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PurposeBuilt upon the balance theory and schema theory, this study examined the impact of sponsors' intangible attributes, including consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) and brand-event image fit (BEIF), on consumer responses to emerging local events (ELEs), as well as major boundary conditions of this mechanism.Design/methodology/approachTheoretical hypotheses were tested using multivariate analysis of covariance and structural equation modeling with the data from two experiments: the experiment in the pilot study was used to calibrate sponsor stimuli, and the experiment in the main study was designed to assess consumer responses to different sponsor-event combinations.FindingsResults of this experimental study illustrated the dominant role of CBBE in influencing individuals' perceived event value and intention to participate in the context of ELEs and revealed the noticeable but limited moderating effects of BEIF and sport identification.Originality/valueThis study highlighted the importance of sponsorship in the marketing communications of ELEs and suggested prioritizing the overall attributes of sponsors in the sponsor-selection. This study also called for more research attention directed toward the intangible benefits that sporting events could receive from sponsorship deals.

Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA., During the COVID-19 pandemic that paused sports worldwide, the German Bundesliga League (GBL) and English Premier League (EPL) took two different strategic approaches to agree with their players on returning to play. To become better informed and prepared for future crisis management, this study examines consumer responses to these opposing strategies. We also identify how perceived organizational legitimacy, trustworthiness, reliance, and justifiability have an impact on consumer multimedia consumption of the games. A sample of 503 participants responded to an online questionnaire regarding the contrasting decisions taken by the GBL and the EPL during the global health crisis. SEM with multi-group analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses. When comparing the two selected sport leagues, the league that reached an agreement with their players experienced higher levels of perceived legitimacy while needing fewer perceptions of trustworthiness, reliance, and justifiability to obtain higher multimedia consumption intention from consumers., Universidad de Granada / CBUA

A recent cause-related marketing (CRM) trend for sport organizations has been to adopt a service dog that they will train and showcase through social media and at team events. This phenomenon is unique as these teams are utilizing the dog as a brand association but through a charitable lens in that they are providing resources to train the dog and giving exposure to a good cause. This study examines the consumer behavior implications, specifically brand image, perceived altruism, and purchase intentions, of sport organizations adopting service dogs. Through an experimental design, this study introduces an emerging factor in sport CRM and suggests the level of the consumer’s awareness of the CRM initiative impacts consumer’s image of the brand, perceived altruism, and purchase intentions. This article furthers our conceptual understanding of CRM and provides practical implications for sport organizations looking to adopt this strategy.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of social media strategies of sport organizations when an unexpected absence of relevant content occurs. The study explored the typologies of Instagram posts of NHL teams and measured engagement of social media content that was not planned in advance.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods approach was utilized through a content analysis of 12 NHL team social media feeds. 502 (n = 502) posts were examined from the period of March 12 – May 26 during which the NHL season was suddenly paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Typologies of posts were identified through a qualitative coding process and ANOVA tests were conducted to examine the effectiveness of each typology in engaging consumers.FindingsThis study found that social media strategies of the sampled NHL teams is evidence of disinnovation with digital, as opposed to the previously conceptualized innovative properties that these activities bear. Therefore, in order to achieve the consumer engagement outcomes sought to build stronger relationships with fans and deliver on the expected leveraging capabilities for sponsors, sport marketers must reconsider their current, imbalanced approach and whether the more inherently interactive content should be balanced with entertaining content that requires organic consumer engagement.Originality/valueThis study offers a unique application of UGT, highlighting that social media in a sport context is not just about gratifying consumers, but preventing diminishing engagement and exploitation of users through overuse of sponsorship-laced content.

Through developing the Sport Fan Sense of Community (SFSC) scale, this study examined the factors that would constitute a sense of membership in a sport fan community, the impact of these factors on behavioral and psychological outcomes of membership, and their influence on the creation and maintenance of social capital through membership in the sport fan community. Sport fans ( N = 525) were surveyed and data were analyzed through a two-step confirmatory factor analysis and subsequent structural equation model analyses. A total of 17 items under five key factors were resulted for the SFSC scale, including Collective Unity, Positivity, Inclusivity, Social Opportunities, and Knowledgeable Members. These factors significantly ( p < .05) contributed to the psychological outcomes related to cognitive and affective benefits, as well as behavioral outcomes of increased game attendance, merchandise sales, and positive word of mouth. An individual’s sense of membership in the fan community also contributed to his/her bridging and bonding of social capital. This study built on previous conceptualizations of sport fan communities and developed the SFSC scale to delineate, specify, and measure one’s sense of membership in a fan community. The findings help further the theoretical understanding of sport fan communities and also provide evidence for sport organizations to identify operational areas in which they can communicate with consumers in order to create, channel, and sustain stronger communities.

Previous research has overlooked the influence of non-mega sport events on local residents’ perceptions of quality of life and their attitude toward the hosting of events; in particular, there is a...

In China, there has been a rapid growth of marathon events in recent years. With more events being staged, an opportunity has arisen for parents to attend with their children as a way of family tim...

As the National Hockey League (NHL) has made concerted efforts in recent years to expand into the Sunbelt region of North America, its teams still face tremendous challenges to building up their fan bases. Adopting a qualitative research protocol, this study explored the phenomenon of NHL fandom formation in the Sunbelt region. Research findings revealed key patterns and trends that influenced individuals to become fans of NHL teams in this strategic region of growth. A discussion of socialization into fandom was developed based on the themes and assertions derived in the study, which suggested that the fan community would play a significant role in fan identity formation and be a major driving force in the league’s market penetration into new marketplaces. The findings offer practical implications for teams to build and expand their fan bases and also provide a foundation for future quantitative investigations.

Existing research reveals the significance of understanding consumer interactions as an increasingly important determinant of sports consumption behaviors; yet, few studies have focused on the virtual communities of sporting goods brands, particularly for the Chinese marketplace that is becoming the largest globally. This study aimed to examine the relationships among consumer interaction, brand-community relationship, and consumer value co-creation willingness in the sports virtual brand communities of China. Research participants (n = 445) were consumers participating in online community activities of two leading sporting goods brands in China, Li-NING and Anta Sports. A questionnaire survey study was conducted. Regression analyses revealed that three out of four consumer interaction factors—cultural identity behavior, experiential communication behavior, and community maintenance behavior—exert a significant and positive impact on consumer value co-creation willingness. The strength of community relationship played a mediating role in these relationships. The other one, member screening interaction, did not find support. This study extends knowledge of sports brand marketing and management of virtual brand communities and recognizes the effectiveness of consumer value co-creation aspirations by highlighting the importance and reliance of customer-to-customer interaction and the strength of brand-community relationships.

Based on a sport analytic report, this study is centered around the performance budgets of Formula One (F1) teams, and how efficient they are in relation to their on-track results. This topic is chosen and deemed important as there are significant financial rule changes that have been approved for the 2021 season in F1 in an attempt to restore some much-needed competitive balance to the sport. There are plenty of opinion pieces from F1 commentators regarding how the new rule changes will be reflected in the standings next year, but not many that are backed up by an analytical approach of any kind. The goal of this paper is to predict how the standings may look for the 2021 season but to do so in a way without conjecture and, instead, allowing for a more objective look into the future of the sport. The provided data analysis is expected to provide an indication for which teams will benefit the most from a more even financial playing field. Throughout this paper, there will be a comprehensive overview of F1 in order to provide as much context to this situation as possible, which is followed by a description of the data analysis performed. Discussions are further made in terms of practical implications.

Mark Cuban is known by many as one of the first-ever fan owners in the National Basketball Association. Using the wealth he amassed from his hard work and innovative practices in the software and t...

In this paper, we examine the implications of sport stadiums closures during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The paper looks at the impact of sport stadium closures from three perspectives: The indiv...

Most aspects of life in contemporary societies permeate and are reciprocally influenced by the media. Sports are no exception. Each has influenced and depended on the other for its popularity and commercial success. Sports fans are individuals interested in and following sports through their psychological connections with teams or athletes. Nowadays, sports fans can watch different kinds of sport games or follow their favorite teams and athletes via various media platforms. Modern technology has substantially transformed the ways sports are consumed and has even created new platforms, such as esports. This chapter highlights modern sport fandom by starting from an overview of its growth with mainstream media and disentangling the currently intertwined dynamics of emerging trends. In particular, the authors discuss modern sport fandom by shedding light on the similarities and differences, underlining what causes, channels, and sustains individuals to consume sports, examining the consequences and results of fandom and highlighting contemporary research and developmental trends.

This case asks participants to take on the role of a brand consultant, working for the fictional brand management firm, BrandNew, to advise on the branding of a new National Hockey League (NHL) franchise. The consultant will need to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the brand equity for three previous NHL expansion or relocation teams (i.e., Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes) in order to understand what goes into selecting an effective team name, color scheme, logo, mascot, and how to socially integrate into the host city market. Consultants will then make recommendations for the NHL’s next expansion team in Seattle, Washington, so as to build sustained brand equity in the Seattle market.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to encourage scholarly inquiries to critically examine broad perspectives of marketing and business operations in the sport industry of growing economies. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive review of literature was the primary research method to introduce the following critical questions, “what are the major challenges in the sport industry of developing economies in a globalized market environment and what to do?”. Findings Seven articles are selected based on their theoretical and practical contributions. Originality/value This special issue is committed to trigger more investigations into sport businesses in developing countries and ultimately advancing theories and seeking solutions.

Sports fans are individuals who are interested in and follow one or more sports, teams, and/or athletes. These fans reinforce their identity as a fan by engaging in supportive and repetitive consumption behaviors that relate to the sport or team they are so passionate about. This chapter will provide an overview of the history and cultural heritage of sports fandom, discuss the significance and functions of fandom, underline what motivates individuals to consume sports, examine the consequences and results of fandom, and highlight contemporary research and developmental trends. This chapter would allow for a good understanding of where research on sports fandom is headed and the important issues affecting sports fans.

Sports fans are individuals who are interested in and follow a sport, team, and/or athlete. These fans reinforce their identity as a fan by engaging in supportive and repetitive consumption behaviors that relate to the sport or team they are so passionate about. This chapter will provide an overview of the history and cultural heritage of sports fandom, discuss the significance and functions of fandom, underline what motivates individuals to consume sports, examine the consequences and results of fandom, and highlight contemporary research and developmental trends. This chapter will allow for a good understanding of where research on sports fandom is headed and the important issues affecting sports fans.

In the modern day sport marketplace, professional sport teams face tough competition to build and sustain a viable fan base. This study sought to address three research questions: (a) what are the factors that contribute to the socialization of sports fans in niche sport markets? (b) How do team-led and fan-led initiatives work to socialize fans? Finally, (c) to what extent do the socialization factors affect identify as a sports fan for a niche sport and overall fan consumption behavior? A questionnaire was administered to 535 NHL fans and data were analyzed through conducting an Exploratory Factor Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling. The most notable findings revealed that influences from family or media exposure did not play a factor in the socialization of these fans, signaling the uniqueness of Sunbelt regional marketplace and a departure from traditional beliefs. Discussions are focused on interpreting theoretical and practical implications for socializing individuals into being hockey fans, growing professional hockey, projecting sustainable development, and providing a framework for other sport leagues.