Date of Award
Spring 2026
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
Marketing BSBA
Department
Marketing and Fashion Merchandising
First Advisor
Dr. Melinda McLelland
Advisor Department
Marketing and Fashion Merchandising
Abstract
Sponsorship use has become increasingly important as a marketing strategy for influencing consumer perceptions of the sponsoring company. This, in turn, establishes consumer relationships that result in favorable behavioral intentions. While prior research has examined national and global sponsorships, there is limited research on the differences between national and local sponsorships and how these differences could influence consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions. The purpose of this study was to examine how local or national sponsorship affects consumer perceptions, including sincerity, trust, attitude toward the sponsor, and behavioral intentions.
A mixed-methods approach was employed for this study. Study 1 used qualitative interviews with two local businesses and one national sponsor with a local presence to identify key themes in sponsorship practices. Themes include community support, relationship building, perceived sincerity, and sponsorship motivation. Following, study 2 used an experimental survey, randomly assigning participants to either a local or a national sponsorship scenario, and evaluating the same constructs across conditions.
Findings contribute to sponsorship literature by highlighting the role of context in shaping consumer responses to sponsorships. Results indicate that attitude toward the sponsor, trust, and event involvement significantly predict behavioral intentions. In addition, consumer perceptions differed when comparing national and local sponsorships. These findings offer insights into how sponsorship contexts influence consumer behavior.
Copyright
Copyright for this thesis is owned by the author. It may be freely accessed by all users. However, any reuse or reproduction not covered by the exceptions of the Fair Use or Educational Use clauses of U.S. Copyright Law or without permission of the copyright holder may be a violation of federal law. Contact the administrator if you have additional questions.
Recommended Citation
Flock, Kathryn, "Does Sponsorship Context Matter? Comparing Local and National Sponsorship Effects on Consumer Behavior" (2026). Honors Theses. 1119.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/1119