Purpose

A sponsorship performance cycle of business-to-business (B2B) exchange is conceptualized, where distinct types of resources are invested by sponsoring firms into sponsored properties and the competitive success of those properties enhances returns to sponsors. While the latter return channel in this cycle is well-documented, the former investment channel has remained opaque. Recognizing this empirical missing link, this paper aims to illuminate the investment channel through a longitudinal analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 50 years of Formula One (F1) team and sponsor alliances, this study models the effects of three different sponsorship categories on team performance in the annual F1 constructors’ championship.

Findings

The results demonstrate that each incremental sponsor offering performance-based resources is associated with four additional team points in the championship, controlling for factors such as past success and team experience. Conversely, sponsors offering access to financial or operational resources have no competitive impact. This performance-based sponsor effect is illustrated in models of the current and following seasons.

Research limitations/implications

In combination with related literature, this study substantiates a complete sponsorship performance cycle in the motorsports context.

Practical implications

The findings contribute an empirically-based strategy for sustainable sponsorship support that emphasizes acquisition of performance resources in the business-to-business exchange over operational or strictly financial alternatives.

Originality/value

While scholars have discerned that sponsors invest heterogeneous resources into sponsored properties, and the competitive success of those properties can enhance returns to sponsors, this study demonstrates that particular resources invested by sponsors are related to the property’s competitive success.

中文翻译：

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赞助绩效周期：赞助商对一级方程式车队成就贡献的纵向证据

目的

企业对企业 (B2B) 交换的赞助绩效循环被概念化，其中赞助公司将不同类型的资源投资到赞助财产中，这些财产的竞争成功提高了赞助商的回报。虽然本周期中的后一种回报渠道有据可查，但前一种投资渠道仍然不透明。认识到这一经验缺失的环节，本文旨在通过纵向分析阐明投资渠道。

设计/方法/方法

本研究基于 50 年的一级方程式 (F1) 车队和赞助商联盟，模拟了三种不同的赞助类别对年度 F1 车队锦标赛中车队表现的影响。

发现

结果表明，每个提供基于绩效的资源的增量赞助商都与锦标赛中的四个额外团队积分相关联，控制了过去的成功和团队经验等因素。相反，提供财务或运营资源访问权限的赞助商没有竞争影响。这种基于绩效的赞助商效应在当前和后续赛季的模型中得到了说明。

研究限制/影响

结合相关文献，本研究证实了赛车运动背景下的完整赞助绩效周期。

实际影响

研究结果为可持续赞助支持提供了一种基于经验的策略，该策略强调在企业对企业交换中获取绩效资源，而不是运营或严格的财务替代方案。

原创性/价值

虽然学者们已经发现赞助商将异质资源投入到赞助的财产中，并且这些财产的竞争成功可以提高赞助商的回报，但本研究表明，赞助商投入的特定资源与财产的竞争成功有关。