Effects of Sport Celebrity Transgressions: An Exploratory Study

A. Sassenberg

This paper has developed a conceptual model that has been based on the perceptions of consumers about the impact of different types of sport celebrity transgressions (SCTs) on their sport celebrity brand image. Focus group results have indicated that when SCTs ensue, consumers may have a positive attitude towards the sport-related brand attributes, while at the same time a negative attitude towards the non-sport-related brand attributes. Furthermore, SCTs seemed to impact negatively on consumers’ attitudes towards both the symbolic and experiential brand benefits. Findings showed consumers indicated positive emotional responses to some on-field SCTs. These findings have shown that the type of SCT may influence the impact of an SCT on the sport celebrity brand image.