Sponsorship leveraged packaging: an exploratory study in FMCG

Abstract

Packaging and sponsorship have been recognised as key tools for gaining competitive advantage, with worldwide packaging expenditures reaching US$500 billion and sponsorship investments reaching US$37 billion. Evidence highlights the importance of supporting sponsorship with additional leveraging, yet little research has addressed the integrative effects of sponsorship with leveraging. This paper examines consumer response to sponsorship leveraged packaging (SLP), a marketing tool widely used in the Australian fast moving consumer goods industry. Exploratory research suggests that SLP is processed peripherally and is impacted by sponsored property identification and sponsor brand loyalty. With multinational corporations allocating hundreds of millions of dollars to sponsorship activity alone, it is crucial that marketers understand how to maximise their packaging and sponsorship investments. This research begins the process of empirically testing how consumers respond to sponsorship leveraged packaging.