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1 – 10 of over 5000
Article
Publication date: 8 March 2024

Hossein Mansouri, Abdullah Rasaee Rad, Rodoula H. Tsiotsou and Maizaitulaidawati Md Husin

The study aims to identify critical factors that influence football fans’ support of their favorite team by examining the impact of social responsibility, brand credibility and…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to identify critical factors that influence football fans’ support of their favorite team by examining the impact of social responsibility, brand credibility and team brand equity on patronage intentions of professional football teams.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey collected data from 331 football fans of the Persian Gulf Premier League (PGPL) in Iran. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The findings revealed that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is able to influence brand equity, brand credibility and patronage intentions. Also, brand equity and brand credibility were found to be positively related to patronage intentions. In addition to that, the findings show that brand equity and team credibility partially mediate the relationship between CSR and patronage intentions.

Practical implications

The findings provide valuable insights to sports teams/club managers aiming to attract new fans and retain current ones by investing in CSR and enhancing brand credibility and equity. Strategies to integrate CSR into relationship marketing and brand management are outlined.

Originality/value

This study empirically highlights the critical role of adhering to CSR and the effects of brand credibility and equity in enhancing patronage intentions among football team fans.

Details

International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1464-6668

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 November 2022

A. Banu Elmadag, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong and Brigitte Burgess

This study aims to examine diversity and inclusivity in sports from a sexual orientation perspective. A literature review summarizes known findings on attitudes and perceptions of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine diversity and inclusivity in sports from a sexual orientation perspective. A literature review summarizes known findings on attitudes and perceptions of and towards nonbinary individuals in sports. Adopting Herek’s (2007) Sexual Stigma perspective, an experiment is conducted exploring the differences in fan attitudes and behavioral intentions towards nonbinary athletes in both women’s and men’s sports.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review of extant literature identified 24 peer-reviewed primary studies examining nonbinary individuals in sports. A 2 (Sport: Women’s vs. Men’s Basketball) × 2 (Nonbinary Indicator: Indicator vs. No-Indicator) experimental study was then designed to further explore fan attitudes towards nonbinary athletes.

Findings

The study revealed that, among sports fans, there was no perceived performance difference in women’s or men’s basketball linked to athletes’ nonbinary status (as measured by athletic ability, future performance, sportsmanship, talent and quickness). However, measures of fan support (sport engagement, intention to buy team merchandise and team fanship) were lower when the athlete was perceived as nonbinary. For women’s basketball, team fanship and intention to buy team merchandise were significantly lower, while the difference was not significant in men’s basketball.

Originality/value

Along with an inclusive review of prior literature, this is the first empirical study to examine the differences in fans’ attitudes towards nonbinary athletes in both women’s and men’s sports at the same time via an experimental design.

Details

International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1464-6668

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 January 2023

Bruno Melo Moura, André Luiz Maranhão de Souza-Leão, Ewerton Pacheco da Silva and Guilherme Monteiro Alves dos Santos

Sports leagues, such as Major League Soccer (MLS), aim at expanding their audience at global level through alternative media other than television (TV). Brazil stands out among…

Abstract

Purpose

Sports leagues, such as Major League Soccer (MLS), aim at expanding their audience at global level through alternative media other than television (TV). Brazil stands out among football media consumer audiences as one of the main markets worldwide. Brazilian MLS consumers play the role of fans to converge between TV media and digital platforms, in a phenomenon that has been called Social TV.

Design/methodology/approach

The aim of the current research is to investigate how Brazilian MLS fans' consumption process is established through Social TV; it was done based on netnography performed between 2018 and 2020.

Findings

Results have indicated that Social TV is a catalyst of practices associated with fan culture: cultural convergence, technologies appropriations, poaching experiences and production of a collective intelligence.

Research limitations/implications

Current research reinforces how ethnography methodology has been gaining room as likely consumer market research, working as alternative method based on the prevalence of focus group and survey techniques.

Practical implications

Social TV phenomenon presents itself as a possibility to expand and direct marketing strategies focused on sports management, just as the media often consumed by fans.

Originality/value

From the results, it is possible assuming that connections between fans are punctually guided by their relationship with the cultural object consumed by them in a network relationship whose actors deindividualize sociocultural practices such as consumption. Thus, the main contribution of the study lies on identifying how fan culture can be autonomously established in the market arena in comparison to other cultures.

Details

Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-678X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2023

Deepika Pandita and Fatima Vapiwala

The purpose of this study is to understand the factors responsible for social media fan engagement and experience. The research study also attempts to analyze the significance of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand the factors responsible for social media fan engagement and experience. The research study also attempts to analyze the significance of adopting digital strategies with a fan-centric approach for sports organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with managers in different sports organizations and fans of various popular sports leagues and clubs in India. The authors used a qualitative exploratory approach by applying coding and thematic analysis to arrive at findings and conclusions.

Findings

The responses led to the emergence of three major themes comprising effective planning, harnessing fan participation and boosting the quality of experience. Building on these themes, the authors recommended the “PRIME” model for sports organizations.

Research limitations/implications

As this study explores the growing importance of fan engagement from the top three sports leagues in India, future researchers can focus on obtaining data from multiple countries and multiple leagues to enhance fan engagement's generalizability. Also with the growing popularity of eSports, the scope of the present study may be expanded based on eSports.

Practical implications

The authors' study acts as an eye-opener for managers revealing that to get active participation from fans, sports organizations will have to be active in social media initiatives. In addition to this, the authors also propose the PRIME model, which elaborates on the aspects of Planning social media programs, Regularization of content creation, increased Interaction with the fan base, Motivation through rewards and Enriching fan experience for effectively harnessing fan engagement and experience.

Originality/value

In the pandemic era, engaging with fans on social media can enable sports organizations to thrive. The authors suggest a “PRIME” model which can aid sports managers in effectively harnessing fan engagement and experience for the managers of sports organizations. The model can also be applied beyond the sports context in anchoring customer engagement and experience through the social media of other business organizations.

Details

Journal of Strategy and Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-425X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 July 2012

Michael Chih‐Hung Wang, Megha Jain, Julian Ming‐Sung Cheng and George Kyaw‐Myo Aung

The purpose of this paper is to empirically verify the conventional cause‐and‐effect relationship of fan identification and purchase intention in the context of Asian fans when…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically verify the conventional cause‐and‐effect relationship of fan identification and purchase intention in the context of Asian fans when both the sponsoring firm and the sponsored team are Western. The paper also proposes and examines the mediating role of sponsor credibility and attitude towards sponsor in the relationship between fan identification and purchase intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A field study was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand, where 350 questionnaires were collected from football fans.

Findings

The findings reveal that, even when both the sponsoring firm and the sponsored sports team are western (i.e. foreign), Asian fans’ identification with the team increases their purchase intention for sponsoring firm's goods. The research also confirms that sponsor credibility and attitude towards sponsors partially mediate the fan identification‐purchase link.

Originality/value

The paper provides valuable insights into the under‐researched aspect of sports sponsorship, by examining the effect on Asian fans’ purchase intension when both the sponsoring firm and the sponsored sports team are western. Moreover, most of the prior literature on sports sponsorship focuses on the direct effect of fan identification on purchase intention. The current study extends the scope of knowledge on sports sponsorship by focusing on the under‐researched but crucial mediating effects of sponsor credibility and attitude towards sponsor.

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2005

André Richelieu and Christèle Boulaire

In the post modern era, a product or service has four potential representations: experiential; social; democratic; and an element of an organisation, a network or a universe. This…

Abstract

In the post modern era, a product or service has four potential representations: experiential; social; democratic; and an element of an organisation, a network or a universe. This paper looks at post modern product representations in the sports industry that are supported by marketing decisions. These decisions could provide guidelines to sports managers who want to strengthen the emotional connection between the team and the fans.

Details

International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1464-6668

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2012

Keith D. Parry

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of autoethnography within the context of sports fandom. This paper advocates the use of such qualitative methodologies to enable a…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of autoethnography within the context of sports fandom. This paper advocates the use of such qualitative methodologies to enable a greater understanding of sports fans. The paper also aims to provide greater understanding of sports fandom.

Design/methodology/approach

The research moves away from traditional methodologies of studying sports fandom from an objective viewpoint and uses an evocative autoethnography to provide an account of the lived experience of a sports fan.

Findings

By writing himself into his research it has been possible to gain a deeper insight into sports fandom. The subject of passion arises and while the Dualistic Model of Passion was explored as a mechanism for dealing with obsessive passion it is suggested that attempting to move away from a state of obsessive passion may diminish the enjoyment of being a sports fan.

Practical implications

This paper highlights the benefits that methodologies such as autoethnography can have for academics studying sports fandom and other disciplines. It encourages academics to overcome the perceived lack of academic acceptance of the method.

Originality/value

This paper utilises a qualitative methodology to explore the experience of being a sports fan. This methodological approach is yet to be fully embraced within this field and hence there is a lack of in‐depth data on the experiences of sports fans. This account will allow readers to develop a greater understanding and insight of sports fans.

Details

Qualitative Research Journal, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1443-9883

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2012

Shawn Stevens and Philip J. Rosenberger

Sport has evolved into one of the largest industries in Australia and there is a corresponding increased interest in the factors influencing fan loyalty. This paper presents a…

2086

Abstract

Sport has evolved into one of the largest industries in Australia and there is a corresponding increased interest in the factors influencing fan loyalty. This paper presents a theoretically developed conceptual model which empirically tests the relationships between fan identification, sports involvement, following sport and fan loyalty. Survey results indicate that fan identification, following sport and involvement positively influence fan loyalty, while following sport was found to mediate the involvement-fan identification relationship.

Details

International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1464-6668

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 April 2020

Avichai Shuv-Ami, Anat Toder Alon, Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro and Hans Ruediger Kaufmann

This study, an empirical research, aims to construct and validate a new love-hate scale for sports fans and tested its antecedents and consequences.

Abstract

Purpose

This study, an empirical research, aims to construct and validate a new love-hate scale for sports fans and tested its antecedents and consequences.

Design/methodology/approach

The scale was designed and validated in three separate empirical survey studies in the context of Israeli professional basketball. In Phase 1, the authors verified the factorial validity of the proposed scale using exploratory factor analysis. In Phase 2, the authors conducted a confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling. In Phase 3, the authors tested the nomological network validity of the scale.

Findings

The findings show that fans' involvement, loyalty and fandom significantly predicted their love–hate, which in turn significantly predicted self-reported fan aggression, fans' acceptance of fan aggression, price premium and frequency of watching games.

Research limitations/implications

The model was tested on a relatively small sample of fans within a single country. This lack of generalizability should be addressed in future studies by examining the model in other sports contexts and countries.

Practical implications

This study suggests that understanding the properties of the love–hate measure may assist team sports clubs in identifying, preventing and controlling potential fan aggression.

Originality/value

The study provides three incremental contributions above and beyond existing research: it develops and validates a scale for measuring the phenomenon of sports fans' love and hate as mixed emotions; it makes it possible to capture the variations in the magnitude of fans' love–hate; and it relates fans' love–hate to important attitudinal and behavioral outcomes.

Details

International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1464-6668

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2016

Heikki Karjaluoto, Juha Munnukka and Milja Salmi

The purpose of this paper is to extend brand identification theory to the sports team context by testing the direct and indirect effects of a sports team’s personality, sports fans

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend brand identification theory to the sports team context by testing the direct and indirect effects of a sports team’s personality, sports fans’ identification with the team, and the effect of the length of fans’ relationship with a team on their loyalty to it.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a quantitative study among ice hockey fans of one Finnish hockey team before play-off games. Data came from an online questionnaire generating 1,166 responses.

Findings

The authors find that: first, identification with a team mediates the effects of brand personality on attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty; second, brand personality is a stronger driver of identification among newer fans; and third, brand personality has a stronger influence on both attitudinal and behavioral loyalty among newer fans. These findings stress the importance of sports brand’s personality in driving fans’ identification with the team and their loyalty to it.

Originality/value

The study develops and tests a new conceptual model on consumer loyalty in the sports team context. The authors shed light on how sports team personality affects its fans’ identification with the team and the formation of fan loyalty, from the perspective of fans’ relationship length.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 5000