Fan Loyalty - Underpinning Psychology

Underpinning Psychology

Fan loyalty, particularly with respect to team sports, is different from brand loyalty, in as much as if a consumer bought a product that was of lower quality than expected, he or she will usually abandon allegiance to the brand. However, fan loyalty continues even if the team that the fan supports continues to perform poorly year after year. Author Mark Conrad uses the Chicago Cubs as an example of a team with a loyal fan following, where fans spends their money in support of a poorly performing team that (as of 2010) had not won a pennant since 1945 or a World Series since 1908.

Several psychologists have studied fan loyalty, and what causes a person to be a loyal fan, that sticks with a team through adversity, rather than a fairweather fan, that switches support to whatever teams happen to be successful at the time. These include Dan Wann, a psychologist at Murray State University, psychologist Robert Passikoff, and B. King.

They attribute it to the following factors:

entertainment value

The entertainment value that a fan derives from spectating motivates him/her to remain a loyal fan. Entertainment value of team sports is also valuable to communities in general.

authenticity

This is described by Passikoff as "the acceptance of the game as real and meaningful".

fan bonding

Fan bonding is where a fan bonds with the players, identifying with them as individuals, and bonds with the team.

team history and tradition

Shank gives the Cincinnati Reds, all-professional baseball's oldest team, as an example of a team where a long team history and tradition is a motivator for fans in the Cincinnati area.

group affiliation

Fans receive personal validation of their support for a team from being surrounded by a group of fans who also support the same team.

fair-weather fans

Fans who only follow their team when they are winning.

die-hard fans

Fans who follow their team no matter they are winning or losing.