Carrie W. LeCrom

Exploring fan behavior: : Developing a scale to measure sport eFANgelism

Brand evangelism, an advanced form of marketing where consumers voluntarily advocate on behalf of the brand, can bring numerous benefits to a firm. Pro-brand behaviors such as word-of-mouth promotion, recruitment of consumers, and disparagement of rivals are just a few of the many actions associated with brand evangelism. With highly impassioned and provocative fans, an opportunity exists to explore brand evangelism within the spectator sport context. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale to measure sport team (brand) evangelism. Guided by Fournier’s (1998) brand extension of relationship theory and following Churchill’s (1979) eight-step method for developing marketing measures, two focus groups of fans were interviewed and an additional 450 sport fans were surveyed through two distinct data collections in an attempt to identify sport team evangelistic behaviors, and test a measure of such behaviors. The assessment of the instrument included two forms of reliability analysis and t...

Exploring and Measuring Spectator Sport Fanaticism

Spectator sport fan behavior is vast and represents one of the society’s most universal leisure activities. While event attendance and media consumption has received a great deal of attention from researchers, there is growing understanding that sport fans interact with their favorite teams in numerous other ways. Little is known, however, of what constitutes the fanatical behavior of sport spectators. Thus, there is an opportunity to understand the impassioned actions of the sport fan population to provide marketers and media providers with a better understanding of how sport fans interact with team brands beyond direct consumption. The current study aimed to discover and develop an instrument to measure spectator sport team fanaticism. Two focus groups were utilized to uncover and generate items. Three samples and an expert review were then conducted to validate the instrument. The following four unique dimensions were uncovered and preliminarily validated: instigation, superstition, committed interaction, and vicarious impact.

Recalibrating the Scale: A Case of Reseating a Sold-Out Arena

Reseating a stadium or arena is not a new phenomenon. It offers colleges and universities the opportunity to reward donors who have contributed financially to the athletic department as well as to create or maintain an equitable seat allocation system. At the same time, a poorly planned or poorly executed reseating project has the potential to upset current donors to the point of alienation. ABC University is looking to take on a reseating project, and it is looking to Virginia Commonwealth University for guidance because of its successful 2013 reseating project. With the success of its men’s basketball program and highly engaged fan base, the time is right to undertake this project. Factors involved in the decision to reseat, communication with fans, and the method involved with the actual reseating are among the topics discussed. This case study would be beneficial to other schools looking to reseat or future athletic administrators interested in an insider’s perspective at a major revenue generation pr...

From evaluator to insider: an academic's guide to managing sport for development programmes

The field of sport for development (SFD) has seen progress and growth over the few past decades, yet there remains an apparent lack of coordination between programmes; a feeling that individual organizations exist apart from others doing similar work. In advancing this important conversation, our goal is to share a case study of an SFD programme as well as a framework that has been developed over the years and guides what we do. As academics engaged in the applied work of SFD, we feel that we bring another dimension to programming, from a theoretical and evaluative standpoint. Building in practical and theoretical forms of evaluation, fostering integrative cultural experiences and cultivating programme sustainability are three essential elements to building successful SFD initiatives. Our hope is that by sharing this framework, others will continue to share best practices so that we can all make our work in SFD more meaningful.