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Understanding fans' perceived associations with their favorite teams is crucial for the successful management of sport teams. In the current study, team brand associations are measured as a reflective-formative construct to examine the role of the fan identification on the relationship between team brand associations and behavioral intentions. Data from professional soccer spectators (n = 101) were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicated that the reflective-formative construct of team brand associations and fan identification influence behavioral intention, whilst fan identification was found to mediate the relationship between team brand associations and behavioral intentions. Managerial implications include strategic marketing how sport team managers can alter their team brand associations to foster the relationship between fans and teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brand extension is a valuable strategic device for firms to expand their business spectrum beyond their original brands or product categories as well as to enhance their brand equity. However, failure of a brand extension is not uncommon, and little attention has been given to analyzing failures of brand extension evaluations. Moreover, although brand authenticity is one key to understanding consumers' perceptions of brand reputation, no attention has been paid to the way in which sport consumers perceive the concept of authenticity in the sport manufacturing context. Data were collected from 504 undergraduate students who were given questionnaires asking two different brand models. Structural equation modeling suggests that brand extension authenticity plays a key role in the relationship between perceived fit and brand extension evaluations in both success and failure cases. Furthermore, brand extension authenticity is directly associated with positive brand extension evaluation in both success and failure cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has established the significance of applying the concept of fan associations with sport teams for better team management (Gladden & Funk, 2002; Ross, James, & Vargas, 2006). However, studies of fan associations have often indicated that there are differences among fans' perceived associations with teams across different sports (Bauer, Stokburger-Sauer, & Exler, 2008; Biscaia et al., 2016). Likewise, grounded in social identity theory, the current study examined potential similarities/differences in fan association types across four spectator sports (i.e., basketball, baseball, football, and soccer). Using a sample of 990 spectators who claimed to be a fan of major league teams (i.e., NBA, MLB, NFL, and MLS), this study conducted a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to explore between- and within-subject effects. Briefly, the results revealed across-sports variation as well as non-variation in fan's perceived association types as discussed in the text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Existing studies suggest the importance of research related to values and goals and their impacts on consumer involvement. However, cross-cultural examination of values and goals in the context of sport is scarce. To broaden our understanding of the cultural impact of values and goals on sport involvement, the purpose of this paper is to compare perspectives between Easterners (Chinese) and Westerners (Americans). Design/methodology/approach - This exploratory research utilized both online and written surveys to collect two convenience samples from 281 American and 636 Chinese participants. Analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression analyses. Findings - Results indicated both populations perceived values and goals differently; Chinese responded less favorably to values and goals than American counterparts. Values and goals predicted cognitive and behavioral sport involvement with variance in each population. Results generally supported a large cultural variation between the cultures. Lastly, similarities and differences in the perceived importance of values and goals and their subsequent impacts on cognitive and behavioral sport involvement suggest a need for a unique managerial approach when American businesses enter new cultural boundaries like China. Originality/value - This research is significant because studies exploring values and goals and their influences on sport consumption at the cross-cultural level are still limited in sport literature. Furthermore, an empirical examination of the impact of values and goals on sport consumers across cultures will help increase generalizability of the findings to sport literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]