Leveraging sponsorship: The activation ratio

The accelerated growth of sponsorship has brought increased attention and scrutiny to this relatively new area of marketing and communications strategy. In turn, researchers have focused on defining, understanding and measuring the various aspects of sponsorship. However, detailed research related to the ‘how’ of sponsorship implementation remains limited. A key aspect of implementation is known as activation, which refers to the investment by the sponsor above and beyond the fee required to acquire the official rights to that sponsorship. Activation is normally referred to as a ratio of the additional investment to the cost of the rights fees. Previous studies have offered recommended activation ratios ranging from 1:1 to as high as 8:1 in order to fully reap the rewards of sponsorship. This research seeks to enhance our understanding of sponsorship activation via an in-depth case study, a typical method for exploratory research of this nature. Specifically, we ask (i) what drives activation, (ii) what are the best methods of activation, and (iii) how much should be spent on activation? Findings suggest that management decisions regarding activation focus on the custom development of quality strategies versus increasing the activation ratio. Indeed, a formula based on a variety of factors is recommended since activation tactics and their appropriateness to a specific sponsorship are the cornerstones of sponsorship success. Overall, results present a four-step model including activation drivers, strategic considerations, activation spending, and sponsorship outcomes.     

Children''s Beliefs about Listening: Is It Enough to Be Still and Quiet?

This study examined children's conception of listening and their performance as listeners, 7-, 9-, and 11-year-old children were interviewed for their conceptions of good listening, their beliefs about appropriate actions for confused listeners to take, their attributions of responsibility for a listener's confusion, their reports of how speakers and listeners feel during communication breakdown, and their ability to detect inconsistencies during a comprehension-monitoring task. Results indicated that older children relied less on behavioral orientation and more on attempts to comprehend and other criteria in their definitions of good listening. Children believed that appropriate listening responses depend on the situation, and there was a developmental increase in asking the speaker a question and listening more carefully. With age, children also tended to report more complex negative emotions for listeners and speakers experiencing a breakdown in understanding. Children recalled incongruent material more than congruent material on the comprehension-monitoring task.