The impact of event sponsorship on children’s brand image and purchase intentions: The mediator effects of product involvement and brand familiarity

Field lab in marketing: Children consumer behaviour

The objective of this study is to understand the influence of event sponsorship on children and their capability to fully understand its persuasive intent. Despite the wide range of studies on the effects of sponsorship on adults, our research aims at studying its effects on a new target, children between 7 and 11 years old. We analyzed effects on the sponsor’s brand image and on the purchase intentions, and studied the mediator effects of product involvement and brand familiarity. A structured questionnaire was completed by a sample of 334 children on the defined age range. Findings suggest that sponsorship can influence children’s image of the advertised brand and their purchase intentions, especially in the case of non-familiar brands. Moreover results show that the majority of children do not recognize sponsorship’s persuasive intent, and therefore our research has important managerial contributions as well as recommendations for legislators.