The role of sponsorship activities within the framework of corporate communication strategies

This study examines sponsorship activities within the framework of corporate communication strategies, focusing on how organizations shape key corporate components such as identity, image, reputation, culture, brand personality, and stakeholder relations. Corporate communication plays a central role in enabling modern organizations to achieve objectives related to social legitimacy, stakeholder trust, and sustainable value creation; within this process, sponsorship is positioned as a strategic communication instrument. From this perspective, sponsorship is not considered merely a marketing activity that provides visibility or promotion, but rather a comprehensive communication practice through which organizations represent their identity, culture, and values in the public sphere. The research adopts a theory-based literature review approach and evaluates the findings of existing empirical studies through secondary analysis. Within this scope, sponsorship is examined in terms of its historical development, types, communicative functions, and measurement processes, and is analyzed through psychological and social-psychological frameworks such as stakeholder theory, balance theory, congruence theory, schema theory, and the halo effect. In addition, quantitative data derived from reports published by institutions including IEG, WFA, ESA, KORE, IOC, and Lumency are used to identify current trends in the global sponsorship ecosystem. The literature review indicates that perceived congruence between the sponsor and the sponsored entity strengthens positive image transfer and supports brand perception. Sponsorships extending beyond the sports domain into areas such as culture, arts, and social responsibility contribute to sustainability and long-term value creation. In this context, sponsorship emerges as a strategic communication practice in the construction of corporate identity and reputation.