Professional Documents
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Hunt 1999
Hunt 1999
Fan motives and behavior Discerning sports fans' motives and predicting their behavior is important to
sports marketers. However, our understanding of fans is limited. Existing
conceptualizations have tended to concentrate on team performance as the
primary determinant of fan behavior (Cialdini et al., 1976; Grove et al.,
1991; Mann, 1974; Snyder et al., 1983; Wann and Dolan, 1994). Yet, fan
motivation and subsequent behavior goes beyond the record of teams and, at
times, seems unrelated to performance (cf. Fisher and Wakefield, 1998). In
fact, fan behavior is often cited by coaches and players as a determinant
rather than as a consequence of team performance. In addition, researchers
have focused on ticket sales and attendance as the desired outcomes resulting
from the exchange between sports marketers and fans. However, sports
marketing also involves corporate sponsorships; advertising using sports
publications, arenas, and stadiums as media and players and coaches as
endorsers; sales of licensed team apparel, concessions, and memorabilia; and
virtual attendance via the radio, television, or Internet (Bandyopadhyaya and
Bottone, 1997). Thus, a conceptualization is needed that accounts for the full
range of fan behaviors that are of interest to sports marketers.
The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptually-based classification or
typology of sports fans. One reason for the limited utility of existing
conceptualizations is that fan motives and behavior vary depending upon the
type of fan. Thus, our conceptualization should enable those researchers
interested in sports marketing to better explain and predict fan behavior by
accounting for variance in fan type. We begin by defining this particular type
of consumer ± the sports fan. We utilize three theoretical orientations to
suggest how and why an individual might develop into a fan of sports:
The authors appreciate the helpful comments provided by the editor and reviewers.
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JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, VOL. 13 NO. 6 1999, pp. 439-452, # MCB UNIVERSITY PRESS, 0887-6045 439
(1) basking in reflected glory;
(2) information processing; and
(3) attachment as it relates to the self.
Each of these theories has specific utility in explaining and predicting fan
motivation and behavior. We then introduce our classification scheme, using
these extant behavioral theories and specific examples to highlight the
differences between each type of fan. The managerial implications of this
conceptually-based classification follows. Since sports fans' motives and
behavior vary by the type of fan, our typology may be used as a basis for
segmentation by sports marketers. Finally, we suggest future research,
including empirical verifications, that may follow from our work.
Managerial implications
Marketing strategies In addition to its conceptual contributions, our typology of sports fan has
important implications for sports marketers, particularly as a segmentation
variable. Once fans are categorized into one of the five types of fans,
marketers may leverage this information to develop the best product,
distribution, and message mixes to more efficiently reach the specific fan
type. Because of their differing motives and behavior, different types of fans
may require differential emphases in critical marketing stimuli that sports
marketers control. As such, type of fan may serve as an important basis for
segmentation. We suggest specific strategies and tactics related to each fan
type, below.
Future research
The contributions and utility of our classification scheme are bounded by the
conceptual perspectives we assumed. We adopted a perspective of the sports
fan that emphasized individual, internal motivations, internal processes, and
behavior. We believe the interaction between the fan's self and the sports
consumptive object defines what a fan is. Thus, our scheme was built upon
the concepts of identification, the self, and attachment and the processing of
information as an internal, non-social process. However, other more social
processes and concepts may also help explain fans' motivations and
behavior. Certainly there are elements of the self that are social ± we tell
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