Reasons beyond motives. Psychology or relationship marketing? A cross-cultural investigation of football fans' motivations

Using case studies of Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC

Master's Thesis , 2015 , 94 Pages , Grade: 66

Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing

This cross-cultural study aims to investigate motivations of the UK and the non-UK fans, specifically the factors affecting fan behaviour and the role of marketing activities of the clubs in it. As the purpose of the dissertation is the understanding of behaviour, beliefs and motives, the results will be derived from the in-depth interviews, conducted with fans of Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC. Specifically, it attempts to discover main factors impacting football consumption; to explore the role of relationship marketing and branding in fans’ motivations, and to investigate how fans motivations vary within different demographics and nationalities.

The context of this study is two big English clubs - Manchester United and Chelsea, which have enormous fan bases not only in the UK but all over the world. Literature in relevant fields will be reviewed and presented to build a ground for the further research and explore the current understanding of fans motivations and football marketing.

Table of Contents

• Abstract
• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 Research problem
  • 1.2 Study context
    • 1.2.1 Marketing activities of Manchester United FC
    • 1.2.2 Marketing activities of Chelsea FC
  • 1.3 Dissertation structure
• 2. Literature Review
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Sports marketing: term and strategies
  • 2.3 Football marketing
  • 2.4 Relationship marketing
  • 2.5 Building customer-based brand equity through marketing programmes
    • 2.5.1 Brand and customer-based brand equity
    • 2.5.2 Sports brand and customer-based brand equity in football
  • 2.6 Are the internet and social media replacing traditional media in terms of brand equity creation?
  • 2.7 Sports fan behaviour
  • 2.8 Construction of identity through the symbolic consumption of football
  • 2.9 Conclusion
• 3. Methodology
  • 3.1 Research purpose and the objectives of the study
  • 3.2 Philosophical underpinnings
  • 3.3 Research design
  • 3.4 Data collection
  • 3.5 Sample design and population
  • 3.6 Setting and process
  • 3.7 Data analysis
  • 3.8 Ethical issues
  • 3.9 Limitations
• 4. Findings and discussion
  • 4.1 Becoming a fan: main reasons of the non-UK fans
  • 4.2 Symbolic consumption of football of the non-UK fans
    • 4.2.1 Main motivations of the non-UK fans to consume football
    • 4.2.2 How do non-UK fans demonstrate their love and loyalty?
  • 4.3 Becoming a fan: main reasons of the UK fans
  • 4.4 Symbolic consumption of football of the UK fans
    • 4.4.1 Main motives and beliefs of the UK fans
    • 4.4.2 Demonstration of love and loyalty of the UK fans
  • 4.5 Role of relationship marketing and brand management in the formation and shifting fans' motivation
    • 4.5.1 Awareness of marketing activities of two clubs and attitudes towards them
    • 4.5.2 Engagement with online/offline communities and how social media replace real communities
    • 4.5.3 Relationship marketing
    • 4.5.4 Dark side of branding in football
  • 4.6 Differences and similarities of fans' motivations within demographics
• 5. Conclusion
  • 5.1 Key findings
  • 5.2 Implications
  • 5.3 Limitations

Objectives and Key Themes

This dissertation explores the motivations of football fans, particularly focusing on the factors influencing fan behaviour and the role of marketing activities by football clubs. The study investigates the motivations of both UK and non-UK fans of Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC through in-depth interviews. Key themes investigated include:

• Factors impacting football consumption, particularly the role of emotions and stadium atmosphere
• The influence of relationship marketing and branding on fan motivations
• Variations in fan motivations across different demographics and nationalities
• The effectiveness of relationship marketing strategies employed by the clubs
• The impact of social media on fan engagement and loyalty

Chapter Summaries

• Chapter 1: Introduction introduces the research problem, study context, and dissertation structure. It highlights the importance of understanding fan motivations and the role of marketing in shaping fan behaviour.
• Chapter 2: Literature Review provides a comprehensive overview of relevant literature on sports marketing, football marketing, relationship marketing, brand equity, and sports fan behaviour. It explores the existing knowledge on fan motivations and how marketing strategies can influence them.
• Chapter 3: Methodology outlines the research design, data collection methods, sample design, data analysis techniques, and ethical considerations. It explains the approach used to gather and analyse data from interviews with football fans.
• Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion presents the findings from the interviews, exploring the motivations of both UK and non-UK fans. It examines the role of emotions, stadium atmosphere, socialisation, and relationship marketing in shaping fan behaviour. The chapter also analyzes the differences and similarities in motivations across different demographics.

Keywords

This study focuses on the motivations of football fans, examining the impact of relationship marketing, branding, and social media on fan behaviour. The dissertation explores key themes such as fan engagement, loyalty, stadium atmosphere, and cross-cultural comparisons. The research utilizes in-depth interviews to gain insights into the complexities of fan motivations and the role of marketing in shaping their behaviour.

• College: University of Edinburgh
• Grade: 66
• Author: Narmin Mustafayeva (Author)
• Publication Year: 2015
• Pages: 94
• Catalog Number: V374166
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668521919
• ISBN (Book): 9783668521926
• Language: English
• Tags: reasons, psychology, using, manchester, united, chelsea