Predicting volunteers' intention to return: An examination of brand personality, prestige, and identification of sporting events

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among four variables: brand personality traits, prestige of a sporting event, brand identification, and individuals' intention to return to volunteer for future sporting events. Five personality traits were included in the study: sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness. A proposed conceptual model was developed and tested with a sample of volunteers at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Two hundred twenty-four individuals participated in a self-administered questionnaire during the event. Results from structural equation model analysis showed that three brand personality dimensions-sincerity, competence, and sophistication-were associated with individuals' prestige of the sporting event. Furthermore, event prestige positively influenced brand identification, which had a positive impact on volunteers' intention to return for volunteering.