Gender Differences in Team Brand Associations

Purpose Due to the growth in the number of female sport fans, research which examines differences in sport fan behaviors between females and males is common. Specifically, previous research has focused on gender differences in team identification, motivations to watch and attend sporting events, and in sponsorship recognition (Dietz-Uhler, Harrick, End, & Jacquemotte, 2000; Gantz & Wenner, 1991; Pham, 1992; Ross, Walsh, & Maxwell, 2007; Swanson, Gwinner, Larson, & Swinder, 2003). Although a significant amount of research has examined gender differences in sport fan behavior, little research has focused on differences in the brand associations that females and males have for professional sport teams. As brand associations often represent the basis for consumption decisions, attitude formation, and brand image (Aaker, 1996) it is important to understand if these two demographic segments differ. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine if differences exist in team brand associations across gender. Methods Individuals that existed in the database of a National Hockey League team were selected to participate in this study. A self-administered web based survey was utilized where 235 participants (145 males and 90 females) were asked to respond to the Team Brand Association Scale (TBAS) which measures 11 different team association dimensions (Ross, James, & Vargas, 2006). Analysis/Results A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that there were significant differences in team brand associations across gender (Wilks' lambda = .813, F(11, 223) = 4.653, p<.001). Specifically, females had significantly higher brand association ratings on 7 of the 11 TBAS dimensions (Commitment, Team History, Organizational Attributes, Team Success, Social Interaction, Team Play, and Logo). Although not significant, females also had higher ratings on the remaining 4 TBAS items (Concessions, Non-player Personnel, Stadium Community, and Rivalry). Conclusions These results suggest that in general, females had stronger brand associations and held a more positive brand image for this particular team. The findings also indicate that females access more team brand associations. This study supports previous research which indicates that females tend to demonstrate superiority in processing information and marketing stimuli (Myers-Levy & Maheswaran, 1991; Nicholson & Kimura, 1996). Therefore, image building tactics employed by professional sport teams are likely to be more successful with the team's female fan base. Furthermore, supplementary in-depth tactics are likely needed when attempting to impact the associations/image that a team's male fan base holds.