No description available.

No description available.

There has been a significant amount of growth in soccer game attendance and media coverage since the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa was established in 1996. However, match attendance started to decline from the 2013 season. PSL teams need to do something to get the fans back into the stadiums. A stable fan base is of vital importance for a team’s competitive advantage since the growing commercialisation of sport. The South African PSL is no exception and teams need to comprehend the importance of loyal fans. Team identification is linked to higher game attendance and more fans that are loyal and, therefore, it is relevant to the PSL teams. Higher game attendance will increase the teams’ revenues through ticket sales. Highly identified fans are loyal fans and increase the likelihood of better sponsorship deals for a team. Higher levels of team identification with a team could be obtained through a unique brand personality. Brand personality is necessary for sport team managers in order to understand fans’ perception regarding a team brand. As such, managers will be able to better position the teams’ brand and reach the target market accordingly. In South Africa, members of the Generation Y cohort made up 38 percent of the country’s population in 2014 (Statistics South Africa, 2014:9), which in terms of its size, make this cohort a highly relevant market segment. Generation Y, specifically African Generation Y, represents an important current and future market segment for PSL teams. This study focuses on the student segment of the Generation Y cohort. Given that a tertiary qualification generally is associated with a higher future earning capacity and a greater role model status within a society, university students are likely to be of particular interest to marketers. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of African Generation Y students’ perceived brand personality of South African PSL teams on their PSL team identification. The study used an adapted version of a team identification scale (Swanson et al., 2003) and sport brand personality scale (Braunstein & Ross, 2010) to measure the perceptions. The sampling frame for the study comprised the 26 public registered higher education institutions (HEIs) situated in South Africa. The study used one traditional university and one university of technology located in the Gauteng province. A non-probability convenience sample of 450 full time African Generation Y students was taken from the two HEIs. Of the questionnaires completed, 438 were usable. The statistical analysis of the collected data included exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and independent sample t-tests. The findings suggested that Generation Y students exhibit a positive level of team identification towards their favourite team. Generation Y students perceived their favourite PSL team more hard working, confident, respected, skilled and successful. The results also suggest that the level of team identification with the PSL teams could be predicted by two dimensions (successfulness and ruggedness) of brand personality. Generation Y male and female students only differ regarding the perception of two of the brand personality dimensions (successfulness and sophistication). The findings of this study contribute to the limited literature available concerning the level of team identification and brand personality perceptions of sport teams in the South African context. The study shed light specifically on the level of team identification and brand personality perceptions of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. These were the top two teams identified by the respondents. These findings will assist these PSL teams to understand the brand personality perceptions of the team amongst African Generation Y fans better. The study also indicates some relationship between brand personality and team identification. The results suggest teams can use their brand personality to influence team identification amongst fans positively. These results can be used to assess and alter their current marketing strategies.

There has been a significant amount of growth in soccer game attendance and media coverage since the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in South Africa was established in 1996. However, match attendance started to decline from the 2013 season. PSL teams need to do something to get the fans back into the stadiums. A stable fan base is of vital importance for a team’s competitive advantage since the growing commercialisation of sport. The South African PSL is no exception and teams need to comprehend the importance of loyal fans. Team identification is linked to higher game attendance and more fans that are loyal and, therefore, it is relevant to the PSL teams. Higher game attendance will increase the teams’ revenues through ticket sales. Highly identified fans are loyal fans and increase the likelihood of better sponsorship deals for a team. Higher levels of team identification with a team could be obtained through a unique brand personality. Brand personality is necessary for sport team managers in order to understand fans’ perception regarding a team brand. As such, managers will be able to better position the teams’ brand and reach the target market accordingly. In South Africa, members of the Generation Y cohort made up 38 percent of the country’s population in 2014 (Statistics South Africa, 2014:9), which in terms of its size, make this cohort a highly relevant market segment. Generation Y, specifically African Generation Y, represents an important current and future market segment for PSL teams. This study focuses on the student segment of the Generation Y cohort. Given that a tertiary qualification generally is associated with a higher future earning capacity and a greater role model status within a society, university students are likely to be of particular interest to marketers. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of African Generation Y students’ perceived brand personality of South African PSL teams on their PSL team identification. The study used an adapted version of a team identification scale (Swanson et al., 2003) and sport brand personality scale (Braunstein & Ross, 2010) to measure the perceptions. The sampling frame for the study comprised the 26 public registered higher education institutions (HEIs) situated in South Africa. The study used one traditional university and one university of technology located in the Gauteng province. A non-probability convenience sample of 450 full time African Generation Y students was taken from the two HEIs. Of the questionnaires completed, 438 were usable. The statistical analysis of the collected data included exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and independent sample t-tests. The findings suggested that Generation Y students exhibit a positive level of team identification towards their favourite team. Generation Y students perceived their favourite PSL team more hard working, confident, respected, skilled and successful. The results also suggest that the level of team identification with the PSL teams could be predicted by two dimensions (successfulness and ruggedness) of brand personality. Generation Y male and female students only differ regarding the perception of two of the brand personality dimensions (successfulness and sophistication). The findings of this study contribute to the limited literature available concerning the level of team identification and brand personality perceptions of sport teams in the South African context. The study shed light specifically on the level of team identification and brand personality perceptions of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. These were the top two teams identified by the respondents. These findings will assist these PSL teams to understand the brand personality perceptions of the team amongst African Generation Y fans better. The study also indicates some relationship between brand personality and team identification. The results suggest teams can use their brand personality to influence team identification amongst fans positively. These results can be used to assess and alter their current marketing strategies.

Šiuolaikinio profesionalaus sporto specifika lemia, kad profesionalių sporto klubų sėkminga veikla, sportiniai pasiekimai yra priklausomi nuo tikslinių auditorijų. Todėl ir sporto klubų komunikacija turi būti atitinkamai formuojama atsižvelgiant į tų tikslinių auditorijų poreikius ir lūkesčius. Sporto marketingo komunikacijos tyrėjai sutinka, kad gerbėjai, svarbi ir gausiausia sporto klubų tikslinė auditorija, galinti tarnauti ir kaip kanalas kitoms tikslinėms auditorijoms pasiekti. Todėl galima daryti prielaidą, jog gerbėjų klubai, sudaryti iš aktyviausiai palaikančių komandą individų, vaidina esminį ir specifinį vaidmenį profesionalių sporto klubų komunikacijos formavime. Šio darbo teorinėje dalyje nagrinėjama sporto marketingo komunikacijos specifika, išskirtinumas lyginant su tradicine marketingo samprata. Nustatomos pagrindinės profesionalių sporto klubų tikslinės auditorijos ir jų svarba minėtiems sporto klubams. Toliau nagrinėjami gerbėjų bazės formavimosi teoriniai modeliai, ypatingą dėmesį skiriant socialinio identiteto ir savęs atitikimo teorijoms. Taip pat išskiriami ir analizuojami atspindėtos šlovės įsisavinimo, atspindėtos nesėkmės atmetimo fenomenai bei spindesio efektas. Nagrinėjamos gerbėjų tipologijos, sudaryta apibendrinta gerbėjų tipų klasifikacijos schema. Teorinė dalis yra pabaigiama profesionalių sporto klubų vykdomos sporto marketingo komunikacijos ir gerbėjų santykio analize. Šio darbo tyrimu siekiama išnagrinėti komunikacinį santykį tarp... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Specifics of modern professional sports determine that successful activities of professional sports clubs, achievements are depended on target audiences. So communication of sports clubs also has to be shaped accordingly to mentioned target audiences needs and expectations. Sports marketing communication researchers agree that fans are important and the most numerous target audience and sports clubs, which can also serve as a communication channel to reach the rest target audiences. So presumption can be made, that fan clubs, containing of the most active supporters, acts a fundamental and specific role in formulating professional sports clubs communication. In theoretical part of this work specific of sports marketing communication and its oneness comparing to traditional conception of marketing is analyzed. Also, main target audiences of sports clubs and their importance are determined. Furthermore, fan base formation theoretical models are analyzed, giving special attention to social identity and self congruity theories. Moreover, basking in reflected glory, cutting off reflected failure phenomenon and the halo effect are distinguished and analyzed. Typologies of fans are studied; generalized fan types classification scheme is made. Theoretical part of this study is finished with sports marketing communication and fans relation analysis. This case research purpose is to analyze the communicative relation between professional sports club and fan club. Kaunas “Žalgiris“... [to full text]

Submitted by Erick Almeida (almeida.erick@globo.com) on 2014-02-10T20:00:14Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Erick Almeida - Final.pdf: 1368924 bytes, checksum: 2ae4f1e0a42899b04ad1d05e712db0b2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2014-02-12T16:39:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Erick Almeida - Final.pdf: 1368924 bytes, checksum: 2ae4f1e0a42899b04ad1d05e712db0b2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2014-02-12T16:40:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Erick Almeida - Final.pdf: 1368924 bytes, checksum: 2ae4f1e0a42899b04ad1d05e712db0b2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-02-12T16:42:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação - Erick Almeida - Final.pdf: 1368924 bytes, checksum: 2ae4f1e0a42899b04ad1d05e712db0b2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-01-23 / The present study investigated the public consumption of live sporting events inside and outside the scope of stadiums. The main goal of the study was to determine if the fan (supporter), perceives a relation of substitution or complementarity between the favorable attitudes towards attendance at the stadium or at other public places to watch football games. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the influence of the identification of a sports fan (supporter) with his team in the attitude and public consumption of the spectacle of soccer in the stadium or in other public places, as well as if demographic characteristics (gender and age group) exert some kind of moderating effect on the relationships studied. To address these issues we sought reference in SIT - Social Identity Theory and SCT - Self-Categorization Theory. A survey was conducted, targeting supporters of the four main soccer teams from Rio de Janeiro, through assisted structured interviews. The sample was intentional and of convenience and data collection totaled 507 valid questionnaires. Data analysis was performed in two stages. The first contemplating an exploratory factor analysis, which aimed at the preliminary observation of the quality of the scales. The second stage included a confirmatory factor analysis in order to purify the scales. Convergent, discriminant and nomological reliability and validity of the constructs were evaluated. To test the substantive hypotheses of the study the structural equation modeling technique and multigroup analysis were used. The analysis results allowed empirical support of three out of the five substantial hypotheses. The results suggest that (a) The identification of the fan with the team exerts a positive influence on the attitude towards watching games at the stadium; (b) The favorable attitude of fans towards the stadium exerts a positive influence on the attendance at the stadium; and (c) The favorable attitude of fans towards public places exerts a positive influence on attendance at public places. However, we could not fully support the hypothesis that (d) identification of the fan with the team influences the attitude towards public places; and (e) The attitude of fans towards the stadium influences the attitude towards public places. The moderating effects of gender and age group were also not supported. / O presente estudo investigou o consumo público de eventos esportivos ao vivo dentro e fora do âmbito dos estádios. O objetivo principal do estudo foi determinar se o fã (torcedor), percebe uma relação de substituição ou de complementaridade entre as atitudes favoráveis ao comparecimento ao estádio ou a outros locais públicos para assistir a jogos de futebol. Adicionalmente, o estudo objetivou a investigação da influência da identificação do fã do esporte (torcedor) com seu time na atitude e consumo público do espetáculo do futebol no estádio ou em outros locais públicos; bem como se as características demográficas (gênero e faixa etária) exercem algum tipo de efeito moderador sobre as relações estudadas. Para abordar estes temas buscou-se referência na SIT – Social Identity Theory e na SCT – Self- Categorization Theory. Foi realizado um levantamento (survey), envolvendo torcedores dos 4 times cariocas de maior torcida, mediante entrevistas estruturadas assistidas. A amostra foi intencional e de conveniência e a coleta de dados totalizou 507 questionários válidos. A análise dos dados foi realizada em duas etapas. A primeira contemplando uma análise fatorial exploratória, que objetivou a observação preliminar da qualidade das escalas. A segunda etapa contemplou uma análise fatorial confirmatória com o objetivo de purificar as escalas. Foram avaliadas a confiabilidade e a validade convergente, discriminante e nomológica dos construtos. Para testar as hipóteses substantivas do estudo utilizou-se a técnica de modelagem de equações estruturais e a análise de multigrupos. Os resultados da análise permitiram suportar empiricamente três das cinco hipóteses substantivas. Os resultados sugerem que (a) A identificação do fã com o time exerce influência positiva sobre a atitude em relação a assistir a jogos no estádio; (b) A atitude favorável do torcedor em relação ao estádio exerce influência positiva sobre o comparecimento ao estádio; e (c) A atitude favorável do torcedor em relação a locais públicos exerce influência positiva sobre o comparecimento a locais públicos. Todavia, não foi possível suportar integralmente as hipóteses de que (d) A identificação do fã com o time exerce influência sobre a atitude em relação a locais públicos; e (e) A atitude do torcedor em relação ao estádio exerce influência sobre a atitude em relação a locais públicos. Também não foram suportados os efeitos de moderação do gênero e faixa etária.