ABSTRACT

Sports sponsorship has become a powerful marketing strategy for enhancing brand awareness, particularly among university students. This study examines the influence of sports sponsorship on brand awareness in the University of Benin, focusing on key factors such as sponsorship platforms, audience engagement, consumer perception, and brand recall. The research aims to determine whether university sports sponsorship effectively increases brand recognition and whether professional sports sponsorship has a stronger impact due to greater visibility and media coverage.

Using a descriptive survey research design, data was collected from students at the University of Benin through structured questionnaires. Responses were analyzed using mean scores and standard deviation. The findings reveal that sports sponsorship significantly enhances brand awareness, with students more likely to notice and recall brands associated with university sports events. Additionally, audience engagement plays a crucial role in sponsorship effectiveness, as students who actively participate in or attend sports events demonstrate higher levels of brand recall. Consumer perception was also found to be a key factor, with students developing positive attitudes toward brands that support university sports.

The study concludes that sports sponsorship is an effective tool for increasing brand awareness and shaping consumer perception in university settings. However, professional sports sponsorship remains highly influential due to its wider reach. Recommendations include increasing brand engagement through interactive sponsorship strategies, leveraging digital marketing alongside sponsorship efforts, and conducting further research on long-term sponsorship impacts on consumer behavior.