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Invite colleaguesThe relationship between fan identification and collegiate athletic apparel brand preference
Abstract
Fan identification often leads to emotional attachment and buying behaviour in sport fans. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between fan identification and collegiate athletic apparel brand preference among an array of sport consumers. Three research questions are presented, and a Web-based survey was used to gather data to address these questions of interest. The survey was conducted through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk labour market, and, after data refinement, 394 respondents remained for analysis. Significant results showed: 70.8 per cent of respondents could accurately recall the sponsor of their favourite team’s uniforms. 66.5 per cent state they are more likely to buy apparel from the sponsoring brand of their favourite team. 43.5 per cent of respondents believed they would buy less of their favourite team’s present sponsoring brand if their team changed its apparel sponsor. As future spending intentions were significant for fan identification but not team loyalty, we conclude that identification is the more influential factor for sponsoring brands to consider in their branding and promotion strategies.
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Author's Biography
Nathan Kirkpatrick is a Clinical Instructor of Management and Marketing at Stephen F. Austin State University. He teaches Sports Marketing and Principles of Sports Business, and he also serves as the Program Administrator for the Sports Business Program in The Woodlands, Texas.
Clifton Eason is a Marketing Professor at Samford University and is in his sixth year at the University. He teaches a variety of subjects, including Marketing Research and Customer Relationship Management, and also oversees the Professional Sales programme at Samford University.