The Development and Change of Brand Associations and Their Influence on Team Loyalty Over Time

Abstract

The importance of team brand associations in sport management research is well documented but the formation and stability of these associations has not been investigated. The current research tested the development, change, and predictive ability of brand associations over time. Longitudinal quantitative data were collected from consumers of a new Australian Football League (AFL) team (N = 169) at three points in time. One-sample t-tests revealed that brand associations had developed through marketing communications and the launch of the team, before the team had played its first AFL game. Repeated Measures MANOVA and Latent Growth Modelling showed brand associations changed over time, reflecting consumers’ experiences with the team. A Cross-Lagged Panel Model highlighted that brand associations influenced consumer loyalty in the future. Consequently, sport managers are provided with insights on the development and change of brand associations new consumers link with sport teams.

Keywords: Brand Associations; Fan Loyalty; New Teams; Sport Consumer; Latent Growth Model; Cross-Lagged Panel Model