Our findings should encourage sport managers to use strategic service-related actions within their operations to positively influence the deep and long-lasting relationships between Season Ticket Holders and a sports team.
Read MoreOur findings should encourage sport managers to use strategic service-related actions within their operations to positively influence the deep and long-lasting relationships between Season Ticket Holders and a sports team.
Read MoreThis research shows spill-over effects from the advertisement appeal to the athlete endorser.
Read MoreIdentity-based biases negatively influence football game prediction accuracy, whereas individuals’ sport context knowledge positively contributes to prediction accuracy.
Read MoreThe School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple has formed a strategic partnership with Swiss software developer Appventures to conduct data analysis of their ARENOO soccer fan engagement app. Initial data analysis has led to a paper to be presented at the Sport Marketing Association conference in October, held in Philadelphia. The following is the abstract of the paper: Digital media has created ample opportunities to grow sport brands, generate revenue, extend the fan experience beyond the game, introduce loyalty programs, and allow for the gamification of these programs. Gamification represents customers’ playful interaction with brands aimed at increasing their engagement with the brand and subsequently their loyalty toward the brand. The current research is based on data from the ARENOO football fan engagement app. The app allows users to engage with their favorite sport and collect points based on their interaction with their favorite football team. Results of Person Correlation analyses indicate that users’ activities within the app were strongly positively correlated with team related outcome variables, such as stadium attendance. This research supports and extends theoretical knowledge related to gamified customer engagement. Furthermore, we present a fan engagement tool that is of relevance to sport practitioners who are looking for new routes to engage customers in a digital, mobile environment. In particular, the app allows sport managers to deepen the relationship with existing sport brand customers and generate new customers by building on their relationship with the sport and then funneling them into customers of the brand. For information how sport organizations can benefit from the ARENOO app, see this link: ARENOO – Gamified fan engagement to increase loyalty 3 page flyer
Read MoreShould MLS clubs have mascots? This is the question Laura McCrystal from the Philadelphia Inquirer wanted to know in a recent interview. In particular, she reported that the “Phila Union weighs picking a mascot”. Here are my answers that got printed: “Research shows that the more associations fans have, the stronger their commitment to a team, according to Thilo Kunkel, an assistant professor of sports management at Temple University. “So having a mascot is not only about the profit,” he said, “but it’s about strengthening a psychological connection to a team.” But Kunkel, who specializes in soccer branding, said it is also important for the Union to consider fans who “want their game to be more pure, so to speak, or to represent the game as it is played in Europe.” The last thing a MLS club needs is a gimmicky mascot that will annoy club fans who want their game to be different from other American sports. However, a well designed mascot, that aligns with the identity of the club and its supporter base, in the case of the Philadelphia Union the Sons of Ben, can provide additional brand associations fans link to the club, and research shows that positive, unique brand associations influence consumers’ attitudes and behaviors toward their favorite club. I think, if Bayern Munich can have Berni the bear and Manchester United can have Fred the Red, the Philadelphia Union can certainly have a Benjamin Franklin with a pirate hat, a pirate sword, and a monkey* to honor their supporters group, the Sons or Ben. Whether fans will accept the mascot will mainly depend on how the club communicates the introduction of it. * Although I would love to see a real monkey at the game, in terms of animal cruelty, they should probably use a teddy monkey. Or a unicorn, just to be different. I mean, who doesn’t like unicorns…
Read MoreThe 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Logo has been revealed on April, 4th, 2013. The Gold Coast Bulletin asked me to provide some feedback from a branding perspective. The positives: The logo has vibrant colours that reflect Gold Coast colours and brand associations – the sun(orange), the beach (yellow), the ocean (blue) and the hinterland (green). The fond is quite playful and the zero in 2018 hovers lightheartedly over the swoosh of the 2 – and the Gold Coast is exactly this: playful and lightheartedly. The logo incorporated three athletes that all share legs, indicating the core values of sport being based on a common foundation. So far, well done. The negatives: The logo is quite cluttered. It contains so many different details (legs, heads, etc) and colours that if printed small, it may just look like a colourful beach ball. Again, a Gold Coast brand association, however, I would argue not an intended one. This aspects may have an impact on merchandise (e.g., sun hat) where the logo will appear very small. In terms of logo recognition, it is the simple logos (think about the Nike swoosh; Apple; or the three stripes of Adidas) that survive over time. Overall, the logo reflects the ‘brand image’ of the Gold Coast very well and given its bright colours, I believe Commonwealth Games visitors will buy merchandise just because of the beach ball logo. This article was published in the Gold Coast Bulletin April, 5th, 2013 (Audience 94,000)
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