2026-05-20T13:47:49Zhttps://keep.lib.asu.edu/oai/request

oai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-2013652025-05-28T19:32:03Zoai_pmh:alloai_pmh:repo_items

201365 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.201365 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 42 pages Huggett, Anmarie Eaton, John Bertoletti, Joe Barrett, The Honors College Department of Information Systems Department of Marketing This thesis examines the effectiveness of corporate partnerships in sports as perceived by Generation Z, with a focus on Arizona’s major professional and collegiate sports teams. Through a survey of 278 undergraduate business students at Arizona State University, the study explores brand recall, engagement levels, and perceptions of sponsorship effectiveness. Results reveal that high-visibility sponsorships, such as naming rights and jersey patches, are the most frequently recalled by Gen Z, highlighting the continued importance of consistent exposure in brand awareness. However, while most respondents view corporate partnerships as effective in raising awareness, nearly half find them less effective in influencing purchasing behavior. This indicates a gap between recognition and action. The study recommends that brands and teams adopt a more balanced strategy combining traditional sponsorship assets with interactive, digital, and localized activations to drive deeper engagement and behavioral outcomes. Limitations include the study’s geographic and demographic focus, and future research should include broader and more diverse Gen Z samples across different markets to better understand regional and cultural differences in sponsorship effectiveness. Marketing Sports Business Corporate Partnerships Effectiveness of Corporate Partnerships Among Gen Z: Study of Arizona’s Major Sports Teams