Sport Consumer Behavior Research Articles

Solving the Athleisure Myth: A Means-End Chain Analysis of Female Activewear Consumption

The athleisure phenomenon has initiated a fast-paced evolution in the activewear industry and challenged brands to design and market activewear that fulfills consumer needs. Existing sport consumer behavior research has neglected to understand the structural relationships that connect attributes of sport products with values of sport consumers to inform values-based product design and marketing strategies. The current research utilizes the means-end chain theory and its corresponding soft laddering method to investigate the activewear consumption experience of female consumers. Findings revealed means-end chain structural relationships connecting five product attributes to three end-state values through four consequences associated with activewear consumption. Findings extend the sport management literature by understanding how sport product attributes fit into abstract consumer values and drive practical implications to enlighten activewear design and marketing.

Z세대의 스포츠 현장관람에 관한 탐색적 연구 : 한국 및 중국 대학생을 중심으로

Z세대가 주요한 소비 세력으로 등장하고 있다. 한국의 프로스포츠 역시 Z세대에 주목할 필요가 있으며, 국제적인 확장을 위해서는 인접한 대규모 시장인 중국의 Z세대에 대해서도 이해가 필요하다. 이 연구에서는 한국의 대표적인 프로 스포츠인 야구와 축구 경기장을 처음 방문한 한국과 중국의 Z세대 남녀 대학생 총 24명을 대상으로 현장관람을 통해 어떠한 인식을 가지게 되었으며, 또한 그들이 해당 스포츠에 바라는 개선점이 무엇인지를 탐색하고자 하였다. 연구대상자 들로 하여금 현장관람을 실시하게 한 후, 개방형 설문에 답변하도록 하였다. 그 결과, Z세대인 연구대상자들은 경기장 현장 분위기와 유명 선수 대면에 만족하였으며, 다양한 현장 이벤트와 식음료를 즐겼으나 불편한 좌석 등 시설에 대해서는 만족스러워하지 않았고, 야구의 경우에는 복잡한 경기규정을 이해하기 어렵다고 하였다. 또한 Z세대는 뉴미디어 활용 확대, 라이선싱 상품 개선, 경기력 향상, 식음료 개선, 사회적 가치 추구 등이 필요하다고 하였다.

The influence of perceived fan orientation on satisfaction, loyalty and sport consumption behaviors

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop and validate a scale to measure the perceived orientation of sport organizations toward their fans, and subsequently, to test its relationship with six outcomes based on data from the fanbases of three distinct sport teams.Design/methodology/approachUsing interviews and focus groups, important elements of fans' perceptions of their relationship with sport organizations are identified. After creating items based on the results of the interviews and focus groups, EFA, CFA and SEM procedures are used to create and test a multidimensional scale of perceived fan orientation.FindingsUsing EFA and CFA procedures, an 11-item, four-dimension scale of perceived fan orientation is validated, including components measuring (1) hosting events and campaigns for fans, (2) communicating information to fans, (3) interacting with fans when requests and problems arise and (4) providing preferential treatment to fans. The SEM results provide evidence of the impact of fan orientation on multiple measured outcomes for three professional football teams.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is limited to three professional football teams in Turkey. However, the development of the multidimensional perceived fan orientation (PERFANOR) scale provides sport organizations' management and personnel with information about the relationship fans desire.Practical implicationsSport managers, marketers and front-line staff are recommended to undertake activities to improve the relationship between the organization, team and its fans.Originality/valueThe principles and practices of relationship marketing and service quality often include discussions of the importance of “putting fans first,” however until now, no multidimensional scale existed in sport which measures the perceived fan orientation of a sport organization.

Product meanings as drivers of sport consumer behavior: evidence from the Greek sport industry

PurposeBuilding on existing sport licensing research from the North American market, the primary goal of this study was to explore meanings embedded in sport licensed products in the Greek sport market. The secondary goal was to examine the extent to which product meanings can predict favorable sport consumer behaviors.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from football and basketball fans of the two biggest professional sport clubs in Greece. A total of 255 Greek fans completed the surveys. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings uncovered a 14-item solution to capture the meanings attached to sport licensed products in the Greek market, including four factors-sources: experience, socialization, aesthetics and locality. Meanings related to aesthetics and experience significantly and positively predicted customer satisfaction, word-of-mouth communication, purchase intention and willingness to pay a price premium for licensed products of one's favorite team.Practical implicationsFrom a practical standpoint, this study shows that sport licensed products need to be positioned in the market based on their aesthetic quality. Also, communication plans that associate these products with opportunities for unique experiences, relationships with other fans and a connection to one's local community can drive sales, especially in less developed sport markets such as Greece.Originality/valueThis research contributes to existing literature by highlighting the prominent role of the aesthetic appeal of team licensed products as well as the experience of sport consumers as sources of meaning and value for the owners of those products.

Sport attendance behavior spectrum: motivators, constraints and context

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to explore a new sport attendance behavior spectrum framework where sport consumer behavior is not derived from just a dichotomy of a motivator positively impacting attendance or a constraint negatively impacting attendance. Rather, when accounting for the context of the setting (e.g. sport, playing level, locality, patron type, etc.), some areas belong on a spectrum that fluctuates between positive and negative impacts on attendance that are dependent on the context of the given environment.Design/methodology/approachThrough factor analysis and structural equation modeling, the proposed model attempted to explain relationships between five second-order factors and game attendance, which expanded to include the new internal contextual and external contextual factors, and ultimately team fandom.FindingsThe results indicated three significant main effects where internal contextual exhibited a positive relationship with attendance, while constraints and external contextual demonstrated a negative relationship. Internal and external motives were not significant. Further, the moderating effect of high and low sport interest groupings largely indicated no significant spectator differences. The model explained 24% of the variance in attendance, and attendance accounted for 41% of the variance in team fandom.Originality/valueAttendance is intricate, and this study highlighted the importance of considering and adapting to the sporting context as some factors exist on a sport attendance behavior spectrum and differently impact spectators positively or negatively, given the context of the setting. Further, in this lower-level sport setting, consumers viewed minor league hockey more as a leisure commodity than a premier sport contest.

Critical factors in the sport consumption decision making process of millennial fans: a revised model of goal-directed behavior

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the millennial fans decision-making process in connection with various sport consumption behaviors (i.e. game attendance, TV viewing, participation in online activities, and participation in social media activities) using a modified model of goal-directed behavior (i.e. Sport Fan MGB).Design/methodology/approachWe collected data using Amazon Mechanical Turk (N = 222) to test the hypothesized model. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the psychometric properties of the measurement model, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses.FindingsSport Fan MGB was found have good psychometric properties. In addition, the findings indicate that the Sport Fan MGB explained various millennial fan behaviors (i.e., event attendance, TV viewing, online activity participation, and social media activity participation).Originality/valueThis paper examined the validity of the Sport Fan MGB and improved the predictability of the millennial fans' sport consumption behavior decision-making process.

Emotions and Sport Management: A Bibliometric Overview.

Emotions are considered a fundamental aspect of sport scenarios, and within sports, consumer behavior is a very popular area of research in the sport management field. Thus, in recent years, there has been a growing interest for sport managers regarding the role that emotions play in sport consumer behavior. Thus, the aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the academic research on emotions in the sport management field using two techniques: a bibliometric performance analysis and a graphic mapping of the references in this field. This analysis focuses on authors, journals, papers, institutions and countries. Bibliometric indicators including the h-index measure, productivity and the number of citations were used to perform the performance analysis. Then, VOSviewer software was used to perform co-citation, bibliographic coupling and co-occurrence of keyword analysis (mapping analysis). The results of both types of analysis are consistent, with the United States being the most influential country in emotions in sport management research because the main authors and institutions in this research field belong to this country. The overall results indicate that the literature on this research topic has grown significantly in recent years in all scientific disciplines; however, the research topic is incipient, and therefore, the number of articles is still limited. Thus, this research presents the key aspects in the topic of emotions in sport management that could be helpful for researchers and policy makers in the field of sport management to make future decisions.

Mediating the sport consumer behaviour model: Analysis in non-sporting brand

In the Philippines, sports sponsorship has already found its way, as companies invest in sponsoring a team or creating their brand of league. In volleyball, a pizza chain created an entire volleyball league, even though its products are not connected with sports nor even a healthy option food. This study was conducted in a Philippines private university whose total population was 2,200 during the time of the study. Slovin’s Formula was used to select 338 respondents. Mediation analysis was done to explore the direct and indirect effects between the independent and dependent variables. Regression analysis was also conducted to test the prediction of the latent variables. Based on the result, constructs of sports consumer behaviour (Involvement, Sport Attachment, Brand Image, Word of Mouth, and Purchase Intentions) in sports sponsorship activity could be effective in the Philippine setting. It can be lauded that, sports attachment, brand image, income and educational attainment could profoundly influence word of mouth and purchase intention separately. This means that respondents who have sports attachments, perspectives on brand image, certain educational attainment levels, and middle and upper disposable income can be useful whether they are exposed to the brand as long as the sports sponsor can turn into a brand ambassador who can provide testimonials to the brand or people who can contribute to brand sales.

The Effect of Digital Integrated Marketing Communications on Not-for-Profit Sport Consumption Behaviors

Relationship marketing through digital forms of integrated marketing communications can provide sport organizations with a range of positive outcomes. Given decreasing participation, membership and funding pressures, sport organizations need to engage with current and prospective consumers to alleviate these concerns. Drawing on existing research in the digital communications setting, a framework illustrating the end to end integrated marketing communications function as implemented by governing bodies as a form of not-for-profit sporting organizations is presented and tested. Satisfaction with integrated marketing communications was shown to have a direct effect on relationship quality and behavioral intentions, including revenue raising, increasing participation, raising awareness, and enhancing public perception providing practical and theoretical benefits.

Reviews Key Features of Word-Of-Mouth (WOM) Advertising and Their Impact on Sports Consumer

Purpose: This study sought to investigate the critical features of Word of mouth (WOM) advertising and their impact on sport consumer behavior. Research design, data, and methodology: Target population of the study consisted of all sports consumer of the Federation of Special Patients and Organ Transplantation, Tehran (Iran), who had indirectly watched the World Organ Transplant Competition documentary at least once on others' advice. For this purpose, 360 sports consumers of the federation were purposefully selected and they were asked to complete the standard WOM advertising questionnaire of Asda and Ko. Pearson correlation coefficient test and modeling of structural equations were performed using Spss24 and Smart PLS software at an error level of 0.05 used to analyze the data. Results: The findings show that there is a significant relationship between experience and expertise, trust and validity, content richness, and the power of message transmission through WOM advertising and its predictability. Finally, interpersonal relationships and work involvement also had a moderating role in this regard. Conclusions: The general conclusion is that the components of WOM advertising as well as involvement and homophily with the mediating role directly as one of the presuppositions for persuasion. The sports consumer was promoting WOM.

Validation of the Sport Fan Model of Goal-Directed Behavior: Comparison to Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Model of Goal-Directed Behavior

The Sport Fan MGB was developed by incorporating sport fan-specific variables to predict millennial sport fan consumption behaviors. However, the efficacy and usefulness of this Sport Fan MGB remain uncertain in comparison to other well-known behavioral models that include the original Model of Goal-Directed Behavior (MGB), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to further validate the Sport Fan MGB by comparing it to MGB, TPB, and TRA. To examine its relative effectiveness and efficiency, a non-nested model comparison was conducted with AIC and R-square values. The results indicate that the Sport Fan MGB significantly increased variance explained in various sport consumption behaviors over the MGB, TRA, and TPB. Specifically, it added more explanatory power to the desire to engage in each behavior for the millennial sample. Therefore, the usefulness of the Sport Fan MGB in examining millennial sport fan consumption behavior has been empirically demonstrated.

Spectators’ sensory experience and sociability at the American racetrack

ABSTRACT Rationale: When attending live motorsport events, spectators watch, hear, smell, taste, and touch the multifarious stimuli that permeate their environs. The resulting perceptions would seem likely to facilitate motorsport spectators’ sociability. A systematic attempt has to be made to know how motorsport spectators’ sociability is expressed differently by their perceived sensory stimuli. Design: This study examines how motorsport spectators’ social interaction, sense of community, and social consumption differ by level of sensory experience. At a local racetrack located in the American Southeast, 237 spectators answered questions via self-administered questionnaires. Collected data were analyzed via a Kruskal–Wallis H test. Findings: The results suggest that motorsport spectators who are highly stimulated by sensory stimuli tend to interact with other spectators and feel a sense of belonging with them. Practical Implications: Local racetracks should facilitate spectators’ sensory experiences for creating the social atmosphere of an event. For this aim, the racetrack’s management needs to implement multi-sensory marketing toward their promotional activities. Research Contribution: The findings provide a platform from which sport consumer behavior scholars may better understand the dynamics of spectators’ sensory experience and sociability.

Sports Consumption Behavior and Brand Perception of the Olympics among Millennial in India

Sports Consumption Behavior and Brand Perception of the Olympics among Millennial in India

Team Identity, Supporter Club Identity, and Fan Relationships: A Brand Community Network Analysis of a Soccer Supporters Club

In this brand community analysis, the authors utilized both the social identity approach and network theory to examine the multiple identities and patterns of interactions among members of an official soccer supporters club. Based on the Multiple In-Group Identity Framework and the brand community triad, the authors differentiated between team and supporter club identity to explore how each affects consumption behaviors. Furthermore, the authors explored the nature of fan relationships based on network principles of multiplexity and homophily as they relate to consumption and socializing ties among fan club members. They also explored the network structure of the brand community. Using both network theory and network methodologies, the authors examined how the multiple identities and many relationships within the brand community affect the consumption behaviors of fan club members. Theoretical and practical implications were considered as they relate to sport consumer behavior and sport marketing.

Meta-Analytic Review of Sport Consumption: Factors Affecting Attendance to Sporting Events

Abstract: Understanding what leads individuals to consume the product of sport is central to the study of the sport management discipline. Though the study of sport consumer behavior benefits from an extensive body of work, many key issues (e.g., external validity concerns) still require attention. This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive and systematic empirical review of the sport (mostly team sport) attendance literature. Specifically, this study examines the relationship between three categories of predictors (fan-focused, relationship-focused, and product-focused) and sport attendance. Also examined are four categories of moderators (sport level, culture, gender, and sample type). The present meta-analysis integrates 352 effect sizes based on 172,142 participants from 123 independent samples drawn from 119 studies. The results of this study, such as the relationship-focused factors of identification and commitment having the largest effects on attendance of all the proposed antecedents, offer a variety of important implications for improving how sport attendance is studied and marketing initiatives are planned and executed.

The blurry spectrums of team identity threat

Team identity threat is an area of growing interest in sport consumer behaviour. Despite scholars’ calls for examinations of prolonged threat in the context of sustained team performance failure, researchers have not yet answered the call. In the current study, the authors use social identity as a theoretical lens, interviewing fans of a historically poor-performing team. Results indicate such fans cope with prolonged threat through social creativity and competition; they also perceive their social identity as distinct. More critically, the authors find that the identity threat experienced by these fans is not just unique due to the duration of threat, but also the threat’s salience and overall impact on the identity meaning. In light of findings and existing literature, the authors introduce spectrums that illustrate the different types of threat fans may experience. Because identity threat differs contextually, these spectrums are understood as blurry.

Air Pollution and Attendance in the Chinese Super League: Environmental Economics and the Demand for Sport

Although numerous discussions have taken place on the environmental policies and practices of sport organizations, there have been very limited examinations of sport consumer behaviors in direct re...

Z세대의 라이프스타일과 소비가치에 따른 스포츠 소비행동

This study aims to identify Z-generation"s sports consumption behavior in terms of lifestyle and consumption value. The sports consumption was categorized as ‘sports motivation’ and ‘sports involvement’. The sample consists of 356 participants who were born between 1995 and 2010 and have got involved in sports. The data was analyzed by using t-test and one-way ANOVA to assess differences in Gen Z"s sports consumption behavior related to their lifestyle and consumption value. The findings show that the differences in sports consumption behavior depend on the lifestyles and consumption values of the Z-generation. The Z-generation with lifestyles such as conservative thought, pursuit of stability or pursuit of innovation behave differently on sports consumption behavior. In addition, the generation who are to show off themselves through consumption is prominent in sports consumption behavior.

The role of cognitive feelings and content information in the evaluations of sport brands

ABSTRACTPurpose: The purpose of this investigation was twofold. First, we examined the influence of cognitive feelings and content information on evaluations of sports brands coming from sports goods manufacturing. Second, we examined if the hypothesized mediation effect of cognitive feelings was moderated by experiential thinking style.Methodology: We randomly assigned sport consumers from Mexico to two experimental conditions: recalling two versus six brand attributes of their favorite brand and completed a set of questionnaires assessing brand quality, ease of recall, demographic questions, and thinking style (study 2).Findings: Results from study 1 and study 2, a conceptual replication, showed the hypothesized mediation effect of cognitive feelings on recalling fewer brand attributes and brand evaluations. This mediated effect was replicated in study 2; hence it was not conditioned by experiential thinking style.Practical implications: Our findings have implications for sport market research and brand managers.Research contribution: Our findings served to illustrate the importance of conducting experiments to understand some aspects of sport consumer behavior and to shade light on how brand evaluations were informed by cognitive feelings.

The impact of scandal on sport consumption: do different scandal types have different levels of influence on different consumer segments?

ABSTRACTResearch question: How, and to what extent, do different scandal types influence sport consumption behaviors – measured as intended media viewership – across different consumer profiles?Research methods: A Best–Worst Scaling choice experiment is run on data gathered from consumers who are fans of the Australian Football League and latent class modelling is used to identify consumer profiles.Results and findings: The findings suggest that different scandal types lead to different viewing intention effects on consumers, sexual assault, illicit substance use, doping and organized match fixing are likely to produce the most negative outcomes of the 13 scandal types examined. Five distinct consumer profiles emerge from the results in terms of their relative reactions to a scandal.Implications: Conceptually, the study indicates that consumers respond to different types of scandals and the responses vary by consumer profile. The findings demonstrate that sports managers need to consider a contingency-based approach when managing scandal based on the heterogeneity this study observed across both scandal types and consumer profiles.