From awareness to action: exploring the impact of social alliances on consumer behaviour in the sporting context

Commonly, professional sports teams proactively engage in corporate social responsibility activities by forming partnerships with not-for-profit organisations. However, both academicians and practitioners are unsure of the effectiveness of such alliances, especially in relation to consumer reactions. This research analysed consumer reactions to both organisations in a social alliance but significantly extended upon current research by analysing such reactions amongst consumers associated with the sports team and consumers associated with the not-for-profit organisation. The positive outcomes towards both organisations by each consumer group can strongly assist practitioners in developing a more efficient and effective social alliance strategy.