorship, one method of Integrated Marketing Communi- cation, has become popular with various companies in order to prevent consumers from blocking off advertising avoidance, and connect companies to new consumers as well as previous ones. As t...
The sponsorship, one method of Integrated Marketing Communi- cation, has become popular with various companies in order to prevent consumers from blocking off advertising avoidance, and connect companies to new consumers as well as previous ones. As the sponsorship of golf wear brands such as golf players or golf events sponsorship contributes to society and companies, it helps to form the relationship between consumers and golf wear brands, and to build brand equity and customer loyalty.
The purpose of this study is to find the influential relationships for consumer's cognition about sponsorship, consumer-brand relationship, brand equity, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. First, I analyzed the effects of consumer's cognition about golf wear brand sponsorship on consumer-brand relationship. Second, I searched the effects of consumer-brand relationship on brand equity. Third, I analyzed the influence of brand equity on customer satisfaction. Fourth, I investigated the influence of consumer's cognition about sponsorship, consumer-brand relationship, brand equity, customer satisfaction on customer loyalty. Fifth, I searched for the differences among consumer's cognition about sponsorship, consumer-brand relationship, brand equity, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and purchasing behavior based on demographic factors.
To accomplish these purposes of the study, I had reviewed previous studies and conducted a questionnaire survey. The survey, answered by 600 males and females over the age of 20s, was conducted by the Internet Research Company from October 5th to 20th in 2011, after the questionnaire was modified through two preliminary surveys. Only the people, who had not only the knowledge about the sponsorship of golf wear brands and but also prior purchasing experience for items of those brands, could participate in the survey. To analyze statistical data, I used frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, multiple regression analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, t-test, ANOVA, cross-tabulation analysis with SPSS version 18.0 program.
The summaries of the study are as following.
First, the commitment relationship was influenced by sponsorship interest, sponsorship importance, sponsor-sponsorship suitability and sponsorship expectation. However, the personal attachment was influenced by sponsorship interest and sponsorship expectation, and the trustful relationship was influenced by all factors of consumer cognition except sponsorship interest.
Second, all factors of consumer-brand relationship affected brand image in brand equity. But perceived quality and brand awareness were affected by the commitment relationship and trustful relationship.
Third, the customer satisfaction was influenced by perceived quality, brand image and brand awareness for golf wear brand equity.
Fourth, the customer loyalty was influenced by consumer's cognition about sponsorship, consumer-brand relationship, brand equity and customer satisfaction. Specially, the influence of customer-brand relationship and consumer's cognition about sponsorship was bigger than others. As each factor was getting into the analysis process, only sponsorship interest and sponsorship expectation in consumer's cognition and brand image in brand equity affected customer loyalty.
Lastly, on demographic factors for golf wear consumer, there were statically differences on consumer's cognition about sponsorship, consumer-brand relationship, brand equity, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Also, there were various differences over purchasing factors, purchasing information, purchasing place, buying numbers, the purchasing cost by demographic factors for golf wear consumer.
I found that the sponsorship for golf wear brands could positively influence not only brand equity but also consumer-brand relationship formation. Furthermore, I noticed that the sponsorship of golf wear brands had more important effects than others for building customer loyalty.
Therefore, golf wear brands should establish the goal for social contribution as well as high profit of the company. For example, they can manage the golf class program for low-income groups, support amateur players or golfer clubs, and sponsor the charitable golf event to help the poor in order to introduce them to the sport and make potential customers. And golf wear marketers should examine the features of target customers more carefully. It can help consumers to have customer loyalty with different strategies on product development, price policy and promotion.