A range of theories have been used to explain how commercial sponsorship works to
impact consumer audiences. Most use the notion that a brand (sponsor) and event (sponsee)
become linked in memory through the sponsorship and as a result, thinking of the
brand can trigger event-linked associations, while thinking of the event can come
to trigger brand-linked associations.
One of the most pervasive findings in sponsorship is that the best effects are achieved
where there is a logical match between the sponsor and sponsee, such as a sports
brand sponsoring a sports event.
