Title: Users motivational drives to engage with athletes on social media Authors: Victor Videgren, Alexander Jost Auf Der Stroth, Jean-Paul Mathieu Supervisor: Viktor Magnusson Examiner: Åsa Devine Background: With social media becoming a more and more prominent tool of communication within sports marketing, athletes stand to gain much by implementing it in their branding and marketing efforts. However, existing literature on the matter inclined that further research in which the perspective of the user was taken, thus advancing the understanding of user engagement motivation toward these athletes on social media networks. This study adapted the Uses and Gratifications theory in which six motivational categories had been summarized, these being: Informational, Entertainment, Remunerative, Social, Communicative and Convenience. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe what motivates users to engage with athletes on social media. Methodology: This work has incorporated a qualitative approach sided with a descriptive purpose. The empirical findings were collected through semi- structured interviews. Furthermore, these findings are coded and analysed by taking inspiration from grounded theory. Analysis: The empirical data was discussed within six motivational categories and was used to describe existing theory. Through the process of analysis, patterns of motivational theories interrelating with each other emerged. These being, a common interest which led users to engage with athletes, honesty and transparency which is what users saw and appreciated in the athlete and finally, the building of relationship which was what created from the engagement with athletes on social media. Conclusion: Through the analysis of the motivational drives patterns were discovered regarding users’ motivations to engage with athletes. The three patterns discovered interrelate with each other and are interpreted to be the typical motivation of a user to engage with an athlete on social media. The motivational patterns are “common interests with athlete”, second being the “transparency of athletes” and third “building a relationship” Keywords: Athlete branding, Social media, Uses and Gratification theory, Motivation, Engagement, Marketing, Grounded theory

Idrottssektorn är inte vad den en gång i tiden varit, kommersialiseringen och professionaliseringen har medfört ett ökat resurskrav på idrottssektorn. Idrottsföreningar och individuella idrottare måste idag arbeta för att bygga upp ett starkt varumärke för att införskaffa sig de resurser som krävs för att bedriva den önskade idrotten. Med hjälp av digitaliseringen har det öppnats upp nya möjligheter och utmaningar för att marknadsföra sig och sociala medier har blivit ett av de viktigaste verktygen inom marknadsföring.   Syftet med denna studie är att öka kunskapen om hur en individuell idrottare kan arbeta för att bygga upp ett personligt varumärke och på vilket sätt idrottaren i fråga kan använda sig av Instagram som verktyg. För att undersöka detta har vi genomfört åtta intervjuer med professionella individuella idrottare för att sedan analysera svaren mot befintlig teori.   Vår studie fokuserar på Instagram och det vi kan se men våran studie är att det finns tre nyckelfaktorer som individuella idrottare bör arbeta med för att bygga upp det personliga varumärket med hjälp av Instagram. De faktorerna är att skapa en stark identitet, vara en attraktiv samarbetspartner och skapa en relation till sina följare.   Bidraget studien har gett är en ökad kunskap för hur professionella individuella idrottare arbetar med sociala medier för att bygga upp det personliga varumärket på sociala medier för individuella idrottare. Avslutningsvis kan vi konstatera att det finns stora marknadsförings möjligheter genom Instagram. / The sport sector is not what it once was, commercialization and professionalism has resulted with higher economic demands on the sport sector. Today Athletic clubs and individual athletes have to work on a strong brand building to attract the needed resources for competitive performance. Digitalization and social media opened the new opportunities for the personal brand building.     The purpose with this study is to discuss an individual athlete personal brand building using Instagram as a tool. Eight interviews with professional individual athletes were conducted; the empirical material was thematically analyzed according to existing theories. As result, three key factors of athletes´ personal brand building were identified, such as: (1) a strong identity, (2) a good cooperative partner, and (3) a relationship with followers.   The study contributes to the knowledge on the personal brand building in social media, and in Instagram particular, as a platform with biggest marketing opportunities for professional individual athletes.