Sponsorship May Have Just The Effect You’re Not Looking For

New research by Taylor Nelson Sofres into World Cup sponsorship suggests that for 69 per cent of people sponsorship would make no difference to their likely use of a product. Not good news for the thirteen or so official World Cup ’98 sponsors and the numerous brands which have ‘unofficially’ associated themselves with the sport and competition.

Asked if they’d be more likely to use a sponsor’s product when faced with an identical one from a non-sponsoring firm, 11 per cent said they’d choose the sponsored product. However, 18 per cent said they’d be less likely; a figure which rises to 21 per cent among females.

Young people are more likely to be influenced by sponsorship, with 23 per cent of the 15-24 year old age group found to be more likely to use endorsed products. Self-declared football fans are also more likely to use sponsors products, but still only 20%.

The research was carried out by Audience Selection, the telephone research arm of Taylor Nelson Sofres, and involved interviews with a representative sample of 1,000 people.

Taylor Nelson Sofres: 0171 608 3618