Rising Above the Clutter:
Brand Awareness of Spon-
sorships
Beth A. Cianfrone, Georgia State University
Sport & Entertainment Review, 2018, 4, 9-13, © 2018 West Virginia University
Beth A. Cianfrone, PhD, is an associate professor and
program coordinator of Sport Administration in the De-
partment of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State Uni-
versity. Her research focuses on sport communications,
including advertising and sponsorship eectiveness, and
consumer behavior.
Correspondence should be sent to:
Beth A. Cianfrone
Georgia State University
Email:
bcianfrone@gsu.edu
T
his past March, I purchased tickets to attend the PGA
Tour’s Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida.
While on Ticketmaster, I wondered out loud, “What is Val-
spar and why are they sponsoring golf?” As a sport marketing
researcher who has spent the last 11 years focused on under-
standing how companies can be most eective in promoting
their brands via advertising and sponsorships, I was curious
about the title sponsorship. A fundamental desired outcome
of sponsorships is brand awareness and I had no awareness
of Valspar. e sponsorship was activated throughout the
tournament—on site, on television commercials, in hard-
ware stores, and on the product labels themselves. Upon
entering Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Golf Course, I
quickly realized Valspar was a paint company. Valspar paint
buckets served as tee box markers. e caddies wore Valspar
hats and brightly colored bibs reecting the many shades of
Valspar paint. e Valspar chameleon mascot was evident on
signs. We sat in a beach themed spectator area, on brightly
colored Adirondack chairs in the sand and watched players
putt on hole three in an area known as the Chameleon Cove.
e beach also featured a large 50-ton, 20-foot tall chame-
leon sand sculpture. e Valspar Food Truck Rally and Val-
spar Color Experience 18th Green Expo had fan activities.
Valspar brand ambassadors handed out coupons and Valspar
branded sunscreen that featured the wording “Save the color
for the walls” with paint swatches, such as Copperhead red
(a nod to the Copperhead course), on the bottle. Aer a day
on the course, it seemed Valspar had creatively made paint
t at a golf event and increased my brand awareness. I was
not the only one impacted; according to an ESP Sponsor-
ship Report (2016), Valspar noticed a 10-point increase in
awareness for their sponsorship of the 2016 event. is was
enough to convince Valspar to renew its four-year contract a
year early. In the ever-changing eld of sponsorship, brand
awareness remains an important metric for companies and
Cianfrone Volume 4 • Number 1 • 2018 • SER 10
Rising Above the Clutter: Brand Awareness of Sponsorships
aliated media or event managers. Yet, the vast number of
opportunities to advertise or sponsor in the sport, entertain-
ment, and event industry presents the question of how can
a brand dierentiate, stand out, and rise above the clutter?
Based on my research, interactions with industry, and obser-
vations, in this review, I discuss the current sponsorship cli-
mate, continued importance of brand awareness, and submit
six tips for corporations aiming to maximize brand aware-
ness through sponsorship activation.
The Sponsorship Climate and the Impor-
tance of Brand Awareness
Corporate sponsorships are not new to the sport or enter-
tainment environment, but are consistently increasing in
number and costs, eliciting the attention of both industry
and academia. e ESP Sponsorship Report (2016) showed
that $60.1 billion was spent on global sponsorships, includ-
ing sports, entertainment, causes, arts, festivals, fairs, and
association/membership organizations. Of this, $22.3 billion
was in the United States alone. e top two projected spon-
sorship categories for 2017 were sports (70%) and entertain-
ment (10%). A steady increase in sponsorship spending over
the last ve years suggests that sports and events remain a
preferred and viable opportunity for corporations to market
their brands to targeted audiences. It also means when we at-
tend a concert, art festival, sporting event, or most any other
local, regional, or national event, we are oen bombarded
with sponsorships in the forms of numerous brand logos —
on signs both static and digital, within rows of tents of ac-
tivations or promotional giveaways, or with the event itself
“presented by” a company listed on the ticket. With so many
brands, do we even notice?
For those involved in developing or executing sponsorship
partnerships, it is widely recognized that a desired outcome
of sponsorship is consumer brand awareness. Brand aware-
ness can be dened as an impact on the cognitive domain,
where a consumer is able to recall or recognize a brand from
memory because of the exposure of the brand as a sponsor of
the event. e Valspar example showcases how creative, en-
gaging, and repetitive event activation can help foster brand
awareness.
Over the years, my colleagues and I have studied the ef-
fectiveness of dierent advertising and sponsorship forms,
focusing on measuring the ability of consumers to recog-
nize sponsor brands. In 2006, a team of colleagues includ-
ing Gregg Bennett, Yosuke Tsuji, and I worked on a pair of
experimental design studies exploring the eectiveness of
virtual advertising in televised sport when that was a cut-
ting-edge technology. I moved into comparing the dier-
ent promotional forms of televised commercials, signage,
and athlete endorsements in another experimental inquiry
with James Zhang in 2006. en, with the rise of sport video
games, such as the Madden and FIFA series, I explored that
genre with Zhang, Galen Trail, and Richard Lutz. Sport vid-
eo games feature in-game advertisements within the games
that are fullled as sponsorships, such as uniform logo spon-
sors, on-screen sponsors, game segment sponsors (e.g., coin
toss or halime sponsors), and venue signage sponsors seen
in the background providing a realistic view of the game.
In a series of studies, we found sponsorship recognition to
be high. An unanticipated result of one experimental study
found people even recognized video game sponsors when
playing a control group game that did not have sponsors,
showing that their previous experience with the version with
sponsors led them to believe they saw brands in the study,
even though there were none. is speaks to the power of
involvement and repetition on brand awareness. We also ex-
amined gamers’ motives to play sport video games and how
those inuence the eectiveness of the sponsorships. Taking
a cue from gaming, the ideas can be applied to the sport or
entertainment industry.
In all of the studies, we focused on examining the way
awareness impacts attitude toward the brand/event and con-
sumption of the brand/event, or the eectiveness of creat-
ing brand awareness. Repeatedly, we noticed that cognition
(brand awareness) is a critical component in the sponsorship
mix because of its relationship with inuencing an individ-
ual’s attitudes, likes, or preferences (aective domain) and
intention to consume or consumption (conative domain).
In the 2013 sport video game study, we found brand aware-
ness led to brand attitude, which in turn led to brand pur-
chase intentions. is arms the importance of generating
brand awareness and the time companies spend on analyzing
awareness metrics, such as impressions and click rates.
With brand awareness being an important part of the com-
munication process in general, study participants were not
always precise in recognizing sponsors and were oen con-
fused about which brands were sponsors. In some settings,
we found that participants recalled sponsoring brands at
high rates, showcasing the benets of repetition and authen-
ticity of the sponsorships. However, in other platforms, such
as when Kendra Bayne and I studied social media in 2013,
receiving Facebook posts did not garner high recognition
rates about events, likely because it resides in a platform that
has multiple messages and limited opportunity to dierenti-
ate from the crowd.
Sponsorship clutter can be dened as the “excessive num-
ber of other messages that interfere with the message of the
sponsors and lead to the perception of over-commercializa-
tion” (Masterman, 2012, p. 57). Because corporate sponsor-
ships are a revenue stream for events, sometimes the philos-
ophy is “the more the merrier.” Yet, the increasing number
of event sponsors creates more clutter for attendees/specta-
tors. Not surprisingly, many researchers discovered clutter
can impact the eectiveness of the sponsorships, especially
in terms of brand awareness, and this should be a concern.
Cianfrone Volume 4 • Number 1 • 2018 • SER 11
Most recently in 2017, Jensen and Cornwell even contend
that clutter is a signicant predictor in corporate partners
ending their sponsorship contracts. Given the prominence
and challenge of clutter, let’s address how corporate sponsors
can rise above it.
As Dees and Cianfrone noted in a 2014 special issue com-
mentary on sponsorship eectiveness, determining eective-
ness and devising strategies for sport and event advertising
and sponsorships is a constant area of discovery. In utilizing
the unique framework of past research on sport video games
for a fresh look at sponsorship, I identify six tips for corpora-
tions aiming to maximize brand awareness through sponsor-
ship activation: (1) be authentic, (2) create competition, (3)
capitalize on nostalgia, (4) get personal, (5) go digital, and
(6) explore new domains.
Six Tips for Increasing Brand Awareness
1. Be Authentic. Within sport video games, simply hav-
ing corporate brands within the games enhances the
gamer experience in adding realism because signage on
the walls of the FIFA game or a GMC Never Say Nev-
er Moment in Madden replicates a televised sporting
event. While brands within the games are benecial to
the experience, recently Hwang and et.al. investigated
if the types of brands would inuence awareness lev-
els within a sport video game, specically the eects of
brand congruency on awareness. Brand congruency is
the concept of similar or aligned products (in this case,
sport related for a sport video game) may illicit higher
awareness than non-congruent brands (non-sport re-
lated). However, they found brand congruency with the
game did not aect gamers’ ability to recall or recognize
the brands. If we consider entertainment or sports, con-
gruency or brand ‘t’ may make it easier to create brand
awareness, but it is likely most event sponsors are not
congruent with the event. e Mizuno Glove Experi-
ence is a well-executed sponsorship between the glove
company and the Atlanta Braves, where fans can bor-
row a glove to catch balls during the game and return
it aerwards. e congruence between the two is clear.
Yet, even if a sponsoring company does not t an event
like a glove, they can still enhance the experience cre-
ating a link in the mind of the spectator. e activation
of the beach atmosphere and Adirondack chairs at the
Valspar sponsored golf event enhanced the guest expe-
rience of the event and made is seem like the sponsor t,
even though paint has no tie-in to the game of golf. A
corporate sponsor can nd ways to be authentic, adding
to the experience.
2. Create Competition. In a 2013 study on sport vid-
eo gamer motives, Zhang and I found that among the
reasons gamers played sport video games was to apply
their sport knowledge and fulll their need to compete.
e motives then inuenced their ability to recognize
brands for in-game brand awareness. Outside the sport
video game environment, sponsors can create an op-
portunity for competition among event attendees to
foster brand awareness. People are inclined to remem-
ber the sponsor activation with competition because
they engage with it. Advergames is a method to create
this engagement opportunity. Home Depot and its part-
nership with ESPN Game Day in the fall of 2017 serves
as an example of this activation. e ESPN Game Day
“Home Depot Know Your Stu Trivia Challenge” was
an online contest set up on iPads at the Home Depot
booth at every ESPN Game Day. ey produced a trivia
game that featured videos of the game day crew—like
Desmond Howard—asking a college football question,
then responding, “you know your stu” if answered
correctly. Fans individually answered 10 college football
questions as fast as they could for the chance to be the
best-timed answers. During the season, the fastest time
and number correct won a behind-the-scenes experi-
ence, while the website version provided a trip to e
Home Depot College Football Awards Show. Although
this is an elaborate example of competition and adver-
gaming, and it may not be feasible for all companies,
the competition concepts still apply. Event sponsors of-
fer onsite activities like corn hole challenges, free throw
or putting contests, or other games of skill to fulll the
need for competition. When contests are tied to a spon-
sor it can aid in creating brand awareness.
3. Capitalize on Nostalgia. In an eort to be remembered
and create a cognitive and aective connection even af-
ter an event is over, corporate sponsors can consider the
sentiment that events bring to individuals. Promotion-
al giveaways are common—oen cheap trinkets with
the brand logo—and discarded aer events. A sponsor
can consider creating promotional items that resemble
memorabilia to provide patrons with something they
may keep. Cianfrone, Zhang, Trail, & Lutz (2008) sport
video game research showed that repetition/exposure
to the brand generates awareness. us, keepsake brand
giveaways will prove to be more eective in creating
awareness. A giveaway that serves as a commemorative
piece to the event may be more likely to stand the test
of time, help people remember the event, and the fond
times associated with it. For example, a guitar pick with
the artist and event sponsor, a commemorative brand-
ed ticket holder lanyard (for a physical ticket event), or
even branded apparel like sunglasses from an outdoor
festival or a towel from a hot outdoor country venue are
promotional items that sponsors can giveaway to capi-
talize on nostalgia and create repetition and exposure to
the brand for future use.
Rising Above the Clutter: Brand Awareness of Sponsorships
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4. Get Personal. When playing a sport video game, the
user is able to create their own team name, adjust player
rosters, and personalize the experience including se-
lecting brands of equipment, in the case of a golf or ten-
nis game. To personalize the event experience, sponsors
can provide opportunities for the patron to receive a
personalized promotional item. In an eort to stand out
among the other giveaways, sponsors should consider
personalization. e classic photo booth with framed
photos that include the brand and event title works
in providing a personalized keepsake of the event. A
unique example of personalization was executed by
Carvana, the auto sales company. At events, they parked
an old DeLorean, as featured in Back to the Future mov-
ies, next to their tent allowing patrons to sit inside the
winged vehicle. A Carvana sta member took a digital
photo of the individual in the driver’s seat and it was
processed 5 minutes later into a takeaway photo magnet
that prominently displayed the Carvana logo and name
around the personinside the iconic 80s car. e patron
leaves the event with a photo magnet keepsake branded
with the Carvana logo, generating awareness over time
and repeated exposure. Similarly, in the sele age, spon-
sors need only create a unique art piece or background
with the event name and company logo to create a pho-
to opportunity for patron personalization..
5. Go Digital. Consumers desire digital content and can
serve as an inadvertent brand ambassadors through so-
cial media. Companies can increase brand recognition
through digital content such as photos, GIFs or video
clips that consumers share digitally; such activations
can also drive social media trends through hashtags, and
generate awareness to a new audience. A recent Keiser
Permanente (KP) Corporate Wellness Race in Atlanta
executed a digital sponsorship activation when par-
ticipants reached the KP booth. While waiting in line,
they entered an email address and phone number on an
iPad, then were recorded on videoe doing any action for
5 seconds in front of a KP backdrop. ey immediately
received a text of the animated GIF that could then be
shared on social media that linked from the sponsor’s
website. In addition to being sent to the participant, the
GIFs were displayed on large screens throughout the
event space. Sponsors who can capitalize on the digital
space, gain engagement beyond the event, and capture a
new online space with potential consumers.
6. Explore New Domains. Finally, in examining sport
video games, we saw that the games were platforms
where brands could rise above the clutter and provide
corporate partners access to dierent, but focused mar-
kets. Likewise, corporations can be on the lookout for
opportunities to partner with niche events that have
avid followers, as supported by Greenhalgh and Green-
well’s 2013 research on understanding goals of niche
sponsors. One such area garnering attention is sponsor-
ships with eSports, either through jersey sponsorships,
team sponsors, or brand placement within the games.
e advantage of this new marketplace is the audience
size, focused attention on the screen, and repetition. In
November 2017, Forbes reported more than 600 new
sponsors were acquired in the eSports space between
January 2016 and November 2017. In that new space,
brand congruence is seen as the early point of focus as
sponsors include energy drinks, snack foods, and tech-
nology companies leading the way. Additionally, other
new domains to explore are virtual spaces, such as aug-
mented or virtual reality to maximize brand exposure.
Conclusion
Brand activation can utilize many of the recommended
strategies in an eort to reach the sponsorship goal of brand
awareness. One nal example that displayed all six tips was
Octagon’s 2017 activation of Mastercard’s sponsorship at the
Champions League Final in Milan. In the #MadnessorPrice-
less hashtag activation, they set out to showcase the madness
that is aunted by football fans by setting up a barbershop
where fans showed o their team pride with a complimentary
freestyle haircut. It was authentic in using the Priceless tag
that is true to Mastercard and in capturing the “madness” of
football fans. is provided personalization for the fan brave
enough to get a haircut. It also provided a nostalgic memory,
as the fan had a true takeaway to talk about for a while (or
at least until their hair grew back). Mastercard went digital
with a virtual haircut, so fans could see themselves and share
the passion. ey integrated digital with social media and a
competition of #MadnessorPriceless, letting fans decide on-
line where the haircut fell on the spectrum. Octagon report-
ed that it created discussion by 3.5 billion consumers and
optimized brand exposure, eventually leading to awareness.
e sponsorship landscape is ever-changing and compa-
nies are investing in sponsorships of festivals, entertainment,
concerts, and sporting events in hopes of creating a return
on their investments. Companies seeking to maximize the
eectiveness of sponsorships in reaching desired outcomes,
such as brand awareness, may consider the challenges of the
current climate of clutter. is review sought to identify six
tips for cutting through clutter in sponsorship strategy, as
it is an exciting time to create sponsorship partnerships for
concerts, festivals, and sporting events.
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Rising Above the Clutter: Brand Awareness of Sponsorships
