Brand identity dynamics – reinforcement or destabilisation of a sport brand identity through the introduction of esports?

Hans Mühlbacher, Marjorie Bertschy and Michel Desbordes ()
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Hans Mühlbacher: IUM - International University of Monaco
Marjorie Bertschy: IUM - International University of Monaco
Michel Desbordes: EM - EMLyon Business School, CIAMS - Complexité, Innovation, Activités Motrices et Sportives - UO - Université d'Orléans - Université Paris-Saclay

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Abstract: Sport clubs introduce esports activities under their brand name. Discussions of that decision by fans in social media might reinforce or destabilise the identity of the brand. Fan identification with the club – an important driver of success – might be diminished. Marketing and sport management research concerning such strategic moves and their impact on brand identity is missing. The researchers analyse the discourse of fans of AS Monaco in social media during the first two years after the launch of esports to find out if the social mechanisms described by the literature on brand identity co-creation apply in this case. In contrast to extent literature, the findings show that the identity of a brand might neither be reinforced nor destabilised by the introduction of a new offer if the fans of the brand are not interested in the new sport nor feel disturbed by the fans of the added sport.

Keywords: Brand identity dynamics; sport brand strategy; esports; fan discourse (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022-05-19
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Published in Journal of Strategic Marketing, 2022, 30 (4), pp.421-442. ⟨10.1080/0965254X.2021.1959628⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04300751

DOI: 10.1080/0965254X.2021.1959628

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