Examining the meanings and consumption of sport licensed products through team identification

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the moderating role of team identification in the relationship between product meanings and the consumption of team licensed items. Past research has established causal relationships between the meanings embedded in team licensed merchandise and favorable consumer behaviors. The current study adds to existing literature by showing that team identification moderates the relationship between product meanings and consumers’ word-of-mouth communications as well as consumers’ intentions to purchase team licensed items in the future. Of particular importance are meanings tied to aesthetics, suggesting that sport marketers could benefit from a considerable investment in the design, features and overall appeal of their licensed products. Meanings related to socialization and experience were also significant predictors of word-of-mouth communications for those with low and high levels of team identification, respectively.