Samira Zamanian Yazdi; Hadi Bagheri; Reza Andam
Abstract
Objective: The present study investigated the motivational factors of sports fans for participation in the virtual pages of football clubs. Methodology: This research is an exploratory kind of mixed method that was performed in two qualitative and quantitative parts. In the qualitative part, along with ...
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Objective: The present study investigated the motivational factors of sports fans for participation in the virtual pages of football clubs. Methodology: This research is an exploratory kind of mixed method that was performed in two qualitative and quantitative parts. In the qualitative part, along with the analysis of the existing literature, 20 interviews were conducted with social media experts, sports marketers, and active sports fans on the clubs' websites, Instagram pages, and the Telegram channel, which resulted in the extraction of nine factors motivating virtual participation. In the quantitative part, using interpretive-structural modeling, the levels and relationships between the factors were determined and analyzed in an integrated manner. In this part, using the pairwise comparison questionnaire, the opinions of 14 active fans on the mentioned virtual pages were collected. These fans were selected by purposive sampling.Results: By analyzing the questionnaires, motives for fans’ participation in the clubs’ virtual pages were categorized into six levels: 1) entertainment; 2) income and reward; 3) empowerment; 4) identification, solidarity and social interaction, and supporting the club; 5) brand interest and demanding; 6) gaining information.Conclusion: Focusing on the virtual behavior of the fans, the present study shows another way to develop the clubs' relationship with their fans and expand their fan base, which is based on the importance and position of the fans' motivations for participating in the virtual pages.
Shahrzad Nayyeri; Vajiheh javani; hamid ghasemi
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate how to the Sport teams use Instagram as a social media platform for their branding purposes, and how much their fans respond to the brand on Instagram.Methodology: First, qualitative and quantitative content analysis was conducted on 500 Instagram posts ...
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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate how to the Sport teams use Instagram as a social media platform for their branding purposes, and how much their fans respond to the brand on Instagram.Methodology: First, qualitative and quantitative content analysis was conducted on 500 Instagram posts by Tehran Esteghlal F.C. Then, by using one-way ANOVA and Scheffe test, investigated what team brand attributes have created more fan engagement.Results: Findings indicated that two demonstrates of brand attributes of Esteghlal F.C. on its Instagram page including product-related factors (team success, star player and head coach), and non-product related factors (brand mark, management, club’s history and tradition, club’s culture and values, event’s image, sponsor and fans). The highest frequency of images was related to star players (47.6%), and the lowest frequency was attributed to the club’s culture and values (2.2%). The results of ANOVA showed a significant difference between the means of comments and likes of the fans in terms of brand attributes. Scheffe test results showed that star players cause a significant difference in the number of fans' likes. moreover, it pointed out that sponsors effect the number of fans' comments.Conclusion: Instagram as a social media platform could be a suitable instrument to realize the brand through the content of messages exchanged between the followers and the sport teams. So, it could be used for branding purposes of the club.
