How sponsorship advertising impacts word-of-mouth, brand familiarity and sports travel revisit intentions

Purpose This study examines the impact of sponsorship advertising on revisit intention within the context of sports tourism. Grounded in consumer behavior and brand management theory, it explores the mediating role of brand familiarity and the moderating role of sponsorship advertising in the relationships between word-of-mouth and revisit intention. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey was conducted among 383 visitors to the Macau Grand Prix. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the relationships among sponsorship advertising, word-of-mouth (WOM), brand familiarity and revisit intention. Findings Sponsorship advertising significantly increases revisit intention and enhances brand familiarity. Brand familiarity mediates the relationship between WOM and revisit intention. Sponsorship advertising strengthens the link between brand familiarity and revisit intention and moderates the relationship between WOM and revisit intention. These findings underscore the importance of emotionally engaging content in enhancing sponsorship effectiveness. Practical implications Destination managers may adopt integrated marketing strategies that utilize sponsorship advertising, WOM management, and brand familiarity to boost revisit intention. Effective sponsorship advertising should aim to cultivate positive destination associations, while resources should also be directed towards promoting favorable visitor narratives and engagement across multiple platforms. Originality/value This study offers a novel contribution by conceptualizing sponsorship advertising as an important driver of sports tourism revisit intention, rather than merely a long-term branding instrument. It further identifies brand familiarity as a pivotal mediator and positions sponsorship advertising as a strategic enhancer of sponsorship effectiveness in sports tourism marketing.