The Power of Sports Sponsorship: Analyzing Its Effects on Fans' Buying Preferences Utilizing Conjoint Analysis

Purpose: This study aims to explore the impact of sports sponsorship on fans' buying preferences using choice-based conjoint analysis, a robust method for studying consumer behavior that has been overlooked in this field. Design/methodology/approach: The research employs choice-based conjoint analysis with real fans and real spon-sorship agreements. The sample consists of 611 fans of three Australian football teams, each sponsored by different competing brands. Findings: Contrary to the previous ranking-based conjoint analysis study, this research showed that fans prefer their team's sponsor's brand. Group comparison analysis confirmed these preferences. Market simulation results indicated that sports sponsorship could help sponsors maintain or increase their market share. Research limitations/implications: Limitations include the specific attributes of the T-shirt used, unequal gender and age distribution among fan groups, and the focus on apparel sponsors. Future research could explore diverse product attributes, equal group compositions, and other sponsor types. Originality/value: By employing conjoint analysis, this research demonstrates its superiority in studying sponsor-ship effects on behavioral outcomes and highlights its benefits for providing better ROI measures.