Structural Model of the Role of Brand Trust on Brand Identity through the Mediating Role of Brand Love among Fans of Futsal Premier League Clubs in Iran

Abstract

Background. Sports brand love refers to the degree of passionate emotional attachment consumers feel towards a sports team. Brand able to be more competitive by establishing the strong brand love of the customers as well as brand identity and brand trust. Objectives. The purpose of this research is to present a model of the role of brand trust on brand identity through the mediating role of brand love among fans of Futsal premier league clubs. Methods. The present study is a descriptive-correlative research in compliance with existing standard case studies. The population of this research comprised of all fans of the Farsh Ara Mashhad club, among which 295 were selected according to the temporal and spatial domains of the study as the sample, utilizing simple random sampling method. In order to achieve the research goals, the moderated Brand Identity Questionnaire made by Meal and Ashforth (1992), Albert's Brand Love Questionnaire, 2010, and Ballester Brand Trust Questionnaire (2004) were used. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (structural equation modeling and path analysis) were used for data analysis at a significant level recorded as 0.05. Result. According to the value of the coefficient path between brand trust and brand identity recorded as 0.47, which is positive and the value of the t-statistics correspondence obtained as 2.09, with 95% confidence, the coefficient path at the error level recorded as 0.05 is significant. Furthermore, a significant relationship between brand trust and brand identity was confirmed and also according to the main hypothesis of the research, the path coefficient of the indirect relationship of brand trust, through the mediating variable of brand love on brand identity with the value 0.53 was also calculated and the main hypothesis of the research was confirmed. Conclusion. In general, investing on brand trust on behalf of the Futsal premier league clubs (especially Farsh Ara club) and in the following plan to increase the admiration of fans in creating and developing a brand identity is one of the significant results mentioned in this research.

Identifying Value Creation Strategies in the Brand Communities of Sport Clubs Based on the Use of Social Media

“…The participation of fans in creating value for the club is a significant topic in sports marketing approaches and methods (12). Accordingly, it is necessary for managers of professional football clubs to identify and use different strategies to develop communication with their fans (1).…”

“…The results of the research showed that in order to obtain complete understanding of fans' behavior, psychological and structural factors related to the behavior should be taken into account (11). Keshtidar et al (2018) in their research on fans of professional football leagues have concluded that investing in the brand credibility of professional clubs would strengthen brand identity among fans (12). Rayat, Rayat, and Rayat (2017) in a study titled Development of Brand Community in the New Iranian Sports Teams, have stated that the engagement of the fans for several years, the creation of historical moments, the championship results achieved by the teams, and the establishment of common rituals between the team and fans are excellent examples regarding the brand communities (13).…”

Identifying the Internal Factors and Challenges in Branding of Iran Basketball League

“…The large number of fans in this sport has contributed to branding given the very nature of basketball and its events at both national and international levels. Although basketball influence is lower compared to some sports, including football, in national and international arenas, its rich history and culture and its specific audience have provided a basis for its impact on Iran sports industry (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25).…”