Communication Management in Sport Media

In collaboration with Payame Noor University and Iranian Scientific association of sport management

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Indexing and Abstracting

Related Links

FAQ

Peer Review Process

Journal Metrics

News

Analysis of Fans' Responses to the Brand Attributes of Sports Teams on Instagram (Case Study: Esteghlal and Persepolis Tehran Football Teams)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. in Sport Management, Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

2 Professor of Sport Management, Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

3 Associate Professor of Sport Management, College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Halabja, Kurdistan, Region, Iraq.

Abstract

In today's sport industry, the proper use of social media can be used as a strategy to create a distinction for a sports team brand in a highly competitive market. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to analyze the response of fans to the brand attributes of sports teams in the social network Instagram. The research method was descriptive-analytical. 577 Instagram posts were analyzed from two football sports teams, in which the photos were based on related attributes (team success, star players and head coach) and unrelated (brand, management, club history and tradition, club values and culture, Event image, sponsor, fans and stadium) were categorized by product. Statistical analysis included analyzing the content of Instagram posts related to teams and examining the number of likes and comments related to posts. The findings showed; The most posts shared by both teams were about the team's success, the star players and the team coach. Also, the highest number of likes and comments were related to posts with the content of team success, star players, head coach, fans for Esteghlal team and the highest number of likes and comments for Persepolis team were related to posts with event image, success, star player and head coach content. This study highlights the importance of each of the brand characteristics of sports teams in the midst of online interaction and engagement of fans. it is suggested that marketing and sports managers of teams should have a better understanding of the semiotics of images for Instagram posts to increase the number of comments and likes and ultimately increase interaction with them.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References
  1. Abeza, G., O’Reilly, N., Séguin, B., & Nzindukiyimana, O. (2015). Social media scholarship in sport management research: A critical review. Journal of Sport Management, 29(6), 601-618. https://doi.org/10.1123/JSM.2014-0296
  2. Anagnostopoulos, C., Parganas, P., Chadwick, S., & Fenton, A. (2018). Branding in pictures: using Instagram as a brand management tool in professional team sport organisations. European Sport Management Quarterly, 18(4), 413-438. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2017.1410202
  3. Aslam, S. (2019). Instagram by the numbers: Stats, demographics & fun facts. Retrieved November 25, 2019, from https://www.omnicoreagency.com/ instagram-statistics.
  4. Babiak, K., Mills, B., Tainsky, S., & Juravich, M. (2012). “An investigation into professional athlete philanthropy: Why charity is part of the game”. Journal of Sport Management, 26 (2), 159-176. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.26.2.159
  5. Ballouli, K., & Hutchinson, M. (2010). Digital-branding and social-media strategies for professional athletes, sports teams, and leagues: An interview with Digital Royalty’s Amy International journal of sport communication, 3(4), 395-401. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.3.4.395
  6. Barger, V., Peltier, J. W., & Schultz, D. E. (2016). “Social media and consumer engagement: A review and research agenda”. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 10 (4), 268–287. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-06-2016-0065
  7. Bauer, H. H., Stokburger-Sauer, N. E., & Exler, S. (2008). Brand image and fan loyalty in professional team sport: A refined model and empirical assessment. Journal of sport Management, 22(2), 205-226. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.22.2.205
  8. Boroujerdi, S. S., Mahmoudian, A., Saeedi, S., Ko, Y. J., & Khazaei, S. (2024). Athlete Brand Reputation: Developing a Conceptual Framework. Corporate Reputation Review, 1-17.‏ https://doi.org/10.1057/s41299-024-00208-z
  9. Boyle, B. A., & Magnusson, P. (2007). Social identity and brand equity formation: A comparative study of collegiate sports fans. Journal of Sport Management, 21(4), 497-520. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.21.4.497
  10. Browning, B., & Sanderson, J. (2012). The positives and negatives of Twitter: Exploring how student-athletes use Twitter and respond to critical tweets. International Journal of Sport Communication, 5(4), 503-521. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.5.4.503
  11. Cho, M., Schweickart, T., & Haase, A. (2014). Public engagement with nonprofit organizations on Facebook. Public Relations Review, 40(3), 565-567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.01.008
  12. Clavio, G., & Walsh, P. (2014). Dimensions of social media utilization among college sport fans. Communication & Sport, 2(3), 261-281. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479513480355
  13. Constine, J. (2017). Instagram’s growth speeds up as it hits 700 million users. [online] TechCrunch.
  14. De Vries, L., Gensler, S., & Leeflang, P. S. (2012). “Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing”. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26 (2), 83-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2012.01.003
  15. Doyle, J. P., Su, Y., & Kunkel, T. (2020). Athlete branding via social media: examining the factors influencing consumer engagement on Instagram. European Sport Management Quarterly, 22(4), 506-526. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2020.1806897
  16. Eagleman, A. N. (2013). Acceptance, motivations, and usage of social media as a marketing communications tool amongst employees of sport national governing bodies. Sport Management Review, 16(4), 488-497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2013.03.004
  17. Ferrand, A., & Pages, M. (1999). Image management in sport organisations: the creation of value. European Journal of Marketing, 33(3/4), 387-402. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090569910253224
  18. Filo, K., Lock, D. and Karg, A. (2015), “Sport and social media research: A review”, Sport Management Review, 18 (2), 166–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2014.11.001
  19. Frey, L., Botan, C. H., & Kreps, G. (2000). Investigating communication. NY: Allyn & Bacon. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=f9bff18aca33785170b174f34409284c6437e5f2
  20. Geurin-Eagleman, A. and Burch, L. (2016), “Communicating via photographs: A gendered analysis of Olympic athletes’ visual self-presentation on Instagram”, Sport Management Review, 19 (2), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2015.03.002
  21. Gladden, J. M., & Funk, D. C. (2002). Developing an understanding of brand associations in team sport: Empirical evidence from consumers of professional sport. Journal of Sport management, 16(1), 54-81. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.16.1.54
  22. Hambrick, M. E., & Kang, S. J. (2015). Pin it: Exploring how professional sports organizations use Pinterest as a communications and relationship-marketing tool. Communication & Sport, 3(4), 434-457. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479513518044
  23. Hollebeek, L. D., Glynn, M. S., & Brodie, R. J. (2014). “Consumer brand engagement in social media: Conceptualization, scale development and validation”. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28 (2).149-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.12.002
  24. Hutchins, B. (2011). The acceleration of media sport culture: Twitter, telepresence and online messaging. Information, communication & society, 14(2), 237-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2010.508534
  25. Jang, W., Jae Ko, Y., & Chan-Olmsted, S. M. (2015). Spectator-based sports team reputation: scale development and validation. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 16(3), 52-72. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-16-03-2015-B005
  26. Kaynak, E., Salman, G. G., & Tatoglu, E. (2008). An integrative framework linking brand associations and brand loyalty in professional sports. Journal of Brand Management, 15(5), 336-357. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2007.29.
  27. Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of marketing, 57(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299305700101
  28. Kim, J. K., & Hull, K. (2017). How fans are engaging with baseball teams demonstrating multiple objectives on Instagram. Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, 7 (2), 216-232. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-01-2017-0002
  29. Kunkel, T., & Biscaia, R. (2020). “Sport brands: Brand relationships and consumer behavior”. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 29 (1), 3-17. https://doi.org/32731/smq.291.032020.01
  30. Leone, C. (2018). Which social media sites get the most engagement? Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://www.webstrategiesinc.com/blog/which-social-media-sites-get-the-most-engagement.
  31. Lipsman, A., Mudd, G., Rich, M., & Bruich, S. (2012). The power of “like”: How brands reach (and influence) fans through social-media marketing. Journal of Advertising research, 52(1), 40-52. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-52-1-040-052
  32. Mahmoudian, A., Boroujerdi, S. S., Abbasian, A., & Ganji, F. (2022). Analysis the Fans Response to Self-Expression of Female Professional Athletes on Instagram (Case Study: Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams). Communication Management in Sport Media, 9(3), 1-14.‏ (in Persian) https://doi.org/10.30473/jsm.2021.55468.1464
  33. Mahmoudian, A., Boroujerdi, S. S., Ko, Y. J., & Delshab, V. (2024). The Impact of Perceived Team Reputation on Team Identification in the Context of European Football League Teams. Corporate Reputation Review, 27(1), 70-85.‏ https://doi.org/10.1057/s41299-023-00162-2
  34. Mahmoudian, A., Mohammadi, S., & Wang, W. (2024). Fan Engagement Management: Fan Response to Brand Image Attributes of Professional Athletes on Instagram. Journal of Global Sport Management, 1-19.‏ https://doi.org/10.1080/24704067.2024.2370582
  35. Mahmoudian, A., Sadeghi Boroujerdi, S., Ghasemi Siyani, M., Ibrahim Faqe Mahmoud, A. (2020). Moderating Role of Using Instagram in Relationship between Involvement with the Team, Attachment and Fan Loyalty, Case Study: Persepolis football team. Communication Management in Sports Media, 8(2), 103-115. (in Persian) https://doi.org/30473/JSM.2020.50380.1370.
  36. McCarthy, J., Rowley, J., Jane Ashworth, C., & Pioch, E. (2014). Managing brand presence through social media: the case of UK football clubs. Internet Research, 24(2), 181-204. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-08-2012-0154
  37. Mohamadi, S., & Mahmoodian, A. (2019). Impact of Using Social Media of Instagram in Athletes Brand Image. Sport Management and Development, 8(1), 32-46.‏ (in Persian) https://doi.org/22124/JSMD.1970.3437
  38. Na, S., Kunkel, T. and Doyle, J. (2020), “Exploring athlete brand image development on social media: the role of signalling through source credibility”, European Sport Management Quarterly, 20 (1), 88-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2019.1662465
  39. Osokin, N. (2019). “User engagement and gratifications of NSO supporters on Facebook: Evidence from European football”. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 20, (1), 61–80. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-11-2017-0115.
  40. Parganas, P., & Anagnostopoulos, C. (2015). Social Media Strategy in Professional Football: The case of Liverpool FC. Choregia, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.4127/ch.2015.0102
  41. Pegoraro, A., Comeau, G. S., & Frederick, E. L. (2018). #Shebelieves: The use of Instagram to frame the US Women’s Soccer Team during #FIFAWWC. Sport in Society, 21 (7), 1063–1077. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2017.1310198
  42. Popp, B., & Woratschek, H. (2016). Introducing branded communities in sport for building strong brand relations in social media. Sport Management Review, 19(2), 183-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2015.06.001
  43. PourHossien, Z; Abdavi, F; Javani, W; Pashaei, S. (2020). The effect of social networks on word of mouth through loyalty and brand attachment in the Iranian Football Premier League, Communication Management in Sports Media, 7 (3), 81-90 .(Persian). https://doi.org/10.30473/jsm.2019.44362.1307
  44. Qollami, H., Sadeghi Boroujerdi, S., Mahmoudian, A., & Kamanger, H. (2024). Identifying and prioritizing the functions of Instagram from the point of view of professional female athletes. Sport Management Journal, 16(4), 70-52.‏ (in Persian) 22059/jsm.2023.350885.3053
  45. Ratelle, E. (2018). Self Presentation of Select Female Athletes on Instagram and Public Responses. Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5196. https://www.proquest.com/openview/1c3a99464fb55bd738736d071139c8c2/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
  46. Rein, I., Shields, B., & Grossman, A. (2014). The sports strategist: Developing leaders for a high-performance industry. Oxford University Press, USA.
  47. Schreiner, M., Fischer, T., & Riedl, R. (2019). “Impact of content characteristics and emotion on behavioral engagement in social media: Literature review and research agenda”. Electronic Commerce Research, pp.1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-019-09353-8.
  48. Statista (2019a). Social media - Statistics & Facts. Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/ [accessed on 9 October 2019].
  49. Su, Y., Baker, B., Doyle, J, & Yan, M. (2020). “Fan engagement in fifteen seconds: Athletes’ relationship marketing during a pandemic via TikTok”. International Journal of Sport Communication. 13(3), 436-446. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2020-0238
  50. Thompson, A. J., Martin, A. J., Gee, S., & Geurin, A. N. (2018). Building brand and fan relationships through social media. Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, 8(3), 235-256. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-04-2017-0024
  51. Williams, J., & Chinn, S. J. (2010). Meeting relationship-marketing goals through social media: A conceptual model for sport marketers. International Journal of Sport Communication, 3(4), 422-437. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.3.4.422
Communication Management in Sport Media
Volume 11, Issue 3 - Serial Number 43
April 2024
Pages 162-176
Files
History
  • Receive Date: 22 December 2020
  • Revise Date: 26 February 2021
  • Accept Date: 30 March 2021
Share
How to cite
Statistics