Thursday, September 30, 2010

Brand Loyalty in Sports

I was talking with a couple guys the other day who are die hard Pittsburgh Steelers fans. I asked one of them why he liked the Steelers. He responded that it was a hometown team and he grew up watching them, so it was just natural that they were his favorite. The other guy jumped in and said, "Because they're the best. They've won 6 superbowls!" To which I responded, "Are they the best right now?" "Well," the second guy said, "they're ranked number two in the Power Rankings."

This interchange got me thinking about brand loyalty in sports. There is perhaps no other context, with the exceptions of religion and politics, in which brands can instill such devotion in their consumers. Many companies in consumer product and service industries would kill for the fidelity of Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Win or lose, these fans are always there to buy the product because they believe in it. Many sports fans, like the first guy I spoke to above, are content admitting their loyalty as an emotional connection with the brand. Others, like the second guy above, feel a need to rationalize their devotion. Maybe they're not the best right now, but they will be again!

If sports fans truly wanted to root for the best, they would be shoppers--they would jump ship whenever a new team took the number one spot. No one likes a fan who jumps on the bandwagon, though. Sports fans who are loyal to a particular team are similar to other brand loyalists--like the guy who only buys BMWs regardless of how sophisticated Mercedes-Benz's technology becomes or the guy who only buys Starbucks regardless of how similar the quality is getting to Dunkin' Donuts. Why are customers loyal to certain brands? Why are fans loyal to certain sports teams?

In short, rooting for a favorite team is often a more satisfying way of watching the game. Sure, there will be losses, but the victories are that much sweeter. Just like the loyal Steelers fans can say that they stuck with the Steelers through their losing seasons in the late 90s, BMW fans can say they stuck with the company through its failed acquisition of Land Rover and Starbucks fans can say they stuck with the company through that awkward faze of selling instant coffee (wait, is that still going on?). Brand loyalists aren't stupid; they're just happier sticking to their guns than they are playing the field.

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