Revisiting the Social Identity–Brand Equity Model: An Application to Professional Sports

Abstract

This project revisits the social identity–brand equity (SIBE) model developed by Underwood, Bond, and Baer (2001). The model proposes that marketplace characteristics relevant to sports can be used to enhance one’s social identification with a team, which is assumed to have a positive influence on a team’s customer-based brand equity. The current study has two goals: (a) to provide an empirical assessment of the SIBE model in the context of professional sports and (b) assess the individual influence of the proposed marketplace characteristics on social identification. We report results of a survey of U.S. National Basketball Association fans, which provide partial support for the model. Group experience and venue were found to have the strongest influence on social identification with a team. Considerations for theoretical advancement of the model and practical application for sport brand managers are discussed.

Prioritizing the Factors Affecting Brand Equity of Popular Football Clubs in Iran

“…In this regard, some researchers have found out that the history of professional sport clubs is a significant factor determining brand equity of sport clubs, and that the history of professional clubs with reference to social recognition will enhance brand equity of the team. Also, factors such as honors, history, and popularity of the club are effective factors influencing brand equity of football clubs (12)(13)(14). In the case of the management factor, some researchers have arrived at the conclusion that good and strong managers with desirable capability and ability have a significant and positive effect on brand equity of professional football clubs (12,15).…”

Evaluating minor league baseball social identity, social image, and brand equity.

“…Highly identified consumers are more likely to purchase a company's products (Ahearne, Bhattacharya, & Gruen, 2005), promote a company brand (Ahearne et al, 2005), dismiss negative information about the company (Bhattacharya & Sen, 2003), remain loyal to an unsuccessful team (Wann & Branscombe, 1990), and show greater dislike for outside groups or opposing teams than fans with low social identification (Branscombe & Wann, 1992). The previously noted relationship between social identification and brand equity (Boyle & Magnusson, 2007;Watkins, 2014) in sport settings forms the crux of this study.…”

“…Fan identification has been found to predict brand equity (Boyle & Magnusson, 2007;Watkins, 2014), which the advantage college sport enjoys in terms of fan identification is likely carried over to an advantage in terms of brand equity. Minor League Baseball's lack of media coverage makes it more dependent on ticket revenue.…”

“…Because social identity has been found to predict brand equity in major college sport contexts (Boyle & Magnusson, 2007) and major professional sport settings (Watkins, 2014), social identity could provide valuable information to Minor League Baseball professionals. Therefore, the first relationship evaluated in this study is the connection between Minor League Baseball sport social identity and Minor League Baseball brand equity.…”

“…Social identity-a person's knowledge of his identity with a social group (Tajfel & Turner, 1979)-has predicted brand equity in both major professional and college sport contexts (Boyle & Magnusson, 2007;Watkins, 2014). Similarly, social image-the esteem a customer and the customer's group holds for a brand (Lassar, et al, 1995)-has been found to predict brand equity in non-sport contexts.…”