Analysis by Bethany Doman in KIN 501
Loyalty and fandom is the feeling of emotional attachment and connection that one develops towards a sports team, brand, company, etc. It may be passed down traditionally, may be dependent upon your location, or could be in support of a particular player, but nonetheless, loyalty can be expressed in many different ways and on many different levels.
In my foundational article, “Panthers playoffs: Building brand loyalty”, the author Erik Spanberg discusses how playoff wins and appearances leave a larger impression on fans and ignite fan loyalty, especially for the Carolina Panthers. Being only 20 years old, the Panthers have not had an ample opportunity to develop a strong, deep fan base as other older teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers may have. The Panthers have never had consecutive winning seasons, with only six playoff appearances and one Super Bowl presence in their short life span. Team executives reported that because of the back-to-back playoff appearances (January 2014 and 2015), bonds between the Panthers, their fans, and their sponsors have been strengthened. Building off this postseason enthusiasm, the team is about to embark on a six-year, phased-in makeover of their stadium, backed by taxpayers’ dollars. Team executives believe that this stadium will also boost fan loyalty and additional fan interest.
Within that article, I derived three marketing factors that I felt the Carolina Panthers are contributing to their present and future increase of fan loyalty and engagement. Playoff appearances is the first factor and only recently have the team representatives been able to see the benefits. After losing a divisional matchup in January of 2014 and then a few weekends ago against the Seattle Seahawks, the national attention brought to Carolina has awoken and drawn in more of the fan base. As a marketer, it is crucial to play on the postseason wins and appearances because they are so fresh and a lot of fans are motivated by the intensity and enthusiasm built up during the postseason, regardless of the outcome. Historically, fans cling to those wins and appearances.
In 2013, the Emory Sports Marketing Analytics team conducted a study on the NFL’s fan bases and determined fan equity from historical data. They used winning percentage, pricing, stadium capacity, metro area population, metro area median income, etc. as the historical data. Then, they took model forecasts of each team’s last three years to determine fan equity. The researchers chose a three-year span because the sports world is constantly changing (i.e. player trades, new management and coaching, new rules) and they felt that three years would be enough ground to prove that postseason successes and championships are sources of long-term fan equity. In this analysis, they took the first three years of data (2002-2005) and compared it to last three years of data (2010-2012) and they were able to see the rises and drops in fan bases and loyalty. Since the Colts had seen a dramatic increase early on and then Denver climbing up to #4 in fan equity in the latter years, they determined that Peyton Manning was the common denominator and had an effect on both teams. In the video, Seinfeld jokingly says we are essentially cheering for the clothes of our favorite team since the players are constantly changing and the athletes aren’t necessarily loyal to the teams anymore. We love a player while he plays for our favorite team, then when he gets traded, we tend to hate him. It’s an interesting illogical trend that seems to hit the nail on the head when breaking down fan loyalty.
The second factor is social media chatter and engagement and with technology growing rampant, fans are able to voice their opinions and passions on numerous platforms. In a study at Emory University looking at sports franchises, fan interest, financial investment, and social media chatter, the Carolina Panthers rank in the bottom third, 23rd in fans’ financial willingness and 30th in social media equity. Manish Tripathi, one of the Emory marketing professors said in the article, “There is an opportunity to get better here. Postseason success has a strong impact in the NFL, especially for the younger fan base” (Spanberg, 2015). However, in the social media world, the Panthers may seem to lag in comparison to other teams, but according to the team president Danny Morrison, there have been consistent gains on all social media platforms, pointing to the recent attraction of the younger fan base. In the sports marketing realm, it is important to stay adaptable and up to date with the constant changes in society and technology. To strengthen fan bases, teams can inspire loyalty through social media promotions, athlete and fan interactions via social media, or encourage fans to contribute to the team through submitting photos, videos, suggestions, etc., all of which create value for the fan and ultimately builds an emotional connection towards a team. This is relevant because it is a route everyone can use towards creating a quality product or service, satisfying a customer, and promoting loyalty no matter what the position may be (i.e. sports, parks and recreation, retail, etc.).
A newly renovated stadium is the last piece that I drew from the article as means to the Carolina Panthers developing fan loyalty. Rather than make a sales pitch, the Panthers are going to use the postseason as an “affirmation of the excitement and impact the franchise has in the Carolinas” as a strategy towards renovating their stadium (Spanberg, 2015). The team believes that they will have the support, but also gain additional fan loyalty through this six-year, $87.5 million makeover funded by taxpayers. They hope to create a “Dallas Cowboys effect”, where Jerry Jones’ new stadium increased fan loyalty immensely over a three-year span. When trying to gain the physical, emotional, and financial support of the local fan base to build or renovate a sports facility, marketers need to paint a picture so the fans can see and feel the value and potential experiences throughout the whole process.
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