How effective is the sponsorship of global sports events? A comparison of the FIFA World Cups in 2006 and 1998

This study examined the effects of event sponsorship, in the context of the two most recent FIFA World Cup (FWC) events hosted in Europe (France 1998 and Germany 2006). More than 4,000 teenagers were incorporated into the sample in order to measure recall and image values for official FWC sponsors. The comparative findings suggest that it is nearly impossible to generalise about whether sponsoring the FWC is effective or not as a communication tool. For some companies it definitely is effective; for others the effects are limited. Ambush marketing, however, seems to be an effective alternative.