Brand loyalty of NASCAR fans towards sponsors: the impact of fan identification

Although brand loyalty has been cited by practitioners as one of the most important sponsorship objectives, there is little empirical research on the effect that sponsorship has on sports fans' loyalty towards sponsoring brands. Comparing a sample of NASCAR fans to a sample of non-NASCAR fans, brand loyalty towards NASCAR sponsors was measured using a scale that includes both attitudinal and behavioural components. It was found that NASCAR fans exhibited stronger brand loyalty than non-NASCAR fans to NASCAR sponsoring brands of beer, particularly on the attitudinal component of brand loyalty. Furthermore, it was found that NASCAR fans' loyalty to NASCAR sponsoring brands is significantly higher for those fans who scored high on a scale that measures fan identification. Again, this effect was significant on the attitudinal factor of brand loyalty, but not the behavioural factor.