Sponsorship: From management ego trip to marketing success

Sponsorship is a powerful but often misunderstood form of consumer persuasion. The components of sponsorship's persuasive impact are outlined and illustrated with data on large brands engaged in major sponsorships. Given the measured degree of success, many sponsorships may indeed be little more than management ego trips while others are dramatic successes. A comparison of successful and unsuccessful sponsorships points to basic steps that will improve sponsorship performance.