Sport fan maximizing: following the best team or being the best fan?

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of these studies is to determine how maximizing sport fans seek optimal outcomes through team identification. Maximizers seek optimal outcomes but do not always obtain them. This may be particularly true of sport fans, who often identify with teams for reasons that run deeper than team success. Maximizing fans may be more concerned with being the best fans than following the best teams. Design/methodology/approach – In Study 1, the authors measured maximizing tendency and identification with participants’ favorite National Football League (NFL) teams. The authors then used moderated regression to predict identification levels from the interaction of maximizing and the historical win–loss records of these teams. In Study 2, the authors manipulated team success by providing participants either an optimistic or pessimistic preview of their college basketball team’s upcoming season. The authors measured maximizing tendency as a moderator of this relationship and identification with the college basketball team as the dependent variable. Findings – In Study 1, maximizers identified more strongly with their favorite NFL team when their favorite team was a historically unsuccessful team. In Study 2, maximizers identified more strongly with their college basketball team after reading a pessimistic preview of the team’s upcoming season than after reading an optimistic preview of that season. Research limitations/implications – Study 1 required participants to self-report their favorite NFL teams, so the results were only correlational. However, the authors were able to address this limitation with an experimental Study 2. Practical implications – There are a number of potential implications for sport marketing strategy. For one, sport marketers may want to appeal to fans’ desire to be the best by supporting their teams when they need it most, particularly for teams that are not performing well. Originality/value – This is the first examination of team or fan identification in the context of maximizing tendency.

‘I was there from the start’: The identity-maintenance strategies used by fans to combat the threat of losing

“…New teams like the Gold Coast Suns and Brooklyn Nets have enabled fans to co-create and design elements related to the team's nickname, branding, mascot and song. Our findings support this approach by highlighting how such actions impact identification and safeguard against fair-weather fan accusations when the team enjoys success in the future (e.g., Hyatt & Foster, 2015;Norris et al, 2015;Wann & Branscombe, 1990). For this reason, encouraging fans to co-create in this manner across all physical (e.g., at the stadium) and virtual spheres (e.g., team-operated social media accounts) is encouraged (Uhrich, 2014).…”

“…Such behaviours also highlight how fans can reaffirm their identity in the face of adversity (e.g., Andrijiw & Hyatt, 2009;Campbell et al, 2004;Jones, [ 4 5 _ T D $ D I F F ] 2015; Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992) by becoming the best fan they can be, rather than simply becoming a fan of the best team (Norris, Wann, & Zapalac, 2015;Wann & Branscombe, 1990). Additionally, our findings demonstrate how foundation fans can attain a positive perception of in-group status through comparisons with others who join the group later.…”

“…Promotion at airports encouraging fans with statements like ''Become a part of the Gold Coast, by becoming a part of the Gold Coast Suns'' may be effective in this regard. To market to existing fans, efforts themed around intragroup competition, which encourages existing fans to demonstrate they are ''true fans'', may be effective during times of poor performance (Campbell et al, 2004;Norris et al, 2015). Embracing gamification by utilising applications enabling fans to compete against each other in team[ 1 7 _ T D $ D I F F ] -related trivia, score prediction games, and stadium check-ins is also encouraged.…”

Sports Ecosystem of the “Triad of São Paulo”: Sports Marketing Management According to Fans

“…This is clearly in line with the network view in which one of the central thoughts is that a great deal of today's value creating is done between diverse business areas and companies and consumers. For Norris, Wann & Zapalac (2014) Vol. 10, No.…”

“… Fans' engagement: sports clubs should create a customer-oriented strategy to transfer their excitations and passions for spending their money to buy packages of pay-tv, tickets for games, products and services associated with sports club, and to become a member (Norris, Wann & Zapalac, 2014;Piipponen, 2011;Stander & Beer, 2016;Yoshida & James, 2010;Yoshida, 2017);…”