What Happens When the Apple Sponsors the Orange?: Congruent and Incongruent Matches of Brands with Events and Image Transfer Effect

摘要: In an investigation of congruence in sponsorships, this study empirically examined the effect of image transfer through sponsorship. An experiment was conducted using simulated press releases about sponsorships between an event and fictitious brands. Contradictory to a prior study, the results from the experiment revealed that the effects of image transfer can be more significant when the match between the sponsoring brand and the sponsored event is incongruent. The results also revealed that the image transfer effect can vary depending on the individual differences in need for cognition. The effects of articulation were not shown to be significant.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]