Abstract:
“While the positive benefits of sport sponsorship have been well researched, the
potentially damaging effect of sport celebrity transgression on their own brand image and
the image of their sponsors has largely been ignored. This paper reviews the literature
surrounding positive brand image transfer, on which sport sponsorship is dependent, and
asks how negative images resulting from transgression might impact on the brand image
of the celebrity and subsequently their sponsors. Marrying principles from sport
sponsorship and celebrity transgression literatures, this paper presents a potential model
of the factors impacting consumers’ attitudes towards sport celebrities and their sponsors
following transgression, and recommends four research propositions to guide future
