Abstract
For most well-established brands, it is becoming increasingly difficult to reach through the clutter in traditional media. Therefore, companies increasingly use sponsorships to reach through to customers. However, sponsor-event pairings do not always fit in a self-evident way and engaging in such incongruent sponsorships may be risky, as the fit between the sponsoring brand and the sponsored event may be perceived as too low to consumers. In such – extremely incongruent – sponsorships, the incongruity is irresolvable for consumers and evaluations of the sponsorship and brand are hurt. This article examines the opportunity for increasing consumer resolution of such an extremely brand-incongruent sponsorship through employing ad copy which stresses the relation between the sponsoring brand and the sponsored event. The results show that a relational ad copy reduces the sponsorship incongruity and improves attitudes, interest in the brand, and consumer buzz.