What Drives Ambush Marketer Misidentification?

Author(s)
Elisabeth Wolfsteiner, Reinhard Grohs, Udo Wagner
Abstract

This article investigates the effectiveness of ambush marketing in terms of ambush marketer misidentification in the context of sports events. Grounded in associative network models and memory reconstruction heuristics, an empirical study examines how different ambush marketing strategies as well as event, ambush marketer, official sponsor, and individual consumer characteristics can result in ambush marketer misidentification. A descriptive survey collects data on consumers' knowledge and perceived misleading potential of four ambush marketing strategies. Finally, three experiments aim to determine the effectiveness of these strategies and the aforementioned drivers in terms of actual ambush marketer misidentification. The results from the experiments are contrasted with the findings from the survey study. Findings are discussed with emphasis on implications for researchers, ambush marketers, official sponsors, and event organizers.

Organisation(s)
Department of Accounting, Innovation and Strategy
External organisation(s)
Privatuniversität Schloss Seeburg
Journal
Journal of Sport Management
Volume
29
Pages
137-154
No. of pages
18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1123/JSM.2014-0122
Publication date
2015
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
502019 Marketing
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation, General Decision Sciences, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/b93fca73-5c7e-4763-bf61-95ed50e2b0af