Abstract: “The brand image transfer and associative learning theories indicate the transference of the positive sport celebrity brand image to the sponsor brand image during sponsorship (McCracken 1989). Furthermore, studies show that the characteristic of sport celebrity transgressions (off-field and on-field) impact on consumers’ perceptions of transgressions (Summers et al. 2008). However, the potential transfer of a negative sport celebrity brand image on the associated sponsors and sport, in relation to the characteristics of the sport celebrity transgression (SCT), has largely been ignored. This paper investigated how the off-field and on-field SCT impact on the brand image of the celebrity’s associated sponsors and sport. The study investigated nine different transgression scenarios and analyzed 2 987 online comments. The findings indicated that the characteristics of SCTs can further be categorized into more specific groups.”

Keywords: communication, celebrity sponsorship, brand image, transgressions