In recent years, consumer-brand identification has gained recognition in the literature as one of the important goals we want to achieve through sponsorship. The literature review, however, showed a lack of research that focuses on examining the factors and consequences of consumer identification in the sponsorship context. Therefore, this master's thesis aims to determine which factors increase identification with the sponsor and how consumer identification affects the achievement of key sponsorship effects. Since the object of identification in the sponsorship context can be both the sponsor and the sponsee, in the thesis I also address the relationship between identification with the sponsor and the sponsee. The results of my empirical research showed that the identification of individuals with the football team, the perceived image fit of the sponsor and the sponsee, and the perceived values fit of individuals and the sponsor increase the identification of consumers with the sponsor. I also found that consumer identification with the sponsor plays an important role in the effectiveness of the sponsorship, as it significantly increases consumers' purchase intention to purchase the sponsor's products/services, loyalty to the sponsor, and the likelihood of spreading positive word of mouth about the sponsor's brand. The identification of consumers with the sponsor also plays a mediating role, as it fully mediates the impact of individuals' identification with the football team on the positive word of mouth about the sponsor, while at the same time, it partially mediates the impact of individuals' identification with the team on the purchase intention of the sponsor's products/services and the desire to maintain a long-term relationship with sponsors.
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