Eco-friendly stadium filled with nature, reflecting sustainable sponsorship.

Greenwashing or Genuine? How Eco-Friendly Sponsorships Win Hearts (and Wallets)

Elliot Brynn in Climate & Environment August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Decoding the impact of environmental CSR in sports: Does it truly resonate with consumers, and how can brands ensure their message hits home?"

In the high-stakes world of mega sport events, sponsorship is a powerful tool. These sponsorships represent significant investments, offering brands a chance to connect with vast audiences on an emotional level. Think of the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup, where brands aim to associate themselves with the excitement and global reach of these events.

However, the increasing commercialization of professional sports has brought changes. Some view mega-events as detached from societal benefits, leading to skepticism. This shift impacts how the public perceives the sponsors themselves. Brands are now aware that their association with an event can be influenced by whether the event is seen as socially responsible and beneficial.

Enter corporate social responsibility (CSR), particularly focusing on environmental initiatives. Integrating CSR into sport sponsorships can help brands regain focus on societal benefits. By supporting environmental causes, sponsors can improve their image and resonate more positively with audiences. But how effective is this strategy, and does it truly influence consumer attitudes?

Decoding Environmental CSR in Sports Sponsorship

Eco-friendly stadium filled with nature, reflecting sustainable sponsorship.

Recent research dives deep into whether environmental CSR-linked sponsorships actually work. The key question is: does linking a brand to an eco-friendly initiative at a mega-event change how consumers feel about the brand? And if so, what are the underlying psychological factors at play?

The study focuses on 'regulatory fit' – the idea that people respond more favorably when a message aligns with their existing mindset. Consider this: someone already focused on achieving gains might respond better to a message promoting environmental benefits, while someone focused on preventing losses might prefer a message about protecting the environment from harm.

Promotion Focus: This highlights achieving positive outcomes, such as planting trees to improve the environment.
Prevention Focus: This emphasizes avoiding negative outcomes, like preventing deforestation.

Researchers conducted experiments where participants were exposed to different types of sponsorships. Some saw sponsorships linked to promoting environmental gains, others saw sponsorships linked to preventing environmental harm, and a control group saw sponsorships with no environmental link. The results showed that when there was a ‘fit’ between the individual’s mindset (gain vs. loss) and the sponsorship's focus (promotion vs. prevention), the attitude toward the sponsor was significantly reinforced.

The Bottom Line: Authenticity and Alignment are Key

The research emphasizes that environmental CSR-linked sponsorships can indeed boost a brand's image, but the message matters. To truly resonate, brands need to ensure their environmental messaging aligns with the mindset of their target audience. Is your audience driven by the desire to achieve positive environmental outcomes, or are they more motivated by preventing environmental damage? Tailoring your message accordingly can make all the difference. This requires a deeper understanding of your audience and a commitment to authentic, well-aligned environmental initiatives.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.040, Alternate LINK

Title: The Impact Of Environmental Csr-Linked Sport Sponsorship On Attitude Toward The Sponsor Depending On Regulatory Fit

Subject: Marketing

Journal: Journal of Business Research

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Anna Mei Habitzreuter, Joerg Koenigstorfer

Published: 2021-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

How do environmental CSR-linked sponsorships impact a brand's image, and what determines their effectiveness?

Environmental CSR-linked sponsorships can enhance a brand's image, but only if the environmental messaging aligns with the target audience's mindset. If the audience is driven by achieving positive environmental outcomes, a message framed around 'Promotion Focus,' such as planting trees, will resonate better. If they're motivated by preventing environmental damage, a 'Prevention Focus' message, like preventing deforestation, is more effective. Authenticity and alignment are crucial for success.

What is 'regulatory fit,' and how does it influence the success of environmental CSR sponsorships?

Regulatory fit is the alignment between a person's mindset and the framing of a message. In the context of environmental CSR, it means matching whether an individual is focused on achieving gains (Promotion Focus) or preventing losses (Prevention Focus) with a sponsorship's message. When a brand's message aligns with this mindset, the attitude toward the sponsor is significantly reinforced. Failing to achieve regulatory fit can weaken the impact of the sponsorship and reduce its positive effect on the brand's image.

Why are environmental CSR initiatives becoming more common in mega sport event sponsorships?

Mega sport event sponsorships offer brands a chance to connect with vast audiences. However, increased commercialization has led to skepticism about these events' societal benefits. Integrating environmental CSR into these sponsorships allows brands to improve their image and resonate more positively by supporting environmental causes. This can involve initiatives such as promoting sustainable practices at the event or partnering with environmental organizations.

What is the difference between a 'Promotion Focus' and a 'Prevention Focus' in environmental messaging, and why is this distinction important?

Promotion Focus highlights achieving positive environmental outcomes, such as planting trees or reducing carbon emissions to improve the environment. Prevention Focus emphasizes avoiding negative environmental outcomes, such as preventing deforestation or reducing pollution to protect ecosystems. These approaches target different motivations within an audience, appealing to those driven by the prospect of gains versus those driven by the avoidance of losses. Using both will increase regulatory fit overall.

How can brands ensure their environmental message in sports sponsorships resonates with consumers and avoids being perceived as 'greenwashing'?

Brands can ensure their environmental message hits home by understanding their target audience's mindset. Is the audience driven by the desire to achieve positive environmental outcomes (Promotion Focus), or are they more motivated by preventing environmental damage (Prevention Focus)? Tailoring your message accordingly will increase regulatory fit and make the sponsorship more effective. Further, the initiatives need to be authentic and aligned with the brand's values to avoid accusations of greenwashing, which can damage brand reputation. Ensure that there are measurable sustainability outcomes to promote confidence in the CSR sponsorships.