The Influence of Second Screen Multitasking on Sponsorship Effects

Sponsorship is a marketing communication tool used to increase brand awareness, brand attitudes, and sales. Sponsorship activities are realized through various media, but television has been the most important medium to deliver these activities to sport fans. More recently, however, the importance of television has been challenged via the widespread use of smartphones (i.e., second screen). Media multitasking (e.g., using a smartphone while watching television) has become a common phenomenon, and sponsorship exposure through television is affected. Therefore, this study examines how multitasking influences sponsorship effects such as brand recall and attitude towards the brand. Data was collected from 203 participants who were randomly divided into three groups: no-multitasking, low-multitasking, and high-multitasking. In addition, sport involvement was also included in the study as a moderating variable. The results indicated that multitasking negatively influenced both sponsoring brand recall and attitude toward the brand. Sport involvement positively influenced only attitude toward the brand independently. Detailed explanations and business implications are provided.