Consumer behavior vs fans in sport

“Marriages come and go, so do jobs, hometowns, friendships, but a guys attachment to a sports team?, There’s a bond that holds the heart!” – USA Today, 1997

There was a time when companies, brands and corporate were trying to get as many customers or consumers into their databases. Times are changing now; fans are replacing customers.

Fans, to put in a nutshell, are loyal followers, patriots. A sports fan is different from a regular consumer, especially when it comes to long-term loyalty. The loyalty goes beyond mere watching the team play or celebrating the victory. For sports fans, their teams, their players are much more important than their victories. Hence, fans continue to support their favorite teams despite falling fortunes and miserable performance by the teams. This is in stark difference to general consumer who doesn’t think twice switching to another brand when confronted with an inferior performance.

Although it is true that a successful team has more fan following, but fans don’t change their teams overnight. For example, in recent years, Liverpool Football Club, one of the most successful clubs in English history has been struggling to win any trophies. Yet, if we look at the average attendance at team’s match each year, it remained close to 43,000 despite the team finishing 7th in 2010 and 2nd in 2009. A fine example of this phenomenon involves Manchester City Football Club of the English Premier League. Despite relegation from the premier league in the 95/96 season and further relegation to division 2 in the 97/98 season the club maintained its spectator numbers of close to 30,000 in Division 2, a league where crowds of 3,000-5,000 are more common. So while a general consumer is disloyal to an inferior consumer product but a team’s fan will continue to support inferior sports team.

Also, generally a sports fan tends to associate oneself more strongly to even a weak connection with a team. So we see people supporting Arsenal football club, Barcelona, Federer because of no apparent reason. Such consumers deeply believe in team’s attitude, aspirations and show one’s commitment through tangible acts such as ticket or merchandise purchasing. This connection is not replicated in consumer products, that is, even though the product may be produced in the same locality, a local consumer will opt for an internationally branded product if offered at the same price. But a Barcelona FC fan will never wear a Manchester United T-shirt even if offered for free. Consumer satisfaction isn’t that important when it comes to fans. Fans although would be more satisfied after watching their team win, but the team’s loss doesn’t affect their loyalty with the team.

While consumers go for product, fans go for experience. Fans can’t be bought, they have to be earned. Customers only give their money, while fans give their heart, attaching themselves emotionally. A product identifies a consumer needs, whereas a fan identifies himself with the team.Thus, in today’s competitive age, any one would prefer a million loyal fans over a billion customers.