Abstract
The emergence of social media and digital channels have expanded communication practices and also created new, virtual spaces where sports fans can interact and communicate directly with each other and with clubs. This article examines the potential for social media brand communities to develop a sense of both community and place amongst sports fans. It explores their influence in placemaking initiatives through the bonding and bridging social capital of a football club’s supporters. A netnographic study of a football club’s supporter networks (five channels) and their interactions with social media brand communities was performed. Data gathered from online sources was underpinned by interviews with 25 members of the community. Findings were analysed via NVivo using bridging and bonding social capital as a theoretical lens. The paper makes two primary contributions to knowledge. It enhances our understanding of the impact of SMBCs and their use in a sporting context—an area that has become increasingly significant during the COVID-19 pandemic enforced lockdowns that have kept fans out of venues. It also contributes to our understanding of the influence of placemaking strategies upon the social capital of supporter communities.
Highlights
The emergence of social media and digital channels have expanded communication practices and created new, virtual spaces where sports fans can interact and communicate directly with each other and with clubs
As placemakers and managers are increasingly turning to digital media, there is a need to theoretically investigate how people communicate about place in online spaces and whether social media brand communities (SMBC) can successfully develop a sense of place and community
Salford City Football Club (SCFC) has seen some recent success in the promotion of a local community group which is campaigning to protect an area of natural beauty from urban development: There’s huge history here, there was a hanging place, it’s the highest part of Salford, part of Salford Racecourse was on it so there’s strong community links round here
Summary
The emergence of social media and digital channels have expanded communication practices and created new, virtual spaces where sports fans can interact and communicate directly with each other and with clubs. This article examines the potential for social media brand communities to develop a sense of both community and place amongst sports fans It explores their influence in placemaking initiatives through the bonding and bridging social capital of a football club’s supporters. The emergence of social media and digital channels have expanded communication practices and created new, virtual spaces where people interact and communicate directly with each other and with brands This trend accelerated during 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic created enforced lockdowns around the world that shifted communication and engagement to online platforms which, in a sport setting, allows clubs to reach new audiences, engage with existing audiences in new ways and even to encourage greater levels of physical activity (Davis, 2020; Hayes, 2020; Mastromartino et al, 2020). As placemakers and managers are increasingly turning to digital media, there is a need to theoretically investigate how people communicate about place in online spaces and whether SMBCs can successfully develop a sense of place and community
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