Letting the team down? Examining sport fans reactions to Aaron Smith’s ‘Toilet Tryst’ on social media

Jackson, Jonathan; Thaker, Jagadish

doi:10.1080/22041451.2021.1905942

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Brand managers can capitalize on their active advocates by working closely with them to co-create uplifting and authentic brand stories that are worthwhile for sharing, especially in times of crisis. One example can be seen in Aaron Smith's “Toilet Tryst” crisis in the New Zealand rugby scene, where zealous fans defended Smith and his team using expressions of humor to diminish the negative impact of the crisis, as they informally take on the role of an unofficial brand ambassador (Jackson and Thaker, 2021). The user-generated content shared can be cross-linked from the consumer-initiated OBC to other social media platforms via hashtags or tweets, which can boost the spillover effect from the athlete subbrand to its team brand.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The empowered fans, as proactive communicators that share their candid thoughts in the consumer-initiated OBCs, perform a critical function in co-creating brand experience, building loyalty and cultivating a culture of fandom central to brand identification (Hsieh et al , 2022). For instance, when a sports team undergoes a crisis, the true fans rise up as brand warriors, rallying the whole community to react with solidarity and support (Jackson and Thaker, 2021). Consumer advocacy shared in consumer-initiated OBCs is perceived as more authentic than firm-initiated OBCs, as participation in consumer-initiated OBCs is driven mostly by voluntarism and brand passion (Liao et al , 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Love the star, love the team? The spillover effect of athlete sub brand to team brand advocacy in online brand communities

Wong

Hung

2022

JPBM

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Purpose This paper aims to examine the antecedents of brand passion and brand community commitment, namely, self-congruity and athlete attraction, as well as their effects on online brand advocacy in online brand communities. Design/methodology/approach The sample comprises members of a Facebook football fan club brand community. An online survey measuring athlete-level factors, team-level factors and online brand advocacy provides data to test the conceptual framework using structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM). Findings The findings of this paper support the positive spillover effect from athlete subbrand to team brand advocacy, as self-congruity exerted positive effects on brand passion and brand community commitment, while athlete attraction influenced brand community commitment, leading to online brand advocacy. Research limitations/implications The findings validate the dimensions of online brand advocacy and advance research on sports brand hierarchy in brand architecture by establishing the transference effect from athlete to the team brand. Practical implications To effectively manage their brands online, brand managers need to pay attention to the powerful and multifaceted tool of online brand advocacy. Brand managers can capitalize on their active advocates by working closely with them to co-create uplifting and authentic brand stories that are worthwhile for sharing, especially in times of crisis. Originality/value Building on the developmental trajectory of brand love and vicarious brand experience, the findings verify the directionality of the spillover effect and offer insights into the development of brand advocacy across different brand levels.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Love the star, love the team? The spillover effect of athlete sub brand to team brand advocacy in online brand communities

Wong

Hung

2022

JPBM

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“…The need to strike a balance between a national imperative to control a virus that thrives when a huge crowd gathers and plowing on with a sports mega-event chipped away at public patience and trust. Studies have demonstrated that the attribution of crisis responsibility by stakeholders results in lower reputational scores perceived by the same stakeholders, which results in reputational threat (Coombs, 1998; Coombs & Holladay, 2002; Jackson & Thacker, 2021). This is exemplified in the perception of the IOC as a dictator for pushing on with the Games regardless of the dire situation, to fulfil its broadcast and sponsorship agreement that was critical to its survival (Mainichi Shimbun, 2021e; Wade, 2021b).…”

Section: The Covid-19 Pandemic Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - Key Phasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Firstly, while research on crisis communication is prevalent in sport, few have evaluated communication tactics by sports mega-event organizers. Existing crisis communication studies have focused on sports organizations (e.g., Anderson, 2020; Richards Jr. et al, 2017), athletes (e.g., Jackson & Thaker, 2021; Wilson et al, 2008) and fans (e.g., Brown et al, 2015; Harker, 2021). This study contributes to the expansion of the body of knowledge and, more specifically, to improve the selection of crisis communication strategies for sports events.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Situational Crisis Communication and the COVID-19 Pandemic Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Wong

Meng-Lewis

2023

Communication & Sport

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Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were postponed for a year. While getting through with the organizing of an Olympic Games amid a global pandemic is seen as a success by many (‘The Good’), it was overshadowed by the relentless virus as the Games closed with a muted spectacle in 2021 (‘The Bad’). Pushing on with the Games after the postponement, at the height of the pandemic, has resulted in strong criticisms and caused damage to the organizers (‘The Ugly’). This study seeks to assess the crisis communication strategies implemented by the organizers as they navigated the capricious condition of trudging on with a pandemic era sport spectacle. Through examining the organizers’ crisis communications to the challenges that emerged and public reactions to the strategies, this study seeks to understand the outcome of the strategies on the organizational image and reputation. It also provides reflections on the management of the Games through the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, it is argued that the situational crisis communication theory offers a useful framework that can provide theoretical connections between crisis management in a sports mega-event and organizational response strategies.

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“…The body of research employing SCCT to evaluate the intersection of sport and social media has examined a collegiate institution in the midst of an impermissible benefits scandal (Brown & Billings, 2013) and a collegiate institution embroiled in a sexual assault scandal perpetrated by a former coach (Brown et al, 2015). Additionally, this line of research has explored a league-wide response to a team-specific crisis (Spackman et al, 2021), as well as responses related to improper athlete behavior (Jackson & Thaker, 2021), responses related to poor team performance (Utz et al, 2021), and responses related to a ball tampering scandal (Morgan & Wilk, 2018).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Beginning of a Reckoning: An Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory and Image Repair to the National Women’s Soccer League

Frederick

Schmidt

Pegoraro

2023

Communication & Sport

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The purpose of this study was to examine the crisis of systemic sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and misconduct in the NWSL within the frameworks of situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) and image-repair theory (IRT). Specifically, this research engaged with three data sources (1) the Yates Report which details team by team allegations, (2) team statements in response to the allegations being made public, and (3) social media interactions in response to all statements. Based on the Yates Report, the Portland Thorns, Chicago Red Stars, and Racing Louisville (as well as the NWSL and USSF) were placed firmly within the preventable crisis cluster, which is marked by organization misconduct and management misdeeds. In terms of SCCT strategies, commonly used approaches were ingratiation and apology. In terms of image repair, commonly used approaches were corrective action, bolstering, and mortification, with corrective action being the most frequently utilized strategy across all statements. Within the preventable cluster, the two statements that received the highest interaction rates and like ratios were those that employed scapegoating, shifting blame, and corrective action. The implications of these findings as well as the utility of SCCT and IRT within the crisis communication landscape are discussed.

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Letting the team down? Examining sport fans reactions to Aaron Smith’s ‘Toilet Tryst’ on social media

Cited by 8 publications

References 29 publications

Love the star, love the team? The spillover effect of athlete sub brand to team brand advocacy in online brand communities

Love the star, love the team? The spillover effect of athlete sub brand to team brand advocacy in online brand communities

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Situational Crisis Communication and the COVID-19 Pandemic Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

The Beginning of a Reckoning: An Application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory and Image Repair to the National Women’s Soccer League

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