Based on these implied linkages, a primary objective of our research was to test the concept that individuals perceive natural matches between brands and sports and that perceptions of a good sponsorship fit are based on the congruency of the brand/sport images. Confirmation of these relationships will provide support for pesrsonality congruency as a foundation for image enhancement via sponsorship. We also seek to establish that given a sponsorship objective of brand-image enhancement, personality, not demographics, is a superior matching criterion. In the studies that follow, we will test the following two hypotheses.
H1: Perceived sponsorship fit increases with the personality match between the sport and the brand.
H2: Perceived sponsorship fit has a stronger positive relationship with brand/sport personality match than with brand/sport demographic match.