Brand Associations in Team Sport - Research Paper Example

 Brand Associations in Team Sport Brand Association is a term used for understanding the use-context of the brand or its meaning to the consumer. (Kim and Chung, 1997). In simpler terms, brand association is something that links a memory or an experience to a product or service. (Aaker, 1996). It is the consumer’s perception of the brand and its quality, and it has the potential of influencing buyer behavior. (Schiffman and Kanuk, 1994). In terms of team sports, and especially in the case of soccer, brand associations can be actively created as well as manipulated in order to get better fan-following and corporate support for the team. There are several types of brand associations identified by marketing specialists, and some of those that are relevant to the sport like soccer are elaborated upon in the following pages. 1. Success (team success, winning, good performance, etc,) as a brand association in team sport Success in one of the most relevant antecedent that affects the marketability of any sports team. Soccer Teams that have a record of good performance and large number of wins are the ones that get associated with the image of success. This association is important to the people as their loyalty with the team makes them feel a sense of identity with it, and hence vicariously feel successful themselves. (Milne & McDonald, 1998). Research has shown that human beings like to appear similar to or to be associated with successful people and or products that have a feel of being successful. (Milne & McDonald, 1998). This innate desire is also reflected in terms of their loyalty, attendance and support of teams that they associate with being successful. It is this inclination of the fans that makes success of a team a very crucial factor in determining its ultimate brand equity. Several researches done on team sports and especially soccer teams have revealed that if a team is associated with the perception of being successful, it is highly beneficial to the team. (Bauer, et al., 2005). The teams that are tagged as successful are able to capitalize on this association in several ways. They are able to earn greater revenues via ticket and merchandize sales and may get more sponsors and advertisers. They also get better exposure in the national and the international media.( Milne & McDonald, 1998). However, this association in the minds of the fans is not developed in a straight-forward manner. Different fans of the team rate the success the performance of their favorite teams differently. (Aaker, 1996). Sometimes, strong teams that win against weaker teams are not considered to highly successful, and on the other hand, weak or newer teams are at times lauded for their efforts even if they do not win. Similarly, people may not be influence by wins or losses when they are supporting their home teams. There is therefore a complexity in determining how consumers understand success and on what parameters they associate a team with the tag of success. The available literature on the perception of the fans about which soccer teams they consider as successful indicates that further research is required to capture all the background reasoning and emotional attachments that may be influencing their though process. In addition to the above dilemma, success is something that cannot be fully managed. Success is something that depends on factors like the soccer players’ fitness, injury, the other team’s motivation, and at times on pure chance. While some of these determining factors can be improved by good coaching and better motivation of the players, other factors like injuries, personality factors and attitudes cannot be easily controlled. There is therefore scope to explore the multitude of factors that go into determining a team’s good performance and hence its positive association in the mind of the people. 2. History (tradition, rivalry, etc.) as a brand association in team sport A team’s historical traditions related to its past are another important antecedents that lead to its popularity and generate loyalty from the public. Traditions may include the various legends or stories associated with the team related to its star performers achievements or abilities or it may be the past record of the team and its winnings. In addition, tradition could be related to their playing style and strategy. Teams get associated with their traditions and the fans perceive the current team’s members as possessing abilities and charisma similar to what the team’s traditional high achievers had. (Ross, et al, 2008). For example, the New York Yankees and Manchester United names are synonymous with being thorough professionals and both the teams are associated with winning large number of games. While it is difficult to actually create a record of wins or a style of play that is likeable or memorable, it is possible for the team’s managers to promote the team’s tradition carefully and in a manner that positive associations are made in the minds of the fans. By carefully manipulating advertising, a team can be projected as aggressive with a tradition of having players who are hard and rough on the opponents. For example, if a team has associated itself with playing a mean and aggressive game. This in turn can attract sports fans who love to see a tough game whenever the said team is in action. Historical rivalry with a particular team is another thing that can help forming an association in the minds of the fans. If a soccer team had challenged and defeated another big team in the past, or if it keeps running into difficult matches with another team, an association is formed relative to the other team. This could be a source of generating a vicarious rivalry between the fans of the competing teams and may lead to a hardening of support and loyalty for the own teams. In psychological terms, such a vicarious competition gives a sense of exhilaration and achievement to the sports fans and they feel themselves as involved physically in the competition. (Ross, et al, 2008). The result of such enhanced vigor and support is reflected in increased game attendance and high revenue via ticket sales when known rivals have a match. (Marcum and Greenstein, 1985). This is evident in the turn-up in matches of Chicago Bears and the Green Pay Packers, who have been pitched as rivals by both the media and the fans. This can be further highlighted by comparative advertising (Cateora, 1996) or by promoting a team’s ranking vis a vis the rival’s. Additionally, by promoting a schedule that gets the well-known rivals more and more against each other will also support the brand association and lead to drawing in more crowd. (Gladden and Milne, 1999.) Another way on which the antecedent condition of history could be enhanced to improve the team’s marketability is by creating merchandize – in terms of stickers, cards, stationary and soccer balls, and toys - that is reflective of the team’s history and traditions. Further, history and tradition can be highlighted by promoting an appropriate image in the media and press releases, and by associating with sponsors who may be viewed as similar to the team’s tradition. 3. Star player as a brand association in team sport Sports fans tend to assess the value of a team based on the associations that come to their mind when they think of the team. This is also true in the case of the team’s star players. According to Mullin (1999), a variety of associations can be made with the players, based on his both on field and off-field behaviors. On the field, associations are made by the players performance of the game as well as by the players’ attitude and behavior towards the opponents and their own team members. (Shilbury, et al, 1997). In addition, it is the player’s physique and height that also leaves an impression on the minds of the people. Off the field, it could be the players lifestyle, acts of benevolence or charity or their other interests that they publicly indulge in that get noticed by the public. Players also get recognized by the products or organizations that they endorse (Mullin, 1999) and by association the team too gets recalled with the mention of those products along with the players. The star players can play a crucial role in drawing the crowds for the team’s games and selling its merchandize as people attribute their activities or qualities to the team that they belong to. (Gladden, 1997). The presence of star players also adds to the attractiveness of the team and makes the games more entertaining for the spectators, thus associating the team with a time spent well. Acquiring star players from other teams is another way that teams can create desirable associations for themselves. In several cases it happens that the fans’ loyalties shift to the teams that their favorite players play for. In order to create a marketing strategy for the team, it becomes important that the managers play upon all the factors that can be highlighted to reap positive benefits. The most visible and potent part of any team is its players, and the marketers should create the antecedent conditions in such a manner that the team’s star players are given maximum mileage in the team’s public relations efforts. The players should be groomed so that their behavior outside the team appears attractive and makes the public like them. (Gladden, 1997). The teams can also prepare positive profiles of their players and then highlight these in the media so that the fans get a sense of familiarity with these star performers and also feel inclined to support the team. Additionally, the players should take into consideration their team’s image before they choose to align themselves with commercial brands as by association their team’s image also gets associated with the same. 4. Coach (Head coach or manager) as a brand association in team sport Coaches are identified as an integral part of the overall sports product, (Rosner and Shropshire, 2004) and hence prove to be an important antecedent condition that affects the overall marketability of the team. In addition to the star players, the teams are also known for the coaches that they have. Team coaches play a significant role not only in developing and training the team members for better physical performance, but also in creating an overall attitude for the players which the teams get associated with. Their own coaching style for example, if a coach is known to be aggressive and disciplinarian with zero tolerance for laidback attitude, his team will be expected to have similar qualities. (Mullin et al, 1999). Coaches also come with their own history of successful coaching or even playing the game, and can thus provide a positive association for their current teams. Good coaches have a proven track record and are able to boost the winning chances of their teams thus improving the expectation of success that the fans associate with the team. Like the players, the coaches’ personalities as well as their off-field behavior and activities, too are sources of association for the fans. Charismatic coaches have their own fan following and this can be further taken an advantage of for enhancing the team’s image. Some coaches become so popular that they are sought after for endorsements and media interviews and become legends in their own fields. (Katz, 1994). This success and acceptability in the public gets translated to the team which in turn is seen as being successful and news-worthy. Coaches could be advised to conduct themselves in front of the public in a manner that makes them appear as positive, confident and capable personalities. This will create a similar image in the minds of the fans for their teams. The image that the coach has almost always gets transfixed onto the teams that he leads. (Rosner and Shropshire, 2004). Also, their media exposure may be increased, for example via interviews that are geared towards highlighting their qualities and which show them to be competent coaches. Endorsements and association with brands that already have a likeable image, is also another way in which the marketers could manipulate this antecedent condition and highlight the coaches of their teams. Such acts also increase the visibility of the team. Coaches could also be encouraged to participate in community related events or start their own writing columns so that they maintain their visibility in the public eye and continue to act as a reminder of their team’s names. (Mullin et al, 1999). 5. Team logo (emblem) as a brand association in team sport A logo, being an image and more visual and colorful, is an easily recalled entity. (Wheeler, 2006). Logo’s form a significant part of the company’s identity and ensure that the company’s or the teams’ name is remembered upon seeing the logo. Logos not only ensure instant recognition of the team, (Gladden and Funk) but can also be used to express the team’s qualities or attributes and provide a sense of credibility to the overall image of the team. In order to take the maximum advantage of the logo, a team’s logo should be proactively developed and then efforts made to associate it with the team’s name and image. Care should be taken that the logo is of colors that that are either popular or appealing or are the ones that reflect a certain desirable characteristics. For example, using blue as the prominent color in the team’s logo could give an association of success and confidence. (Williams, 2008). Similarly the design of the logo should also be reflective of the team’s desired characteristics, and it should have some sense or meaning attached to itself that the fans can relate to as well. A team’s logo should be unique and distinctive and should be easily recognizable as different from the logo’s of the other teams. It may be made with the team’s colors or designed in such a manner that it reflects the origin place of the team or the mascot of the team. (Mullin et al, 1999). The logo that is vivid, and that carries positive and fashionable image will be remembered by the spectators in a positive way. These positive feelings are then transferred on to the team that possess that logo. From the team’s marketing point of view, this association can be further highlighted by displaying the team’s logo prominently on the team’s uniforms, its flag and also displaying it in the team’s stadium. Also, the team’s players and the coach can promote the logo by wearing it or displaying it when they give out interviews. Logo’s themselves can contribute to the sales of the team’s merchandize by creating an association with the team. The fans are able to enhance their sense of identification with the team and boost their own self-esteem by possessing wearing the team’s logo licensed merchandize. (Wakefield, 2007). In addition to portraying the logo in a prominent position along with the team’s other paraphernalia, logo’s also need to be It is also desired that a rethinking is done about redesigning a logo that has been long associated with the team. This may be essential in case of the changing times or when the team is looking for a new image to go with the acquisition of new players or a new coach. 6. Uniform as a brand association in team sport 7. Colour (ex. Red for Manchester United) as a brand association in team sport Teams have traditionally adopted some color schemes with which they identify themselves. This color selection is at times based on the popularity of the color as in the case of the San Jose Sharks using the color teal that was popular at the time of the team’s inception in 1990s. Or, the color could be representative of a particular quality as red, the chosen color of Manchester United, denotes aggressiveness. In the minds of the fans, these colors become so intimately associated with the team that they may start referring to their teams by the names of the colors instead. For example, in the case of Los Angeles Laker’s team, it may come to be synonymous with the colors yellow and purple. The benefits of using a color to associate with a team is that people tend to attribute certain qualities to a particular color. (Williams, 2008). So, if a person thinks of black he may recall the team that uses this color and also assumes that that team’s members are bold and powerful – attributes largely associated with this color. In addition to assigning certain color encouraged attributes to the teams, colors can also provide a visual package to the public. As colors are more attention catching than written words, this visual memory created by the color association is more easily recalled. Colors are able to stimulate human senses more and can provide a quicker bonding with the attribute that is desired by the team, or the quality that the team wants to be associated with it. The importance of color lies in its overall effect on the image of the team and it should be carefully selected so that it actually goes with the complete packaging of the team. (Ross, et al, 2006). For example, if Manchester United’s historical image was of a team whose members are serious and simple, but they are sporting the color red that is actually associated with vigorousness and vitality, then it may create a discordant note in the minds of the people, they will be confused as to what to associate the team with. Managers of the team can carefully make the selection of the colors so that they can proactively take advantage of the positive associations that are created for their teams. (Murray, 1996). Choosing an appropriate color could be a useful as well as an easy means to creating a desirable association in the minds of the people. 8. Group Experience as a brand association in team sport Fans come to the games not only to look at and cheer for their favorite teams but also because this is a way out for them to enjoy an outing and to cherish the overall experience. So, sports fans can be influenced by their overall environment that they witness during the game and may create associations between that environment and the playing teams. All the experiences that they have, starting from the entry through the game and after it ends, have the potential of creating a positive association for the team. These experiences may be in the form of tail-gating where the fans are welcomed with free goodies and other token sports paraphernalia even before they enter the stadium, or when they are offered promotional material after the game is over. It could also be in the form of the popular band and music that may be played before the game begins, or in the form of the cheerleaders and the team’s mascot performing their acts. (Gladden and Milne, 1999). The spectators’ experience can also be enhanced to include on-field promotions during the recess or the time-outs. These promotional activities during the game may provided a strong source of association with the team and make the people remember the team with the fun and entertainment that they had. (Kerr and Gladden, 2008). The group experience is also made memorable by the type of fan following the team has, for example, if the team is popular among the students, who are also very vocal and boisterous at the stadium, the older spectators may also feel charged and drawn into their enthusiasm. Positive associations for the team can also be created by providing food stalls that stock unique cuisines or by selling collectors items like cigars and cigarettes at the stalls within the arena. In addition, the staff of the stadium can be made to encourage positive interaction with the customers that go beyond the ritualistic money collecting or helping with the seating. If the contact personnel engage in non-transactional conversations, it will convey an attitude of friendliness and make the spectators positively inclined towards the team. 9. Stadium (arena) as a brand association in team sport Stadium especially if it’s owned by the team, can play an important role in creating brand association for the team. The stadium can provide a historical or traditional value by its antecedents and its historical importance. (Erdener et al., 2008). If the stadium is remembered for staging significant games in the past, then it can bring the association of having a glittering past over to the team that owns it. Another way in which the stadiums can be used for creating positive associations for the team is by maintaining the stadium facilities excellently and by incorporating additional and unique features to the stadium building. The stadiums seating segregation, its color scheme, and its unique features that can be incorporated in the stadium – for example, giving it a theme that closely resembles the team that owns it – can all be used as strategies for brand association for the team. The city as well as the locality where the stadium is situated also plays a role in creating an association in the minds of the fans. A stadium that is located in a pleasant neighborhood will be perceived as better than the one that is located at a rundown location, and in return, the teams that own these stadiums will be assigned with high and low status respectively. (Wakefield, 2007). Similarly, the cleanliness of the arena and the dress-code and conduct of the staff will reflect directly in creating the team’s image as people associate these details with the team as well. The ambience of the theatre as well as the facilities will also determine how much the customers like to hang out at it before and after the game – the more the time that they want to spend, the more positively they may think about the owner team. Managers of the teams can help in creating a memorable experience for the sports audience by ensuring that the personal contact persons at the stadium are courteous, proactive in recognizing the needs of the attendees and in helping them and are also able to establish a rapport with the regulars. (Irwin et al, , 2007). The quality of service provided at the stadium is something that the customers tend to remember and even talk about to others. It is also something that is synonymous with what they thin about the stadium and its owners, as such, maintaining a good and attentive staff at the stadium can prove beneficial for getting a desirable image for the team. Good customer service has its own benefits as it ensures that the customers return to the stadium and hence bring more revenue. Managing the stadium’s ambience, staff behavior and attitude, facilities and in some cases, the structure and building, are things that are relatively easier for the managers to do and organize. Taking advantage of the stadium for building a positive association with the team should be explored as fully as possible. 10. Web site as a brand association in team sport 11. Place (Home city, regional association) as a brand association in team sport 12. Team owner as a brand association in team sport Team owners can provide a distinct and positive association to their teams by way of their personalities and their actions. The personality of the endorser is largely translated to the brand in the minds of the viewers. (Sengupta and Subrato, 2006). There is a strong relationship between the owner’s or the company’s image and the product that it is promoting. (Batra et al, 1999). Similarly, the personality, attitudes and general appearance of the soccer team’s owners go a long way in creating a similar association for the team. As team owners are mostly people who are highly visible due to their overall public image, it becomes important that they conduct themselves in a manner that has positive repercussions for their teams. If the owners are taking a positive and likable posture in the public then this feeling gets associated with their team. Managers of the teams could actively guide the team owners to appear publicly in such a manner that makes them look confident and successful, the desirable attributes that will get associated with the team. Also, the owners can be more involved with the team by becoming visible in the stands during the team games as well as by participating in the media coverage for the matches that their teams go to. If the owner of a team is a legendary figure who started from being a coach to becoming an owner of a fledgling team, then he could be well known for his tenacity and perseverance. In this case the fans associate his team with the same qualities as he possesses. Owners can create a liking for their teams if they perform actions that please the team’s mans and hence gain their loyalty. Some soccer team owners take an interest in interacting directly with the fans via email and via their team’s websites. Others create a positive environment and liking for their team by promoting one on one interactions with the fans on and off the field. These and other similar acts create a feeling of goodwill and among the fans and improve their loyalty. For example, Roman Abramovich, the owner of the Chelsea Club is known to be a generous spender on the team and hence shows that he considers his team worthwhile. (Farrell, 2008). Similarly, the owners can also show that their investment in the team is due to their genuine liking of the game and the team and not because it made some business sense to them. Such acts create a positive association for the team in the minds of the fans. 13. Sponsor as a brand association in team sport Corporate sponsors link their names and products with a particular soccer teams in order to get associated with that team, or to ensure that their own product or service is recalled whenever the team performs or wins. This association however works in a dual manner. It is seen that the image of the sponsor, gets associated with the team also. The actions undertaken by the sponsors and the performance of their own products or services in turn create an association with the team that the company is sponsoring. To add Read More