In a seminal article written for the Journal of Consumer Research in 2001, Professors Albert Muniz and Thomas O’Guinn defined “brand community” as “a specialized non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relations among admirers of the brand.” The authors noted that brand communities share three core attributes: “[1] a shared consciousness, [2] rituals and traditions. and [3] a sense of moral responsibility” Some have gone so far as to suggest brand community could be the “holy grail of brand loyalty.”

In many ways this definition could be used to define the brands of leagues and teams throughout the nation. Ritualized consumption of foods such as hotdogs, crowds acting in unison in a “wave” at a baseball game, and collective cheering at the moment of a touchdown are all examples of fans sharing a collective consciousness while engaging in shared rituals. It seems clear that one of the most important tools that marketers of licensed sports products have available to them is the community. Teams represent more than players competing; they are icons of their communities and brands that consumers embrace as an expression of their affinity for specific cities, groups and sub-cultures. This explains why 81% of respondents who own licensed sports clothing/accessories purchase merchandise to show support for the team, and 41% purchase to show pride for where they’re from.

Related Reports:
Snapshots Australia Retailing 2009
Snapshots China Retailing 2009
Snapshots Taiwan Retailing 2009
China Retail Report Q1 2010
Hong Kong Retail Report Q1 2010
India Retail Report Q1 2010
Indonesia Retail Report Q1 2010
Malaysia Retail Report Q1 2010
Philippines Retail Report Q1 2010
Singapore Retail Report Q1 2010