match event and sponsor methodology to image …€¦ · an event or a group with the specific goal...

Journal of Sport Management, 1996,10,278-291 O 1996 Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.

Image Sponsoring: A Methodology to Match Event and Sponsor

Alain Ferrand and Monique Pug& Universitk Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France

This study is part of a larger investigation concerned with a methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of image sponsoring. The notion of image, which is equivalent to the idea of social representation from social psychology, is cen- tral to this series of studies. This study was concerned with the similarities and dissimilarities in the images or social representations of the Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix, France (GPTL) and Perrier, a seller of mineral water. In the first phase, a convenience sample of 80 subjects was presented with a list of 300 adjectives and requested to identify those adjectives that described the tennis event and Perrier. Frequency analyses of these responses showed that 23 adjectives were most often cited as representative of the tennis event, while 16 were cited as representative of Perrier. These items were used in the construc- tio~fasemantic_differentiaLsd~hickwasadministereddt~-162rand~m1y selected subjects who were familiar with both the tennis event and Perrier. Canonical analyses showed that the GPTL and Perrier shared the images of (a) being highly popular and entertaining and (b) being dynamic and successful, but distracting. The results also showed that the GPTL had the images of (a) a distinguished, as opposed to a commercial, enterprise and (b) popular because of its arousal value. Perrier's images dimension was considered to be natural and young as opposed to appreciated. The practical implications of the results are discussed.

Sponsoring is a communication technique that is becoming increasingly integrated into corporate marketing policies. According to Otker (1988), commercial sponsoring buys time and/or space in order to exploit the association through an event or a group with the specific goal of augmenting marketing communication. The driving force behind a company's effort to establish a sponsoring relationship with an event or group is the attraction and/or the impact of that event or group (Piquet, 1985a; Shanoun, 1987). McCarville and Copeland (1994, p. 103) synthesized these ideas when they characterized sponsorship by "three essentials elements: A sponsor makes a contribution, in cash or in kind. The activity that given company sponsors is not part of its own commercial function.The sponsor expects a return in some form."

Alain Ferrand and Monique Pagbs are with the UniversitC Claude Bernard Lyon 1, FacultC des Sciences du Sport et de 1'Education Physique, Centre de Recherche et d'Innovation sur le Sport, 27/29, boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, Cedex, France.

Image Sponsoring 279

Sponsorship involves an exchange of resources. In image sponsorship, the company seeks to transfer or appropriate to itself the positive images of the event or group. However, such transfer of images is feasible only if the customers per- ceive some similarities between the attributes of the company or its products and the attributes of the event or group. Thus, there is an element of risk whenever a company undertakes to sponsor an event or group. This risk can be minimized if a company undertakes some preliminary investigation to estimate the risks involved and identify ways to minimize such risks.

One of the aims of modem businesses is to project the image of the brand or product in their commercial communication packages, or the image of the companies themselves in the corporate communication packages. Modem businesses have also recognized that sport is an international phenomenon that carries with it very strong and positive images. A study managed by Anne (1992) proved that sport, despite its negative press in regard to drug abuse, reveals some values such as competition, friendship, and courage. In addition, research conducted by the Union Des Annonceurs (1992) showed that 85% of the companies who have a sport sponsoring program are searching to reach an image objective. Thus, there is greater emphasis on bringing these two spheres of activities together in a sponsorship relationship.

As Piquet (1985b) noted, the effectiveness of a sponsoring relationship is based on the forging of three different elements-the sporting environment (e.g., Formula 1 racing, sailing), the people who wear the brand name, and the specific brand that is being promoted. The basic notion here is that there must be some congruence among the attributes of the three elements for a sponsorship to be beneficial to all parties. In the present paper, we focus on the sporting environment of the Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix and Perrier, the sponsor.

It is from the previous perspective that companies must select rationally the appropriate event or group to sponsor in order to maximize the communication potential. Our analytical method to estimate the compatibility between the attributes of the sponsor and the sponsored event is rooted in the concept of social representation drawn from the field of social psychology. According to Jodelet (1984), social representation simply refers to a specific form of knowing, a form of social thinking. It is a function of practically oriented thinking with an effect on communication and the mastery of the social environment. This social identity is formed through interactions among a collective of people who exchange their views on different objects. The emerging collective or social representation of objects facili- tates the integration of the persons into the community.

Image Sponsoring: Looking for the "Perfect Wedding"

In image sponsoring, the sponsoring company attempts to identify itself or one or more of its products with the positive images of the event held by the event's consumers (spectators, viewers). In this context, the sponsor must consider the image of the event, the sponsor's present image, and the desired future image of the sponsor or its brand. Otker and Hayes's (1988) study of the sponsorship of the 1986 World Soccer Cup by Phillips showed that when the match between the images of the company and the event is congruent, the impact of the sponsorship extends to three significant market segments: (a) the people who are physically and emotionally involved in the event, (b) the media covering the event, and (c) the

280 Ferrand and Pug&

customers of the sponsor andlor the consumers of its products. Thus, the focus of the present study is the matching of the images of the sponsor with those of the sponsored. Specifically, we focus on the sporting environment of the Lyon's Ten- nis Grand Prix and its sponsor Pemer.

Strategic Basis of Image Sponsoring

According to Kolter and Dubois (1992), image refers to the individualistic and subjective perceptions people have of an object. Such an object could be a product, a brand, or the company itself. The objective in image sponsoring is to project the company as a successful and socially responsible entity producing and selling quality products. Following the Union Des Annonceurs (1992), while companies with a large marketing budget can engage in advertising their company and/or products, such advertisements often lack credibility. On the other hand, a company can ex- tend its image by sponsoring a sporting event that has its own legitimacy and credibility among sports fans.

According to Marion (1989), the image of a company can be analyzed from three different perspectives-the registered image, the wanted image, and the diffused image. The registered image is the image of the company as perceived by ordinary people in their daily interactions. The wanted image is the one desired or preferred by the strategic decision makers of the company. Finally, the diffused image reflects what is being transmitted by the more or less coherent set of mes- sages of the company. In establishing and maintaining a sponsoring relationship, the company has to take into account these three facets of its image. In addition, the company must consider the registered image of the sponsored event or group. Theinteracti~nsamong-theseelemen~i~i1111~trated-i~Figure1. --

The first set of evaluations is the diagnostic evaluation of the compatibility between the registered images of the sponsor and the sponsored, and how an association with the sponsored would enhance the image of the company. This step is shown as Axis 1 in Figure 1. The next step for the company is to identify and specify the image that it wants to portray to the public (Axis 2). In the last step (Axis 3), the company has to assess how the attributes of a sponsored event or

(RE;F;E;ED~~GE I

reinforcement or displacement?

Figure 1 - Strategy for image sponsoring.

Image Sponsoring 28 1

group would help the company move its image from the current registered state to the wanted image. This last step is of particular importance because it deals with the signification and acceptance of sponsorship in view of the target. The latter determines the appropriateness of this partnership and the leading strategy regarding the wanted image.

The Wanted Image: Reinforcement or Displacement of the Registered Image Inside a Competitive Universe

As noted earlier, the strategy to attain the wanted image through sponsorship rests largely on the congruence between the registered images of the company and the event. In analyzing the extent of congruence between the two registered images, one may find some attributes to be common in both registered images and some to be unique to each. This dichotomy of common and unique features allows the company to consider two different strategies. The first to consider is the reinforcement strategy in which the company would emphasize the common characteristics of the two registered images. In the second strategy, the company would attempt to transfer those unique characteristics of the registered image of the event to its own image. It is an attempt to incorporate the unique features of the event so as to elevate the registered image of the company to the level of the wanted image. Obviously such transfer of images is possible only if the public would accept such communications. For instance, tobacco companies try to be associated with viril- ity and adventure when they sponsor events such as automobile races and adventure raids.

In assessing the match between the images of the sponsor and the sponsored, the company has to take into account both the objective characteristics of the event as well as the value connotations associated with an event. As is the case with a brand of products, sport also carries with it a plurality of values, norms, and be- liefs. Each event has its own personality and its own image. Therefore, the company needs to verify the extent to which the value connotations of a sport or event would further its own image to the wanted image. From a different perspective, there are many brands competing with the company's own brands. These brands are not likely to be differentiated on the objective qualities of a product. That is, consumers may not be able to distinguish one brand from another on the basis of their physical attributes or utilities. It's on this matter that "la lettre de 1'Cconomie du sport" (1991, p. 2) concludes its study on sponsorship policies by large companies:

Enhancing the image is one of the responsibilities of sponsorship by large companies. This image policy is also an identification policy in a competitive world where little differs between those services offered by large businesses and those whose identify is barely distinguishable from that of the public.

PsychosocioZogicaZ Bases of the Image Concept The concept of image within the framework of marketing has not been well understood because it has been plagued by different definitions. It has been defined as (a) general characteristics, feelings, or impressions (Jain & Etgar, 1976); (b) brand personality (Arons, 1961; Martineau, 1958); (c) linkages between characteristics

282 Ferrand and Pages

and feelingslemotions (Oxenfeldt, 1974), and (d) quality perceptions of the products (Aaker, 1991). As Campbell (1963) noted, these varying definitions are simply a reflection of the proliferation of authors and not a case of numerous phenom- ena. One problem with the above definitions is the focus on the individual and his or her perceptions. In contrast, we take the view that brand image is a social representation that shifts the focus from individuals to collectives. We follow Embs (1989) who considered brand image to be a cognitive construction associating rational and affective representations of a product held by a person or group. This collective identification of a product is in essence the image of the brand.

Of course we have to recognize that every sport may carry a specific social representation. From a different perspective, the same sport may project different social representations in different locales where it is practiced. That is, different events (or venues) attract different sets of fans who may differ in their social and economic indices and lifestyles. Therefore, it is likely that they may have different images of a sport or sporting event. In fact, Bromberger, Hayot, andMariottini (1987) have shown that soccer has differing social representations depending on the venue where it is played.

According to Moscovici (1961), social representations are systems of values, ideas, and practices with a two-fold function. First of all they have the function of establishing an order that enables individuals to orientate themselves in their material and social world and to master it, and secondly, they enable communication to take place among members of a community by providing them with a code for social exchange and a code for naming and classifying, unambiguously, the various aspects of their world and their individual and group history. This con-

~ p t - ~ l a b e r - i t t e d - i ~ t k f i e l d ~ f ~ e m - t h e e ~ l l - b e f e r e i n t ~ ~ c thinking. Moscovici (1963) argued that the concept of social representation can be analyzed in three dimensions: information, the framework of representation, and the attitude.

The information is the sum of all knowledge regarding a social object, which, in our context, could be a sport, an event, a sportsperson, a company, or a brand1 product. The representation framework implies the organization of the information. The framework may be a hierarchy of available pieces of information, that is, a hierarchical order, those most salient to the individual being at the top and easily accessible to the individual. Such organization of information would include both quantitative and qualitative properties of the object. The third dimension, attitude, is the general positive or negative orientation toward the object of representation. Attitude is the primary and independent dimension of the three dimensions. An attitude, positive or negative, can exist even where there is the least information and where the available information is less well organized. Moscovici (1963) cau- tions that the three dimensions of social representation may vary from group to group and among individuals in the same group.

With a view to reduce the dynamics of social representation, Moscovici (1961) distinguishes between two processes-dbjectivation and anchorage. Objectivation implies the construction of a concrete and meaningful reality for the object. In our context, the sponsor as part of the familiar world of the sporting event becomes entrenched as a concrete reality in our social representations. The anchorage process refers to the incorporation of some previously unfamiliar object into some representations with which we are familiar and comfortable. According to Palmonari and Doise (1986), it is the process by which a new social object is inserted into an


existing and interpretable reference framework. In our context, the sponsor is go- ing to be inserted into the framework of a sporting event that is well understood by the direct and indirect consumers of the event. Such insertion may facilitate people's restructuring of the information regarding the sponsor. This psychological and social process of altering social representation of an object is similar to the processes of changing attitudes.

The processes of objectivation and anchorage, which contribute to the cre- ation of the wanted image, are illustrated in Figure 2. Figure 2 shows the mechanisms by which the image of the event sponsor is modified through the objectivation and anchorage processes. More specifically, the event that attracts part of the population of a locality has for these people high credibility and creates an emotional attachment. In sponsorship communications, the sponsor attempts to both objec- tify and anchor its brand in the social representation of the event. Because the event has strong affective influence over the direct and indirect consumers, the brand is expected to gain a concrete image and anchor itself in the familiar and strong symbolic framework of the event.

In summary, we have proposed a model of image sponsoring based on the concept of social representation. The notion of social representation is an exten- sion of the social-psychological bases of the marketing literature. The focus in the present study is on the linkages between the initial social representations of an event and the would-be sponsor of that event. As noted earlier, any action toward sponsoring an event should begin with an analysis of the common and unique attributes of the event and the brand or product. The results of such analyses would facilitate the formulation of an appropriate communication strategy. The specific sponsorship situation we have chosen is the association between Perrier and the Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix, France. Perrier is the famous company that sells mineral water all over the world. The Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix is integrated into the IBM ATP Tour and is organized each year in October. It is the main sporting event in the city. We have attempted to capture the social representation of both Perrier and the Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix and extract the common and unique features of the registered images of the two entities.

Figure 2 - Objectivation and anchorage mechanisms in image sponsoring.

EVENT - domestic universe

- high credibility - high emotional implication

SOCIAL REPRESENTATION OF THE EVENT (Registered image)

PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION using the OBJECTIVATION and

ANCHORAGE processes

INITIAL SOCIAL REPRESENTATION OF THE BRAND (registered image)

MODIFIED SOCIAL REPRESENTATION OF M E

BRAND (wanted image)

Method Various authors (Le Bouedec [1984]; Doise, Clemence, & Lorenzi-Cioldi [1992]) have contributed to set up a methodology in order to explain the composition of social representations (i.e., relative to the sponsor brand and to the event). The first step evaluated the behavioral orientation in front of the sponsor and the event, using a semantic differential scale with 7 steps (e.g., "I like . I don't like ."). During the second step, the information is taken by a free association test. Subjects are given a group of qualifiers and invited during a talk to answer the following questions: "For you the Lyon's Tennis Grand is ?,, and "For you the Perrier brand is ?' Finally, the analysis in principal component is used to obtain the structure of the representation framework.

The factor analysis allows us to understand the framework of representations concerning a social object (for example Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix) in a given population. The analysis of the principal component permits a summary of the total number of variables (generally some adjectives: snobbish, competitive, exciting, expensive) with a more limited number of factors but keep the maximum variability. These factors are comparable to the large dimensions that structure the space of social representation. Each variable is more or less correlated with each factor. This coefficient indicates the contribution of each variable to the factor's definition. The identification of the more correlated variables with this factor allows an interpretation of the meaning of the latter (for example if the adjectives mundane [r = .75], snobbish [r = .70], and expensive [r = .68] are highly correlated with the first factor of the principal component analysis, they will explain the social selec- tivity). This analysis - provides - a well-s@cttu~d@onand-is-immediately-acces-

s i b l e in a way that the variables covary, conflict, or are independent. However, it does not take into consideration the relations between two representations linked to two different social objects as it can be done with sponsorship of an event and a brand.

We have adapted the two first parts of this method for our study, and we have used a different analysis for the third. This will allow us to identify the different axles structuring the representation framework relative to the association of the Perrier brand registered images and the Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix. Finally, our method is divided in three steps:

Adjectives were chosen as qualifiers of the event. For this the subjects were invited to check the adjectives in a large set (the same method for Perrier brand); Intensity appreciation of the link between the event and each adjective of its set was determined. For this the subjects were invited to assess the intensity of this connection using a Likert's scale with seven steps (the same method for Perrier brand); The different dimensions structuring the representation framework relative to the association of the Perrier brand registered images and the Lyon's Ten- nis Grand Prix were identified. For this system, the common information as the specific information was pointed out. This question was treated by com- puting the complete canonical analysis.

Subjects

Based on variables such as sex, age, occupation, and especially event interest, we chose a representative sample of the population of the urban area of Lyon. Based


Table 1 Distribution of Subjects by Gender, Age, and Occupation

Distribution Pemer's Perrier's

Percentage Number buyers nonbuyers

Sex Men Women Total

Age in years 20-29 30-39 40-59 Total

Professional activity Professionals, storekeepers, company

managers 7.86 13 6 6 Managers, superior intellectual

professionals 17.80 29 14 14 Technicians and associate professionals 21.20 34 17 17 Employees 24.42 40 21 21 Others without professional activity 28.72 47 23 23 Total 100 162 8 1 8 l

on the results of a study conducted in 1991 concerning interest in and notoriety of Lyon's sporting event, 162 persons were selected according to quota method. All subjects were interested in the GPTL, and were aware of the Perrier brand. In se- lecting the subjects, we applied the basic rule of the sampling of equal classes' (Pras & Tarondeau, 1981) and selected equal number of consumers and nonconsumers of Perrier. The distribution of subjects by gender, age, and occupation are shown in Table 1.

Instrument

In order to determine the proper symbolic meaning of GPTL and Perrier we used a list of adjectives. From a linguistic point of view an adjective is preferable to other words because its function is to qualify something. The procedures for the selection of adjectives were as follows. Initially, we chose the list of 300 adjectives provided by Steiner and Audiard (1991) who claimed that these words were well understood by people in Europe and other western countries. Without such a list, it would have been necessary to use a tool, which presents a high variety of senses, and then retain only the most used adjectives. We presented these 300 adjectives to a convenience sample of 80 subjects familiar with both tennis and the Perrier brand. These subjects were asked to select those adjectives that most represented the event (GPTL,) and the sponsor (Perrier). Frequency analyses of the choices showed that 23 and 16 adjectives (shown in Table 2) were chosen most often as representative of the Tennis Grand Prix and Perrier, respectively. These were the adjectives that were presented to the subjects in the second step of this study.

286 Ferrand and Pug&

Table 2 Canonical Functions and Loadings of Adjectives

Common information Specific information

Canonical function GPTL & Perrier Perrier GPTL

C 1 C2 SP1 SP2 SG1 SG2

Canonical correlations (Ri) Redundancy indices % redundancy of canonical functions Adjectives of GPTL (Xi) X1 Interesting X2 International X3 Appreciated X4 French X5 Exciting X6 Spectacular X7 Expensive X8 Successful X9 Attractive X10 Distinguished XI 1 Competitive XI2 Entertaining X13 Pleasant X14 Commercial XI5 Popular XI6 Distracting AI I Acnve XI8 Ambitious XI9 Important X20 Full of life X21 Appealing X22 Fashionable X23 Snobbish Adjectives of Perrier (Yj) Y24 Interesting Y25 Funny Y26 French Y27 Pleasant Y28 Appreciated Y29 Dynamic Y30 Light Y3 1 Commercial Y32 Crazy Y33 Well-liked Y34 Fresh Y35 Natural Y36 Reasonable Y37 Young Y38 Sparkling Y39 Green

.18 .I0

.oo .oo 0 0

Loadings

Notes. C1 = first common factor; C2 = second common factor; SPI = first specific factor referring to Perrier; SP2 = second specific factor referring to Perrier; SGI =first specific factor referring to the event; SG2 = second specific factor referring to the event.


For determining the intensity of the linkages between adjectives, the brand, and the event, our instrument consisted of one set of 23 adjectives to represent the Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix and another set of 16 adjectives to represent Perrier. The subjects were asked to indicate the intensity of association between the specified target (the event and the brand) and each one of the adjectives. The items were preceded by "Do you think that Perrier brand is . . . ? " The subjects indicated their agreement on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 2 (strongly agree), 1 (agree), 0 (neither), -1 (disagree), to -2 (strongly disagree). The answer had to be presented within this 5-degree scale. We used the same method for the GPTL and that set of 23 adjectives.

Analyses

As we have previously indicated, it is not possible to use a principal component analysis to define the relations between two tables of quantitative variables that allow a valuation of the representations of the same population concerning two different social objects. In order to extract the common and unique features of the social representation of Perrier and the Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix, we resorted to a complete canonical analyses proposed by Pontier, Jolicoeur, and Pernin (1987). This method permits the extraction of canonical functions that identify the common attributes of the two sets of data and also those canonical functions that identify the specific attributes of each set of data. We used Bartlett's (1950) test for determining the number of significant canonical functions to be retained. Accord- ingly, we have retained the first two canonical functions to analyze common information of the GPTL and Perrier; the essential information is contained in the first two axes, representing 55% of the total redundancy.

Results

The results of the canonical analyses are presented in Table 2, which shows the retained canonical functions and the loadings of the adjectives on these functions. Those pairs of canonical functions with highest correlations (Ri = .70 for the first common function [Cl] and Ri = .60 for the second common function [C2] represent the images shared by the event and brand. Those pairs of canonical functions with lowest correlations (close to zero for SPl and SP2 and equal to zero for SGl and SG2) would represent the attributes of the unique images of the two entities. The interpretations of the canonical functions represent the image characteristics of the two entities.

The canonical functions are linear combinations of explicative variables stem- ming from our research of GPTL and Perrier. These can be considered as latent dimensions of the problem and describing them allows an understanding of the dimensions of common social representations andlor the specifics between the event and the sponsor. To interpret these canonical functions it is necessary to return to the loadings between the variables of measurement and each canonical function. As for a factor analysis, the method consists of choosing those variables most correlated with the axis. For this we empirically define a threshold of correlation, which must be the strongest possible. In our case we put it at r = .40. The meaning of each canonical component is contained principally in the variables most positively or negatively correlated with the components, the others being secondary. Apositive correlation does not express a negative valuation but simply the fact that in the spatial representation of the people, this variable conflicts with

288 Ferrand and Pag&

those that have a vositive coefficient of correlation in this canonical function (if it is the case). In this way a canonical component can be bipolar because there are two conflicting variables, for example, chic and commercial. This aspect expresses a dialectic valuation in which, if GPTL is perceived as chic, it is equally perceived as being less commercial. Conversely, if it is perceived as commercial, it will ap- pear as being less chic. A canonical component can equally be unipolar because it is defined by one or more correlated variables with the same sign without conflicting with the same canonical component of other variables. For example, Perrier will be judged as being more or less natural according to different people.

Common Image Characteristics

Two pairs of canonical functions with canonical correlations of .70 (C1) and .60 (C2) were retained for further analyses. With a cut-off correlation of .40, the adjectives in the GPTL that were correlated with the first canonical function were "popular" (r = .58), "entertaining" (r = .43), "active" (r = .46), "full of life" (r = .42), and "pleasant" (r = .41). The adjectives in the Perrier set that were correlated with the first canonical function were "appreciated" (r = .69) and "fresh" (r = -48). Based on the meanings of these adjectives, we interpreted the first pair of canonical functions as the image of a highly popular, appreciated, and entertaining entity.

The adjectives from the GPTL set that were correlated with the second function were "successful" (r = -.48) and "distracting" (r = -.42). The variables from the Perrier set correlating with the second function were "light" (r = -.84) and "dynamic" (r = -.46). The image represented by these variables is that of a dynamic and successful but frivolous and distracting entity.

Specific Image Characteristics

As shown in Table 2, four minimally correlated (rc I .18) canonical functions (canonical function numbers SP1, rc 1 .18; SP2, rc I .lo, SG1, rc I .00, and SG2, rc I .00) were extracted to identify the image characteristics unique to each data set (GPTL and Perrier). SP1 and SP2 contain the most specific information for Perrier. In the SPI, "young" (r = .40) is opposite to "appreciated" (r = -.40) . We can consider this opposition as a specific bipolar dimension of the Perrier brand image. That is, the more Perrier is judged as "young," the less it is considered as "appreciated" (and vice versa).

In the SP2 canonical function pertaining to the Perrier set of adjectives, only the correlation of the adjective "natural" was above the cut-off level of .40 (r = -.53). Considering this high correlation, the interpretation that Penier carries with it the specific image of being natural is straightforward.

SG1 and SG2 contain the most specific information for the GPTL. In the SG1 canonical function associated with GPTL, two adjectives met the cut-off value. They were "distinguished" (r = .43), the opposite of "commercial" (r = -.40). To- gether, they led to the interpretation that the more GPTL is perceived as distinguished, the less it is considered as commercial, and vice versa.

In the SG2 canonical function confined only to the GPTL data, only one adjective, "popular" (r = .40), met the minimum criterion. The interpretation of this canonical function is problematic because the adjective "popular" was also highly correlated with the first canonical function (see Table 2). To alleviate this problem, we considered the next highest loading on this factor. The adjective "inter-


esting," which loaded r = .37, facilitated the interpretation of the factor as popular because of its attractiveness.

Discussion Based on the concept of social representation, we have presented a model of image sponsoring that takes into account the current registered images of the event and the sponsor and the preferred image of the sponsor (or the event as the case may be). It was suggested that the first step in establishing a sponsoring relationship was to assess the extent to which the registered images of the event and the sponsor shared some common features and the extent to which their images had unique attributes. The present study represents this first step in a series of studies related to image sponsoring.

The results of the canonical analyses confirm the existence of image dimensions common to both the event and the sponsor. More specifically, the Lyon's Tennis Grand Prix and Perrier shared the images of (a) being highly popular and entertaining, and (b) being dynamic and successful but frivolous and distracting. The results also showed that the GPTL had the images of a distinguished (as opposed to commercial), popular, and attractive enterprise.

Perrier's image dimension was of being young, opposite to appreciated, and also natural. It must be noted that these dimensions (common and specific) can be unipolar (as natural for Perrier), or bipolar (as distinguished, opposite to commercial, for GPTL).

Our method and results have a bearing on strategic decisions related to image sponsoring. The identification of common and unique features of the social representation of the event and sponsor permits two different approaches to image sponsoring. First, as noted earlier, the sponsor may emphasize the strategy of reinforcing the common elements of the registered images of the two entities. In the present case, Perrier's communications may focus on the popularity and entertaining aspects as well as the dynamism and success of GPTL and Perrier. A different strategy would attempt to transfer the unique dimensions of the event's image to the sponsor's image. That is, Perrier, if it so desires, may attempt to emphasize GPTL's image of rallying people together. By implication, Perrier would also be expected to be the focus of an interesting activity. It is assumed here that Perrier would want to transfer this particular dimension of the image of GPTL (i.e., it is part of the wanted image by Perrier). It is conceivable that certain dimensions of the image of an event may be perceived to be negative, and therefore, the sponsor may shun such an event or, at least, try to mask such negative dimensions in its communications.

The model we have proposed and the results of the present study can be profitably used by either the organizers of the event, GPTL, or the sponsor, Perrier, or both. For instance, GPTL may try to transfer to its own image the feature of naturalness, unique to Perrier. It is also possible that the organizers of an event and the company may jointly use the model and the method to assess the common and unique elements in their respective images, and decide on the advisability of a sponsoring relationship, the elements to be reinforced, the elements to be trans- ferred, and the communication packages from both sides.

On a different note, although our present study was concerned with a particular event, our model and method can be applied to a sport itself or a sportsperson.

290 Ferrand and Pages

By the same token, the sponsor may have a particular product, a brand, or the company itself as the entity of image sponsoring.

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Note

'The sampling of equal classes is applied when the distribution of a variable in the population to be studied is not known. This is the case for the intention of buying the mineral water Perrier by men and women who are interested in GPTL. Therefore the hypothesis is made that it is equal in each class and that amongst the men and women of the sample 50% will state that they would buy Pemer and 50% will declare that they would not.

match event and sponsor methodology to image …€¦ · an event or a group with the specific goal...

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