FAN LOYALTY: A CASE STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND TEAM

IDENTIFICATION ON CREAMLINE COOL SMASHERS’ BRAND CONSUMPTION

Ma. Carmela DL. Tunay, MA and Dr. Maria Gwenetha Y. Pusta

RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND

Professional sports have surfaced as a rewarding business with many opportunities to
flourish. In the Philippines, sports fans and spectators have continuously grown to love and
support volleyball, which made it elevate into the professional ranks. The scarcity of academic
research on sports marketing in the ASEAN context calls for a conceptual extension that can
serve as foundation for future research in this field, especially since professional volleyball in the
Philippines is a new orientation in the country’s sports marketing industry, following the PBA
which has been a familiar business for decades now.
The impact of volleyball, whether collegiate or professional, has been surprisingly huge
for the universal market that sports tap. Given the jumpacked game venues and extensive media
mileage allotted to volleyball leagues, its teams, and players, a number of brands go out their
way to bid huge amounts of money just to sponsor teams or even build their own. A major factor
in the boost of this sport is social media. As a matter of fact, volleyball has existed in the
Philippines and has been televised when it began decades ago, but it was only in the age of social
media, such as Twitter, when volleyball attracted even more fans which paved way for a new
channel to evaluate and influence consumer behavior. Social media has also immersed brands to
tap volleyball players as endorsers and influencers because of their fame and social media power.
According to the FGD results, the culture of volleyball fans in the Philippines leans towards
Twitter as their social media outlet over Facebook and Instagram. One of the reasons behind this
is because they get more access to the team, players, and games on Twitter since that is the
channel where the Philippine Volleyball Community is more active, including the pages of the
athletes and the league, compared to other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
This integrates the standing of sports marketing through volleyball as one of the rising trends and
growing influence in the Philippines and several markets today.
As it becomes a positive inclination in the sports marketing industry, companies and
brands that invest in volleyball now face the dilemma of establishing fan loyalty or attracting
new potential fans and retaining old ones. It is also a challenge for the brands to sustain the team
in the sports scene and contribute improvements to their actual businesses. These fans and
spectators are some of what matters most for the investors because fan loyalty ensures a more
stable following even when the core product’s performance falters (Stokburger-Sauer, et.al,
2012). Fan loyalty is one of the greatest assets targeted by brands and companies in sports
marketing. It is affected by psychological factors and even behavioral intentions. These factors
represent positive and persistent future behavior of the fan (Tachis & Tzetzis, 2015). One of the
factors that appear to influence fan loyalty is team identification. According to Funk and James,
sport consumer loyalty is a stronger emotional response to various values in their identification
process with the team (Stokburger-Sauer, et.al, 2012). This loyalty can be determined by the
degree of attachment and commitment that a fan has with a team or player, that is determinant of
what team identification stands for. The concept of team identification falls under brand benefits
and this study tackled its influence on fan loyalty and consumer behavior.
Given its highly competitive nature, branding in sports marketing significantly
contributes by influencing fan preferences and perceptions regarding the club and by
differentiating it from other competing clubs and brands in the league (Stokburger-Sauer, et.al,
2012). However, despite the efforts exerted in sports marketing and acquiring fans for the teams,
there has not been a study that manifested how fan loyalty to a sports team translates to
consumption of the product/ service being promoted, enabling some club teams to dissolve for
not earning more than what they invested in. There is a possibility that teams get dissolved
because the type of support fans show to the team in games reflect of solely their love for the
sport and not this case might not be beneficial for the brand in term of sales and ROI. This is
where the conflict between sales and marketing comes in, especially when marketing efforts do
not convert to sales. Hence, the challenge for the brand is to build a deeper relationship with its
fans to draw a more loyal type of support from them —- a support not only to the team, but also
to the brand the team carries.
Furthermore, marketing in general constantly faces the predicament involving the rate of
success in converting marketing efforts into sales, or what is often referred to as return of
investment (ROI) or conversion. With the huge budget that companies allot to sports teams and
its players, it is only fitting that marketers evaluate whether their efforts pay off by influencing
actual brand consumption of sports fans. This research then aimed to identify whether the fans
who support and are loyal to the Creamline Cool Smashers in games, as well as on social media
(Twitter), translate their support and loyalty to Creamline as an ice cream brand itself through
their consumption. The consumers’ involvement and motivation for sport consumption, although
multidimensional, depends on their awareness, attraction, attachment, affiliation and
commitment (Adrian, 2015). These factors played essential roles in analyzing consumer behavior
of CCS fans.
In addition, this research would fill the gap between sales and marketing by evaluating
the current market tapped by Creamline Cool Smashers and identifying the factors that influence
their brand consumption of Creamline Ice Cream. The results of this empirical case study can
contribute to the limited knowledge of sport marketers in the rising industry of professional
volleyball in the Philippines. Moreover, it can help them formulate better sports marketing
strategies to improve brand consumption of Creamline Ice Cream, as well as other existing and
aspiring teams, while elevating the market performance of both the sports team and the brand.

RESEARCH IMPEDIMENTS
Sports consumers underpin the professional spectator sport industry because they
are the main reason why business stakeholders are attracted to invest in sports and generate
income from both the league and the teams through direct and indirect consumption behavior. As
we tend to the digital age today, the efforts made by the companies and teams are mostly echoed
in social media, which is very essential for a brand to increase presence in the market today.
Moreover, the brand presence that companies and teams establish online through volleyball is
strong. However, no study has identified any direct effect from fan loyalty and strong online
presence into sales conversion on products and services. Fan loyalty has a crucial effect on sport
clubs’ sustainability as it has the same effect with customer loyalty on business longevity. It can
be said that the importance of defining the processes of creating loyal fans for sport clubs have
incontrovertibly affected the clubs’ existence. This research mainly examined how team
identification and social media impact fan loyalty and brand consumption.
Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions:
RQ1.) What are the factors that affect team identification?
RQ2.) How does team identification impact fan loyalty?
RQ3.) How does fan loyalty translate to brand consumption?
RQ4.) How does the strong social media presence of Creamline Cool Smashers impact on fans’
brand consumption?

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

With the growing number of volleyball club teams in the Philippines, this research
endeavour aims to integrate a clear understanding on the importance of fan loyalty and the
factors that contribute to it, to brand consumption and establish how it can give advantage and
stability for companies and brands venturing in sports marketing, specifically volleyball.
Essentially, there are 2 main objectives of this study:
1. To identify if there are significant relationships among team identification, social media, fan
loyalty and brand consumption.
2. To ascertain which among the variables affect and lead to brand consumption the most.

HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

Hypotheses were generated to study the impact of team identification, fan loyalty, and
social media on brand consumption and sports marketing. The review of related literature gave
rise to the following hypotheses which were answered in this research:
H1: The greater the team identification of a fan is to a team, the greater their loyalty is to
the team.
H2: The greater the fan loyalty is to a team, the higher the brand consumption.
H3: Strong social media presence of Creamline Cool Smashers positively impact fans’
brand consumption.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This research is very timely with the rise of volleyball as a sport and as an avenue for
marketing in the Philippines. In today’s digital age, even sports fan consumers make use of social
media as a vehicle to transmit information and promote brands. Both the interest of sports fan
consumers and investors can be capitalized in a way that is beneficial for the sustainability and
profitability of the business, the team, and the sports consumers. This study can be useful to
sports marketing strategies of existing club teams and teams that will be formed in the future
because volleyball in the Philippine professional ranks has only existed for about 6 years, way
behind compared to professional basketball (PBA) which has existed in the sports marketing
industry for more than four decades. Professional volleyball in the Philippines has yet to identify
or have least identified the actual brand consumption of its fans. With the attention given to
volleyball today, it is best that sport marketers utilize the data of this research in a way that
would give their marketing strategies an advantage in the market, given the insight of fans in
relation to their brand consumption, fan loyalty, social media influence and involvement, and
their relationship with the team and brand.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This research was limited to examining the team identification, social media influence
and fan loyalty of Creamline Cool Smashers fans only, excluding fans of other professional
volleyball teams or leagues. Moreover, this study involved the impact of social media on the fan
loyalty and brand consumption of Creamline Cool Smashers fans, limited to Twitter as the only
form of social media. The researcher excluded other forms of social media such as Facebook and
Instagram because the culture of Philippine Volleyball when it comes to social media is mostly
projected on Twitter via blow-by-blow tweets, trending topics, considering as well that this
platform is where fans follow the athletes more. This limitation on social media was discussed
further on the interpretation of the online focus group discussion.

LITERATURE REVIEW
The impact and influence of fan loyalty and team identification to consumer behavior are
important aspects in marketing literature given that it serves as vehicles for marketers to come up
with ideas and platforms on achieving fan retention and brand sustainability in the field of sports
marketing. Moreover, these influences can be both affected by and voiced out on social media.
Its effect includes the social media strategy of the company to promote the brand through an
online presence of the sports team while the athletes possibly influence consumer behavior of a
fan. On the other hand, in today’s digital age, social media is where fans and consumers reflect
how influenced they are through their posts and tweets, which can be considered as feedback.
Despite the high number of literature in sports marketing among different countries, there is a
limited number here in the ASEAN region, including the Philippines. However, no research has
focused on conceptualizing the impact of team identification and social media to fan loyalty, and
fan loyalty itself on its further impact to brand consumption. This literature review will round off
impact studies among the variables and aim to lead towards results that shall contribute to the
development of sports marketing strategies by centralizing on the impact of team identification
and social media on fan loyalty and its conversion to brand consumption.

Sports Marketing
The appeal of sports is universal. It does not patronize any specific gender, age, social
class, or race. It is for everyone to watch and enjoy. This is the huge potential that businesses saw
in sports that made it one of the biggest breakthroughs in the marketing industry. Basically,
sports marketing may be understood as a process through which a contest with an uncertain
outcome is staged, creating opportunities for the simultaneous fulfilment of objectives among
sports customers, sports fans, sports businesses, participants and other related individuals,
groups, and organizations (Masterman, 2010).
Sport marketers have continuously pursued the study of its complex environment and
target market through the years, hoping to attain its goal to invite new fans and establish loyalty
among old fans and spectators. With the wide range of audience and fans of these different
sports, it is a great challenge to come up with an overall strategy or sports marketing program
that would fit the interest and entertainment of each market category. According to Maltese and
Danglade (2014), sports and entertainment converge. Many businesses have engaged in sports
because it has increased the entertainment and overall experience of sports fans and spectators
which result in repeat purchases of game tickets or added participation and engagements. The
importance of achieving participation and engagement from fans is crucial to sports marketing
and several studies identify factors that can contribute to this, including fan loyalty and team
identification among other.
The statement made by Maltese and Danglade in 2014 regarding sports and
entertainment converging is a relevant concept for the current undertaking, backed up by the
literature of Fink et al. (2002). Both authors agree that the need to experience pleasurable stress
or stimulation gained from the drama of the event or by entertainment is a motive predictive of
team identification, which is vital in the development of fan loyalty. According to Coutinho da
Silva and Las Casas (2017), influencing fans by emotion and passion has been observed to
achieve great results towards reputation, revenue, and business in emergent countries such as
Brazil, England, Spain, Germany, and the United States. In relation to the sports and
entertainment concept of Maltese and Danglade (2014), it is common for sports fans to feel high
levels of emotion and passion every time they watch games, and it is interesting to see whether
the results in the reputation, revenue, and overall business of Creamline in the Philippine setting
would be as successful as those in the emerging countries previously stated.
In a study conducted by Ristevska-Jovanovska (2016), she states that sports marketing is
less about using a single strategy and more about using the content of sports to assist marketing
efforts. The author adds that it involves building a highly identified, passionate fan base such that
fans, sponsors, media, and government pay to promote and support the organization for the
benefits of social exchange and personal group and community identity within a cooperative
competitive environment. This is very pertinent to the research being conducted because it
covers not just a single strategy in sports marketing, but also involving the social media strategy
of Creamline, particularly utilizing Twitter to promote the brand, the team, as well as its
products. Moreover, other than touching sports marketing strategies employed by the team, the
author also gave relevant data that explain how teams gain profit from fans, sponsors, media, and
the government to be reciprocated by social exchange and personal group and community
identity. These identities are crucial for fans as explained by previous researches which found
that team identification is highly correlated to these identities and leads to social connections
(Wann & Weaver, 2009). The relevance of this literature on the current study is significant
because it highlights how sports marketing, despite being universal, can be affected by the power
of team identification, social media, and fan loyalty.
Another concept of sports marketing was incorporated by Coutinho da Silva and Las
Casas (2017) as they defined it as a reference for the generation of revenue for sports entities
incorporating sponsorships lined up to value chain marketing activities in a customer-oriented
marketing plan. The researchers add that there are two types of sports marketing: marketing of
sport, which focuses on sport as an event or entertainment; and marketing through sport, which
focuses on products and services. Both these types are essential as sport teams begin their
journey by identifying their goal and establishing the purpose and focus of their sports marketing
program. It should be clear whether they are focused on promoting the sport as an entertainment
or event, which can possibly be a part of their corporate social responsibility, or if the sports
marketing program is designated for promoting the brand’s products or services which can
integrate its sales performance. Either way, this literature is relevant to the present study because
it gives a comprehensible vision of what a current sports marketing program focuses on so that
marketers will be able to align the marketing efforts based on the goal of the sports team. It is
also helpful to identify the significance of putting up a team so that marketers can evaluate how
sports impact the brand whether in terms of awareness or boost in sales.
Sports and marketing are interrelated activities in several aspects. For Cresswell and
Clark (2011), one perspective of sports marketing is sponsorships, which involves a brand being
associated with a team, league, naming rights, and sports icons. This perspective is highly
applicable to the Creamline Cool Smashers, which is the subject of the current study, because its
association with the league (Premiere Volleyball League) and some star players, which the team
acquired as franchise players, enhance their reputation and likeability from fans. This is a
potential contribution to the present research because the association of Creamline as a brand
with the league (PVL), the team (Creamline Cool Smashers), and the players can be examined
for impact and influence on fan loyalty and consumption.
The change in paradigm of sports marketing from traditional to the digital age is
important to brands getting involved in this rising industry. In the past, sports marketing revolved
around ticket sales and attendance. However, today, the new scope of interaction offered by
technology, particularly social media, is being craved for by sport fans. Through social media,
athletes with thousands of loyal followers provide value to the brand, which is evident through
the constant brand sponsorship of athletes from all over the world.
Given these literature on sports marketing, at the end of the day, business is still business.
Value added to the brand by the team and athletes should be quantified. Profit should not be
taken out of context. Several brands and companies have failed to maintain their volleyball teams
in the past due to lack of effective strategy among some reasons. Sports marketing is underrated;
hence, more studies should cover this topic in order to grow businesses more and aid in its
sustainability. This research aimed to bridge the gap between sports marketing and brand
consumption, which through the years have been occupied by awareness, support for the sport as
an event, patronizing the team or a certain player, but none on the actual brand consumption. The
literature review also discusses the next variable, that is fan loyalty, and the factors that affect it
so that sport marketers can utilize these factors in forming sports marketing programs that do not
only produce awareness of the brand, but also, consumption of the brand.

Fan Loyalty
In a very competitive market that we have today, achieving customer loyalty has become
a key point for businesses. In the field of sport, team loyalty or a fan’s loyalty to the team is
treated equally as consumer loyalty in the supply market. A research conducted by Hosseini et al.
(2017) states that fans’ perception on the quality of a service or product, its expectations, and fan
loyalty has a positive significant correlation. This is helpful to the current study because it can
lead marketers to strategies that can help shape fans into perceiving the brand in line with their
overall expectation from it. This way, it will be easier to achieve loyalty among fans when they
positively perceive the brand that the sports team carry. The concept of fan loyalty according to
Gladden & Funk in 2001 revolves around psychological and behavioral aspects that represent the
commitment of a fan to a team. Previous measures of fans’ psychological commitment included
three components of commitment: inner attachment, persistence, and resistance (Stokburger-
Sauer, et.al, 2012) These three components are relevant to the present undertaking as these help
the researcher determine factors that drive customer loyalty and what would strengthen a fan’s
inner attachment, persistence, and resistance in relation to their loyalty.
Fan loyalty plays a critical role in creating long-term benefits for the club team as brand
loyalty does for the organization. Therefore, when customers highly value the quality of a team,
there is a greater chance for that club team to become highly important and desirable to its fans
(Geuens et al., 2009). In addition, identity is one of the core elements that could help make a
brand perceived to be successful by fans (Laforet, 2010). So, if a brand or club team wants to
make a lasting and sustainable image in its customers’ minds, it has to develop a good concept of
brand/ team identity. Consumers are more attracted to brands that provide a more distinctive and
prestigious identity (Rubio et.al, 2015). In a sports marketing context, we may apply this in
forming teams that are unique and prestigious to the eyes of sports fans to attract fan loyalty (e.g.
forming a team with star players from different collegiate teams to show distinctiveness and
prestige as they all play for one club team after their collegiate playing years). This research is
well relatable for the subject of this study—Creamline Cool Smashers. The team built heavy
association with its fans by acquiring star players from famous collegiate teams as their franchise
players in the pro ranks. This resulted in the prestige that Creamline fans feel every time they
support this team filled with star-franchise players.
According to Kunkel and Funk (2014), sport brand research shows that professional
teams and leagues have mutual and differentiated brand characteristics. Each set of these brand
characteristics operate on the perception of the fans’ psychological attraction and behavioral
intentions. The symbiosis created by this structure is an emerging concept of sport brand
architecture where both league-wide and team-specific marketing activities theoretically
contribute to game attendance, media consumption, and merchandise sales. All engagements
from fan to team is a relative influence of the league brand sports marketing program to the
associations on consumer behavior towards individual teams. This study is relevant to the current
one as it provides a clear picture of the relationship between the league/ brand/ club team and its
fans/ spectators—-giving consumption implications for brand, league, and marketing.
Kunkel and Funk’s (2014) findings discuss how the brand associations which a consumer
links with a sport brand play a crucial role in attitude development as per Funk and James in
2006. Given the numerous studies linking attitudes to fan loyalty, this literature provides a
groundwork for future marketing strategies to administer positive brand associations to its
market in order to draw relatively positive attitudes from the fans, leading to their loyalty. In a
separate research conducted by Kunkel et.al (2017), results highlight the influence of team brand
associations on team-related behavioral intentions, thus, aiding and extending previous research
studies that highlight the influence of team brand associations on team/ fan loyalty (Doyle et al.,
2013) and behavioral intentions (Biscaia et al., 2013). This study identified four brand
associations; namely, diversion, excitement, nostalgia, and socialization. All had a significant
positive relationship with consumer perceptions of the team brand contributing to positive brand
associations, which explains intentions for future behavior. Each association has a corresponding
link to fan loyalty and team identification. Excitement indicates that the stimulation provided by
the team positively influences how consumers perceive the brand and their future intentions.
Diversion provide escape for their consumers and acts as a benefit for them. Nostalgia highlights
a high positive loading on the team brand, integrating one’s attitudinal loyalty. And lastly,
socialisation, which influences the team brand and future behavior through interaction.
This research on brand associations’ effect on fan loyalty is helpful to the current
undertaking because it provides a foundation for marketing strategists to position their team and
brand and stimulate the following associations in order to drive the fans’ attitudes, behavior/
intention that may lead to fan loyalty. It is also beneficial because identifying the level of loyalty
brought about by these stages of brand associations can provide basis for a club team on what
angle or edge they should bank on in building the team’s influence over the fans.
In a study titled Relationship between Sport Commitment and Sport Consumer Behavior
by Fernandes et al. (2013), results showed that the sport commitment influence positively the
participation frequency, sporting goods consumption, and media consumption of fans. Basically,
these implications relate to fan loyalty and given that sports is one of the largest industries in
different countries, including the Philippines, it is best that the findings in these literature be used
in driving motives of majority, if not all, sports fans towards fan and consumer loyalty.
According to Funk et.al (2009), increased involvement in an activity or participation leads to
increased commitment in service offerings and will also serve to retain customers. This is one
way of saying that increased commitment leads to increase in attitudinal loyalty, and increase in
loyalty leads to commitment in service offerings/ consumption.

Team Identification
Sports have been a common field of interest among people from all over the world and
have proven to attract loyal, even fanatical support. A study conducted by Ozgen and Argan
(2017) revealed that team identification has a highly significant mediator effect between
attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty. Funk and James (2001) identify team identification as
an individual’s association with other team members and psychological contact with the team,
while Wann and Pierce (2003) define team identification as psychological and behavioral
commitment (Bodet & Bernache-Assollan, 2011). Moreover, the concept of team identification is
relevant to the level of perception of fans on the successes and failures of a specific sports team
as their own or based on their own successes and failures (Cooper & Thatcher, 2010). Given its
mediator effect on attaining fan loyalty, these concepts regarding team identification are crucial
to the current research because it can help pattern the approach of sports marketing strategies and
programs depending on what would work best for the fans based on their attitudinal and
behavioral loyalty which team identification has an effect to.
One feature of the sport market that has historically been considered to distinguish it from
other industries is the perceived loyalty and passion of sport consumers. Distinct from the typical
rational decision-making consumer, the sport product has historically been positioned as an
“ephemeral experience mired in the irrational passions of fans, commanding high levels of
product and brand loyalty, optimism, and vicarious identification” (Smith & Stewart, 2010, p. 3).
This goes to show how fan or even brand loyalty, positive perception, and team identification
influence a consumer’s decision-making and purchase intentions.
Sports management researchers suggest multiple ties formed within attachment
relationships between consumers and sport team–related objects are carried forward to develop
consumers’ identification with the focal sport team (Heere et al., 2011). The attachment of a fan
towards a team or a player drives positive team identification, which can be affected by the
symbolic power of sport teams to represent associated social identities, such as city, state, and
nationality. These previous researches on team identification can benefit the current situation of
the Creamline Cool Smashers (subject team of the study) because deeper knowledge on its
concept and contribution to fan loyalty can push the team to strengthen their marketing strategy
and focus on their strongest, most appealing front to the fans that can lead to their possible
attachment to the brand and eventual consumption.
In a research that Sarah Absten conducted in 2011, it revealed that there are factors that
ascertain team identification and one of them is a fan’s need for affiliation. In the same study, it
was found that, regardless of condition, participants were more likely to cheer for the underdog
team than they were the favored team. Absten concluded that were no significant differences
between the need for affiliation and a fan’s need for differentiation and their influences on team
identification. This research of Absten (2011) has added another stepping stone for examining
motives for team identification, making way for studies such as that of Fink et.al’s (2002)
involving motives predictive of team identification, emerge into significance. These are the
following motives that are predictive of team identification according to Fink et.al: vicarious
achievement (need for social prestige, self-esteem, and a sense of empowerment that individuals
can receive from their association with a successful team), drama (the need to experience
pleasurable stress or stimulation gained from the drama of the event), escape (the need to find a
diversion from work and the normal unexciting activity of everyday life), family (the opportunity
to spend time with one’s family doing something everyone enjoys), acquisition of knowledge (the
need to learn about the team or players through interaction and media consumption),
appreciation of physical skills of the athletes (the appreciation of the physical skill of the athletes
or the well-executed performance of the team), and social interaction (the need to interact and
socialize with others of like interests to achieve feelings that one is part of a group) (2002).
This literature is very significant to the current study because these motives can be the
basis of determining the attachment, intentions, and identification of Creamline fans to the team
and how strongly these factors affect their fan loyalty and brand consumption. It will benefit the
data gathering of this research by serving as metrics in identifying the levels of fan motives and
which among all of it is highly influential to the respondents’ fan loyalty, social media
participation, and brand consumption. The study can bank on these motives as foundation of
future marketing strategies targeting Creamline fans and target market. Absten’s study plays an
integral part in better understanding of team identification. Moreover, it is best to identify and
control the levels of team identification because it is a strong predictor of sport fan consumption
(Fink et al., 2002).

Social Media
 Williams and Chinn (2010) defined social media as “tools, platforms, and applications
that enable consumers to connect, communicate, and collaborate with others” (p. 422). Social
media has played a major role in society and enabled it to become a worldwide trend (Campos,
Anagnostopoulos, & Chadwick, 2013). The evolution in the media landscape also affected
industries including sports among many. Although social media covers many forms and app, this
study is limited to studying Twitter as the social media platform which is majorly utilized by the
Philippine Volleyball Community, including athletes and fans. In a study conducted by Naraine
and Parent (2016), Twitter has become a popular social media platform for multiple types of
users such as athletes, teams, and leagues around the globe to share a wide variety of content and
enable followers to keep up to date with their favorite athletes and teams in their favorite sports.
They add that the impact which social media platforms like Twitter can have on building
relationships between organizations and their stakeholders in the sport industry is substantial.
Sport consumers are seen as channels through which sport products can be promoted
(O’Shea & Alonso, 2011), and sport fans have come to be both consumers and product
advocates. This is very relevant to the Philippine Volleyball setting wherein fans are believed to
be influenced by social media as well as advocates of social media. In fact, in a report by creative
agency We Are Social and social media management platform Hootsuite, they revealed that
Filipinos spend the most time on the internet and on social media sites. Being the world’s top
social media users, Filipino volleyball fans can be influenced by social media to be brand
advocates online as well. Social media outlets such as Twitter are great vehicles to develop
followers’ level of commitment and engagement through the creation of innovative and
interactive experiences while also increasing relationships that can be beneficial considering the
highly competitive environment where sport organizations operate and reside (Meng et al.,
2015). This will incite sport marketers to utilize social media in engaging these fans and
converting them into online advocates of the sport, the team, and hopefully for the purpose of
this study, the brand and products of Creamline as well.
Twitter provides organizations and individuals the ability to create their own personal
home page where they can post tweets, which enables other free subscribing users to read and
follow them on a daily basis (Hambrick, 2012). Twitter users are able to “retweet,” reposting
another user’s tweet (Campos et al., 2013), and reply, comment, or “favorite” tweets in their
continuous news feed from users they follow. In turn, this enables effective information sharing
in the Twitter community as it expands from one user to another in a matter of seconds
(Hambrick, 2012; Hambrick et al., 2010).
This literature about Twitter integrates its value to sports marketing. According to the
data gathered in the online focus group discussion found further in this study, Creamline fans
take the initiative to tweet, retweet, and follow anything related to Creamline— may it be about
the team, the games, its players, and even the products. Furthermore, Twitter strengthens the
personal relationship and connection that a fan feels with the accounts they follow or tweet about
(e.g. league, team, athletes, brand’s Twitter accounts).
Social media participation of sports including the teams, the players, up to the fans, all
matters to the development of a sports team. More than the exposure and awareness generated
from the content shared online, it is also a great way to build affiliation and identification
between the team and the fans, as well as the brand itself to its potential consumers. There are
several avenues to generate revenue via social media but the most common would be through the
exposure it gives to the team and the products promoted online by famous athletes.
In relation to the current undertaking, the levels of connection fans have towards a team
can be influenced by social media, and at the same time, be reflected on social media. In
addition, social media, particularly Twitter, is also very important to team identification,
especially since team identification revolves more on the association and relationship of fans
with a team or player, which can be highly improved, developed, even influenced and
manipulated online.

Brand Consumption
Customers make decisions every day and marketers seek to understand these decisions
and the process that lead to them. One of the avenues that marketers have used to relate to
consumers is sport. Sport has become a major consumer market, either we discuss about
practicing any kind of sport at professional or amateur level, or we are just interested in a
competition, sport organisation or an athlete as a regular consumer (Adrian, 2015). Sport
stimulates and develops to its consumers’ emotional reactions which are unique on consumers’
behavior patterns. The construction of the specific emotions, their identification, and valorization
in order to create extra value for the buyer as well as for the sporting organization are key
elements in defining the management, marketing strategies, and policies for the professional
sporting organizations. These elements are significant in affecting the decision-making process
of consumers that can lead to brand consumption.
According to Smith (2008) The sport consumer is regarded as an individual or a group of
individuals who use a sports or sport-related product or service in exchange for a direct or
indirect payment (Akar, et.al, 2015). Moreover, Shank and Lyberger (2015) claimed that sports
consumers display a large rank of values, attitudes, and behaviors. They represent the receptors
of the specialized information and they access the sporting events, directly or through media
channels. Eventually, sports consumers turn as the target of the advertisers and the promotional
messages are directly addressed to this category and basing the campaigns on factors that may
influence sport consumer’s brand consumption such as fan loyalty and team identification.
In a study conducted by Yang et al. (2018), they defined sports brand consumption as the
purchase and use of products or services of a particular sports brand. They add that sports brand
consumption carries emotional meaning and that consumers’ purchasing choices may be
determined by the teams they follow or sports figures whom they admire. In the sports brand
consumption context, consumers’ feeling of liking or emotion is an important criterion for
purchasing decisions. This literature is relevant to the current study’s discussion on team
identification because the emotional meaning that determines the purchasing choices and brand
consumption of customers/ fans among many other factors is also covered by the motives
discussed under the literature on team identification. The emotional meanings that are formed
among fans or consumers towards a team can develop their team identification and brand
consumption.
Moreover, under the same study, Yang et al. (2018) identified three psychological features
of their subjects (Chinese consumers) that have tendency to form interest and love for a brand:
group affiliation, enjoyable communication, and identity expression. The interest and love for a
brand are implications of brand consumption. These three draw analogies with the
aforementioned motives predictive of team identification such as social interaction, family,
escape, etc. The three identified factors by Yang et al. (2018) and the motives predictive of team
identification by Fink et al. (2002) are equally instrumental in developing the process of brand
consumption and the entire decision-making of a sports fan consumer.
When an individual’s cognitive effort increases, there will be a greater incorporation of
the brand into his/her self-concept (Malär, Krohmer, Hoyer, & Nyffenegger, 2011). In this way,
higher sports involvement results in higher sports participation and engagement (Stevens &
Rosenberger, 2012). When consumers are involved in sports activities, they are more likely to
spend more cognitive effort on them and view the brands that are related to these activities as
being part of their self-concept (Sirgy, et.al, 2014). All these reflect how valuable team
identification is to brand consumption. Based on the collected literature on brand consumption,
identifying yourself as part of a team or a brand imparts self-concept and increases high
emotional meaning. This leads to heightened interest and love towards the brand with high
probability of brand consumption.

Synthesis & Critique

Synthesizing all data presented in the review of related literature, several factors emerged
to have an impact on sports marketing strategies towards brand consumption, particularly fan
loyalty, social media, and team identification. Studies show that fan loyalty plays a critical role in
creating benefits and value to a brand. Meanwhile, other factors like team identification and
social media affect composite measures of fan loyalty. A study conducted by Ozgen and Argan
(2017) determined that team identification has a highly significant mediator effect between
attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. Having been defined as an individual’s association with team
members and psychological contact with the team (Funk & James, 2001), team identification
emerged as a major player in a sports marketing strategy. Moreover, the following motives have
been identified to have influence in a fan’s team identification: vicarious achievement (need for
social prestige, self-esteem, and a sense of empowerment that individuals can receive from their
association with a successful team), drama (the need to experience pleasurable stress or
stimulation gained from the drama of the event), escape (the need to find a diversion from work
and the normal unexciting activity of everyday life), family (the opportunity to spend time with
one’s family doing something everyone enjoys), acquisition of knowledge (the need to learn
about the team or players through interaction and media consumption), appreciation of physical
skills of the athletes (the appreciation of the physical skill of the athletes or the well-executed
performance of the team), and social interaction (the need to interact and socialize with others of
like interests to achieve feelings that one is part of a group). All these contributing factors add up
to the impact of team identification and social media on fan loyalty, and possibly, on brand
consumption. It helps a team or a brand retain fans and even convert a regular spectator into a
loyal fan. By mastering the skill to control these factors, a team’s sports marketing strategy can
be a well-designed matrix that could help form brand consumption among fans in a way that is
beneficial to both the sport team and the brand.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
 A model proposed by Daniel Funk and Jeff James (2001) called the Psychological
Continuum Model or PCM was utilized as the theoretical framework of this study. This model is
significant and relevant to team identification and fan loyalty, as well as social media
involvement and influence. One definition of team identification by Ashforth and Mael (2001)
describes it as the level of perceiving the successes and failures of the spectators' teams as their
own successes and failures. From this point of view, it can be said that the "psychological
connection that fans establish with their team" is the common point of team identification that
may possibly lead to the development of fan loyalty. PCM focuses on the psychological
relationship an individual may form with a sport object (e.g., a sport or team) and identifies the
different factors thought to influence the formation of a strong connection relative to a sport
object. This can be the angle used to determine the level of team identification and fan loyalty of
Creamline Cool Smashers’ fans through the online focus group discussion that this research
employed as one of its instruments.

Based on this model, the process of forming a psychological connection with a sport or
team begins with the notion of awareness. The initial connection to a sport object that a person
forms is the recognition that different sports and teams exist. Two questions of primary interest at
this level are: (1) When do people become aware of sports and teams? and (2) How do people
become aware of sports and teams? Basically, it involves extrinsic features like the influence of
socializing agents such as family and friends, or even forms of media that initially cause
awareness to people about the team.
Knowing that sports and teams exist but having no interest in sports signals that a person
has achieved a level of awareness, but not attraction. Increasing awareness may lead an
individual to compare and contrast different sports and teams and make the conscious decision
that he or she likes one sport or team more than others. Selecting a favorite sport or team
suggests that a person has reached the attraction level. Attraction involves both intrinsic and
extrinsic features because a person’s interest can be innate, but it can be developed due to several
factors or motives. Researchers have examined the following motives as influence to a person’s
attraction to a team: achievement (basking-in-reflected-glory / BIRGing), entertainment, escape,
action, drama, physical attraction, social interaction, and wholesome environment. These
motives can be very beneficial to the present study because it can be bases that aid in the
examination of levels of team identification, fan loyalty, and social media involvement and
influence of fans.
Moving on to the next level that is attachment, which represents the “strength” or degree
to which evaluative tendencies and responses elicited by a team or sport trigger certain
associations that are meaningful – the classic components of an attitude according to Eagly &
Chaiken in 1993 (Trail & James, 2011). This level denotes a stable psychological connection to a
sport or team. This intrinsic process would help explain how meaning is attached to external
associations (e.g., success, pride in place, stadium) and take on internal psychological
significance (Gladden & Funk, 2001). Teams like Creamline Cool Smashers may implement
actions that stimulate attachment level of fans such as providing more information about the
players and coaches through social media, by encouraging direct experience with the team (e.g.,
attending games rather than watching them on television, meeting the players), and developing
an image that is valued within the community (e.g., hard work, giving back to the community, or
just the simple Good Vibes mantra of Team Creamline). We suggest that attachment may result
from a collective strengthening of various physical and psychological features linking the team
to other important attitudes, beliefs, and values.
The last level of connection in the PCM is allegiance. Although the term “allegiance” has
not often been used in the fan behavior literature, this research uses it to describe the construct of
loyalty. Funk and James (2001) stipulate that allegiance reflects the extent to which an attitude is
persistent, resistant, and influences cognition and behavior. These four strength-related
consequences of an attitude are thought to represent causal indicators of a strong, stable, and
continuous relationship with an athletic team and are viewed as determinants of loyalty (Tachis
& Tzetzis, 2015). From this perspective, we can conceptually elaborate upon previous definitions
by partitioning the attitudinal component of loyalty into three independent yet related
components: persistence, resistance, and cognitive processes.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The Psychological Continuum Model identifies four levels of psychological connection
that an individual may form with a sport object (e.g. a sports or a team). The conceptual
framework relates the PCM to team identification because it involves psychological concepts
that are very relevant to the nature of team identification. Moreover, it is also linked to social
media because it is one of the channels through which fans reflect their fan loyalty and express
team identification, and at the same time, a factor that this research considers as an influence to a
fan’s consumption as well. This framework was used to determine the degree of connection a fan
has in terms of awareness, attraction, attachment, and allegiance to a sports team and examine
their impact on team identification and social media participation of the fans. The extent of their
team identification and social media participation denotes fan loyalty and signifies a higher
chance and probability of product consumption. This framework also displays the link between
the sports team and the brand, and how sport marketers can operate on these factors that could
lead to a fan’s interest and consumption of the product more than just the fan’s interest with the
sports team.

RESEARCH DESIGN
This study made use of an Empirical Case Study Research Design. This type of research
is conducted based on an in-depth and thorough investigation through various methods such as
observations and interviews to explore the causes of underlying principles. Given the nature of
study in Philippine volleyball wherein no literature is known to have examined fans’ brand
consumption, this type of research would suit best in terms of developing a groundwork
regarding the topic in order for researchers to explore more about it in the future. The
observations and personal experiences shared by the interviewees and respondents in this
empirical case study can also contribute to the sports marketing industry in uncovering solutions
for professional / club teams to be sustainable and for the brand to be more profitable instead of
simply gaining recognition without profit or ROI.
Furthermore, this study employed mixed methods which was defined as ‘research in
which the investigator collects and analyses data, integrates the findings and draws inferences
using both qualitative and quantitative approaches or methods in a single study’ (Doyle, et.al,
2009). Mixed methods research helps in responding to questions that cannot be answered by one
approach. This rationality of mixed methods research emphasizes on the idea that individuals
tend to resolve problems maximizing both figures and words.
The researcher made use of the survey method for the quantitative part of this research,
followed by the qualitative part which involved in-depth interviews with 3 experts from
Creamline and an online focus group discussion that established a better extensiveness and
complexity of the results done from the quantitative stage. Surveys and experiments on
examining the relationships between independent and dependent variables were primary for
resolving questions and hypothesis (Creswell, 2014).

SUBJECTS
This empirical case study used the purposive sampling technique. Basically, this
technique aids in selection of information-rich cases for the most effective use of limited
resources (Etikan, et.al, 2016). This involves identifying and selecting individuals or groups of
individuals that are especially knowledgeable about or experienced with a phenomenon of
interest (Cresswell & Plano Clark, 2011). In addition to knowledge and experience, Palinkas,
et.al note the importance of availability and willingness to participate, and the ability to
communicate experiences and opinions in an articulate, expressive, and reflective manner
(2013). The goal of this non-probability sampling method is to focus on respondents that are of
interest to the research topic and will aid in this study by helping answer the research questions.
The participants in all the data gathering procedures involved were all selected with given
criteria to achieve the purpose of the study.
The respondents who participated in the online survey were all given one requirement to
join: they must be Creamline Cool Smashers fans. They were either male or female, with no
given category for the age and location. This was implemented because the primary target market
of the Creamline Ice Cream is 13 to 19 years old, while its secondary is 13 to 35 years old.
However, since this research covered the sports landscape, which practically has a universal
market, everyone who claims themselves as fans have purchasing power of the product, whether
direct or indirect purchasing power, relevant to testing the consumer behavior and consumption
of the fans. The total number of participants who willingly joined the online survey is 2,168.
For the online focus group discussion, the participants were selected given the pre-
requisite that they are loyal Creamline Cool Smasher fans, either male or female. Loyalty was
measured through frequency of attendance in live games and their purchase of Creamline Ice
Cream. Frequency of game attendance and purchase of the product is crucial in the FGD because
the researcher needed to draw deeper insights that would bridge fan loyalty and team
identification into brand consumption. Moreover, the FGD was also conducted online because
the call for participants were done via social media, integrating the variable of social media use
among Philippine volleyball fans including that of Creamline. This data gathering procedure was
conducted among 10 loyal Creamline fans who volunteered to join and all happen to be female.
Lastly, the interviewees who participated in the in-depth expert interview were two males,
who serve as team managers to the Creamline Cool Smashers, and one female, who works as
Category Manager for Frozen and Chilled Food Group in Rebisco (the mother company of
Creamline).
DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE
Firstly, a self-structured 40-item online survey questionnaire that includes majority of
Likert scale was used to measure significant relationship of studied variables. The researcher
tested the reliability of the questionnaire by performing a pre-test. Prior conducting the pre-test, a
matrix of variable, indicators and measure was used in order to easily identify which among the
questions conveyed relationships to the designated variable in the matrix and how it was measure
in the questionnaire (see Appendix VII). The instrument was pretested to 200 respondents. The
pre-tested samples were not part of the final and actual sample size. After three experts from the
field of communication validated the questionnaires, the revised and final survey questionnaire
was distributed through the use of social media via Google form link. The aim of this
quantitative phase was to gather objective data on the current level of team identification and
loyalty of Creamline fans and their consumption of the products.
Following the online survey, an online focus group discussion was conducted among 10
participants and the researcher. The 10 participants were all loyal fans of Creamline Cool
Smashers who volunteered to take part in the online FGD. Lastly, an in-depth expert interview
also took place to gather deeper insights from the team and brand perspective. Two male experts
participated to give their views as the team managers of Creamline Cool Smashers, as well as
one female expert who answered on behalf of Rebisco (the mother company of Creamline) and
Creamline itself. The questions, as well as the follow-ups, were all constructed and administered
by the researcher.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
This entire research focused on gathering data about the impact of team identification, fan
loyalty, and social media in brand consumption. Deeper responses have been collected through
several instruments in order to measure how the data of this research affects consumption and
furthermore contributes to the sports marketing industry. In addition, participants’ profile and
demographics were also part of the survey. Since the current study wielded mixed methods
research, the online survey served as the quantitative method of gathering data, while the online
focus group discussion and in-depth expert interview aided in the qualitative method.
Pilot testing was administered to 200 respondents to test the reliability of the
questionnaire. Once the questionnaire was validated, the online survey link was distributed on
social media. After disseminating the link, 2,168 Creamline fans voluntarily answered the survey.
Furthermore, in measuring the internal consistency of the instruments, coefficient of test scores
or Cronbach’s alpha was measured with obtained result of .961. Therefore, there was no need to
delete items regarding the variables from the analyses of the dataset. For the calculation of the
coefficient alpha or Cronbach’s alpha, the researcher sought the help of an expert statistician.
To further ensure content and construct validity of the instruments, the researcher sought
the help of three experts in the field of marketing and communications to guide the researcher in
formulating the questions for the survey as well as with the interview. Their suggestions and
comments were considered in the final draft of the questionnaires and interview.

Reliability embodies consistency, thus, it examines the strength of the questionnaire.

Saunders et al. (2009) further explained that it validates whether comprehensible results were
produced with the same questionnaire at altered periods and under varied situations. To
guarantee that the variables of team identification, fan loyalty, social media and brand
consumption were measured consistently, the researcher carefully used appropriate measurement
scales for each variable.

After employing quantitative data gathering via online survey, qualitative data collection
for this research utilized self-structured online focus group discussion and expert in-depth
interview. Online FGD was conducted among 10 loyal Creamline fans, while the expert
interview was done with two team managers and one brand category manager. All participants
for the qualitative data gathering gave consent to participate.
The online focus group discussion was recorded through a website that specializes in
online FGDs, while the in-depth expert interview was recorded via a sound recorder, where data
were transcribed after recording.

DATA ANALYSIS
Data from the online survey were evaluated using Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) software. This analysis allowed the researcher to develop an understanding of data
gathered during the quantitative phase. The data were cleared by disregarding the incomplete
responses and unnecessary variables. Quantitative data analysis was primarily descriptive.
Statistics such as means, percentages, medians, ranges, and variances were calculated, as
appropriate for all variables. This examination allowed the researcher to progress an initial
understanding of data collected during the quantitative phase.

For the outcome of the focus group discussion and in-depth expert interview, transcribed
and summarized answers of participants and interviewees were placed under the corresponding
question they answered. To provide the internal reliability, the collected data were written in a
descriptive approach.

Using mixed methods research through collaboration of both quantitative and qualitative
data sets guarantee a comprehensive investigation of the occurrence.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The central focus of this paper is to verify the significant relationships among team
identification, social media, fan loyalty and brand consumption. For the part of the consumers
and to initially answer the research questions, 2,168 respondents volunteered to answer an online
survey questionnaire using purposive sampling. Based on the overall demographic profile of the
respondents (Table 1a & Table 1b), those who participated in the online survey were mostly
female (82%), college graduates (53.8%) who are working (81.4%) with an average monthly
salary between Php10,000 to Php20,000 pesos (72.3% earns at most Php20,000 per month). The
average age of the respondents is 24.19 years old (SD = 9.10 years).
 Table 2a shows that of the four (4) variables used in the study, the respondents gave the
highest mean rating to Team Identification (M=3.996, SD=.666), followed by social media
(M=3.764, SD=.780) and fan loyalty (M=3.725, SD=.646). Brand Consumption was rated the
lowest (M=3.068, SD=.756). Since all the mean ratings are around three to four (3-4), the
respondents generally agree to strongly agree to all the questions pertaining to those variables.

Table 2b shows that there are significant correlations between: team identification and fan
loyalty (r=0.619, p<0.01 with a R2 = .3832), team identification and brand consumption (r=0.658,
p<0.01 with a R2 = .433), team identification and social media (r=0.941, p<0.01 with a R2 =
.8855), social media and fan loyalty (r=0.554, p<0.01 with a R2 = .3069), social media and brand
consumption (r=0.660, p<0.01 with a R2 = .4356) & fan loyalty and brand consumption (r=0.559,
p<0.01 with a R2 = .3125).

All relationships shown above are moderate positive since all the values of the Pearson’s
correlation coefficients are within the range .5 - .7 except for the the relationship between team
identification and social media (r =.941) which is considered high positive. Nevertheless, be it
moderate or high positive, all the correlations are significant.
Based on the computed coefficients of determination (R2), 38.32% of the variation (or
changes) in the ratings given to team identification is explained by (or due to) the variation (or
changes) in ratings given to fan loyalty, whereas, 88.55% is explained by the variation (or
changes) in ratings given to social media. On the other hand, variation in the ratings given to
brand consumption is explained by team identification (43.30%), fan loyalty (31.25%) and social
media (43.56%). Furthermore, 30.69% of the changes in fan loyalty rating is explained by social
media rating.
These results support the Psychological Continuum Model of Funk and James (2001)
which was used as the theoretical framework of this research that further explains validity of the
hypotheses. To test the hypotheses, statistical data from the quantitative gathering was combined
with the qualitative results from the online focus group discussion and in-depth expert interview.

H1: The greater the team identification of a fan is to a team, the greater their loyalty is to the
team.

To validate this hypothesis, data from the online FGD, in relation to the theoretical
framework will be discussed in support to the statistical data which was proven significant by
correlation analysis. As explained in the Psychological Continuum Model by Funk and James
(2001) the relationship between the team/ player and the fans starts with Awareness, hence, that
is the topic which the online FGD opened with.
Firstly, the 10 online FGD participants were asked about how they became aware of the
team subject, Creamline Cool Smashers. 8 out of 10 participants answered that they learned
about the Creamline Cool Smashers because of a certain player they follow and idolize, Alyssa
Valdez. Five of them claimed to be members of the same player’s fan group, Alyfinity, and that
was where they became more knowledgeable about the subject (CCS). The other two
respondents came to learn about the team because one of them has been following the league for
a long time and has been told about it by her friends while the remaining other said she learned
about CCS through social media. This data from the online FGD confirms that these fans have
established a psychological connection through the first level of PCM, that is awareness.
Secondly, the participants were asked about what made them interested with the team in
order to identify and dig deeper on PCM’s second level of connection, that is attraction. Five of
the FGD participants that belong to the Alyfinity group answered that they became interested in
watching the CCS because of the player they support (Alyssa Valdez), and at the same time,
because of their participation in the fan group. Moreover, the fan group built deeper
relationships with the management, including the team managers and staff, enabling their support
for the team and their interest to watch grow more. The rest of the participants became interested
because of the excitement and happiness they feel whenever they watch the games, the family
they gained with their co-fans, the associated feeling they get such as feeling of victory when the
team wins, and their sympathy when the team loses. Many of them also mentioned that watching
the CCS is their form of stress reliever from work. Participants add that the “Good Vibes” mantra
of the team is also one thing they have adapted from the team. Whenever they play, they
exemplify the “Good Vibes” mantra, making them a joy to watch for the fans. Every time they
post online, they also resonate the same idea. This is one asset they hold over their fans.
I've become interested and attracted watching Creamline Cool Smashers since
the team was formed. I always give my 101% support to them together with
my co-Alyfinity members and other CCS supporters.. It is a great and amazing
experience to cheer and support your favourite team, meeting new friends as
our fan group become bigger and bigger, cheering for one team—- the
Creamline Cool Smashers. I could say that we are not just a fan group, we are
one big happy family. We all know that each of us have different situations and
dilemmas in life but everything goes away when we watch volleyball and
enjoying the company especially when we watch games live. —Creamline
Fan, FGD participant

This statement exhibits how a fan’s level of connection with a team heightens from
simple awareness to attraction. Basing it from the responses, the participants’ interest in
Creamline Cool Smashers draw from different motives that conduce team identification. Some of
the motives that are predictive of team identification according to Fink et.al (2002) which are
present in the FGD responses are: vicarious achievement, drama, escape, developed family
among fan group, social interaction and appreciation of physcial skills of athletes. Basically,
these motives contribute to the attraction of fans towards CCS.
Furthermore, the participants were asked “What builds your relationship with the team?”.
Common answers among participants include watching their games. One of the most significant
answers from the participants says:
 I feel different kinds of emotions, from being happy when they win, for being
sad when they lose. The goosebumps from their smart kills and powerful
spikes. Feels like my emotion depends also on the emotion or character of the
players before, during and after the game. Moreover, watching CCS games has
been one of their main avenue to escape stress. Whenever they are bored and
stressed from work, they would usually replay and watch again the games of
CCS to make them feel better. since I am a fan, I do follow them on social
media. The reason why I am a fan of them is because of their skills, their
attitude, and how they play. They can really influence people with their skills.
Moreover, we can see how solid the fans of CCS are. As long as you sincerely
support the team, they will definitely welcome you to their group. The sense of
family among their group has also increased their team identification. —
Creamline Fan, FGD participant

Incorporating data from both the quantitative and qualitative method validates H1: The
greater the team identification of a fan is to a team, the greater their loyalty is to the team. Team
identification has been a proven predictor of fan loyalty among fans and the motives predictive
of team identification based from the theoretical framework, Psychological Continuum Model,
were also present in the answers of the participants of the FGD. This exhibits that the awareness
and attraction of fans towards Creamline Cool Smashers develop team identification, which
according to the correlation analysis, leads to fan loyalty.

H2: The greater the fan loyalty is to a team, the higher the brand consumption.
As explained in the literature review, the concept of fan loyalty revolves around
psychological and behavioral aspects that represent the commitment of a fan to a team. After
establishing the participants’ awareness and attraction to CCS, the next thing that was explored in
the interview is fans’ attachment. This attachment is paralleled to fan loyalty. To further measure
the fans’ commitment to Creamline Cool Smashers, the participants were also asked the question
“If the team loses your favourite player or lose games in the league, will you stop supporting the
team? Why or Why not?”. This question will help measure the strength or degree to which the
fans’ evaluative tendencies and responses elicited by CCS affect their behaviour and attitude
towards the team.
All the participants mentioned that if the team loses games, they would still support the
team. However, five of them shared that if their favourite player transfers to another team, that is
the team they would support instead. On the other hand, four of the remaining participants said
that their support with CCS is solid, so they do not mind whether their favourite player transfers
to another team.
If the team loses my favourite player or lose games in the league I still support the
team because my heart is in the team, whatever happens, win or lose, I will always
support the CCS. —Creamline Fan, FGD participant

The last participant then shared that despite being one, if not the most, loyal fan of
Creamline’s franchise player, she would still support Creamline even if her favourite player
transfers. However, if that player plays against Creamline, her support would be with, of course,
her favourite player’s team.

As the online FGD progressed, the researcher continued to dig deeper on measuring the
level of attachment leading to allegiance of the participants towards CCS. Both these levels of
connection contribute to the development of team identification and further springing to fan
loyalty. Six out of 10 participants shared how the Creamline Cool Smashers affected their
attitude and behavior through the team’s “Good Vibes” mantra. They added how they get
inspired by the team to live this mantra in their everyday lives the same way the team plays
projecting ”good vibes” and happiness in their every game. In addition, one participant said:
As a CCS fan, the team affect my attitude and behavior in a positive way. Just
like the team that promotes "Good Vibes" and "Happy Happy" spirit, this
encourages us fans to also make the effort to promote the team, to promote
good vibes to all while also patronizing Creamline Ice Cream products.—
Creamline Fan, FGD participant

Participants also expressed how CCS affects them to convince their family to join them
in watching and supporting the team. Meanwhile, two participants shared how the team affects
them and their efforts as a fan by willingly travelling all the way from the provinces to Metro
Manila every weekend just to see the team play live.
The significance of the Creamline Cool Smashers to the fans who participated in the
online FGD is very huge because, other than enjoying the sport, the games, and seeing their
favourite players play, they all agree that CCS enabled them to have a family outside their
homes. Their membership in the Creamline fan group increases their value as a fan because they
gain a sense of belongingness and feel like they have a family to celebrate won games with, and
sympathize lost ones with as well. Furthermore, the fans claimed that they feel they belong to the
Creamline team as well. Moreover, CCS gives fulfilment to the fans because whenever these
fans miss watching the games, they share that they really feel “something is lacking”. Another
recurring insight during the interview is how important CCS is to the fans because they are a
form of stress reliever and source of their happiness.
To fans, another visible measure of attachment to the team is the effort they make in
watching the games live. The participants all agreed that they prefer watching the games live
rather than on TV because of the excitement, intensity, and attachment they feel during a live
game. The feeling of seeing their idols play live is a different feeling of fulfilment for all of
them. Also, some of them take the opportunity to watch live games in order to have a chance to
meet or at least take a photo with the athletes in person. Meanwhile, for the members of the
Alyfinity (Alyssa Valdez’s fan group—franchise player of Creamline) who pledged their support
to the Creamline Cool Smashers, it is a commitment for everyone in their fan group to always be
in attendance to the games as frequent as they can. After watching the game, they share that they
also have “bonding moments” with the entire group, which adds up to their sense of
belongingness, team identification, and fan loyalty.
Evaluating the strength and stability of fan loyalty towards Creamline Cool Smashers is
crucial because this is an avenue to assess whether they can be influenced towards brand
consumption. During the FGD, the participants were asked whether they consider themselves as
fans with strong, stable and continuous relationship with Creamline. Five participants answered
“yes”, explaining that they consider themselves to have a strong, stable, and continuous
relationship with CCS because the management and the team do not treat them as fans, but rather
family. The fans feel a deeper relationship with everyone in the team, not just the players, and
this strengthens their support for them. However, the other five answered that they have a strong,
stable, and continuous relationship with Creamline for as long as their favourite player, Alyssa, is
still with them. They noted that they would say ‘no’ if Alyssa happened to transfer to another
team.
The last level of connection in the Psychological Continuum Model is the strongest
among the four, and the one that is most likely to develop a strong identification and stable fan
loyalty. As explained in the theoretical framework, allegiance reflects the extent to which an
attitude is persistent, resistant, and influences cognition and behavior (Funk & James, 2001). In
relation to this, the participants were asked “if someone says good things about Creamline, how
do you react? What about if they say negative one, do you believe them?”. This question was
included to determine how persistent the fans are in terms of support and how resistant they are
with anything negative thrown at the team. Exploring this aspect will ascertain their degree of
commitment and allegiance to the team.
All respondents take pride in saying that they feel happy and agree whenever someone
says good things about the CCS. On the other hand, all of them feel sad whenever their team
receives negative comments, issues, and rumours. Aside from feeling sad, they were all certain
that they would not believe anything negative thrown at the team, but rather, will defend them
amidst the issues, stand by them, and continue supporting the CCS. All 10 participants showed
resistance to believing negative thoughts thrown to the team. The feeling and urge to stand up for
the team instead of believing the negative things others would say about them is very evident
among all 10 participants.
As mentioned in the research instrument section above, pre-requisite for the participants
of the online FGD is being a loyal Creamline Cool Smashers fan. This loyalty among the online
FGD participants were very helpful in validating H2: The greater the fan loyalty is to a team, the
higher the brand consumption. After confirming the validity of H2, this research will further
discuss the results of the online FGD that explores brand consumption.

Brand Consumption
From the information collected in the literature review and data gathering, it has been
noted that the emotional meanings that are formed among fans or consumers towards a team can
develop their team identification, fan loyalty and brand consumption. After exploring the 4 levels
of connection among the FGD participants and identifying which level they are at (which are
mostly in attachment and allegiance level), the discussion moves to the participants’ brand
consumption. All 10 participants have already purchased Creamline Ice Cream but none of them
have purchased before the Creamline Cool Smashers volleyball team was formed. They shared
that their main reason for trying out the product was the team. The participants add that the
influence they all felt from the Creamline Cool Smashers were really big and heavy, especially
because they would not have known about Creamline Ice cream if it were not because of the
players. Moreover, the CCS is also one of the main reasons why the participants continues to
purchase this product as their sign of support as loyal fans.
When asked about why the participants purchase Creamline Ice Cream today, they all
answered a uniform response. They all purchased Creamline Ice Cream as support to the team
and their players. However, upon getting exposed to the product’s affordability and quality, all of
them continued buying since then. They confirmed that now, the reason of their consumption
may have started because of volleyball, but definitely do not end there.
Even when the team gets dissolved, hopefully not, I will still buy Creamline
products. I tasted the products and liked it and I don’t find it reasonable to not
purchase them anymore if the team ever gets dissolved in the future. —Creamline
fan, FGD participant

Now that the consumption of the products have been established among the participants,
the discussion moves on to their options. In the online FGD, the participants were asked whether
Creamline will be their top-of-mind choice in buying ice cream. Nine out of 10 participants
expressed Creamline as their top choice over leading brands mainly because it is affordable and
it tastes good. Furthermore, all the participants shared that Creamline has become their brand of
choice when it comes to ice cream since the Creamline Cool Smashers volleyball team was
formed. Their brand consumption started out as a form of support to the team but as the fans
experienced the great taste and affordability of the products, their purchasing decision was
strengthened even more. Determining the reasons behind the participants’ purchase, 3 significant
answers recurrently appeared: 1. they order Creamline Ice Cream because it is carried and
promoted by their favourite athlete; 2. because it is affordable; and 3. because it tastes good.
To answer one of the research questions involving conversion of fan loyalty to brand
consumption, this discussion highlights the answer of all 10 participants.
As a fan of the CCS, we also consider ourselves fans of Creamline Ice Cream
as well.-—Creamline Fan, FGD participant

Clearly, the volleyball team bridged the fans to the brand, and although CCS initiated
their purchase, their continuous support and purchase of the brand is caused by its quality and
affordability.
Moving on to some key results and findings from the in-depth expert interview in relation
to Creamline’s brand consumption, both the experts expressed how sports is their brand’s sole
form of marketing. One of the most remarkable insight from the interview is how Creamline
improved from not being in the top 10 of frozen dairy product/ ice cream industry to actually
being 4th/ 5th in a span of 2 years, all because of the massive contribution of sports marketing to
their business.
We have a good problem. We run out of stocks. It just simply shows that for a
brand that can go from not even in the top ten, to suddenly a strong fourth and
fifth in a matter of 2 years, it really did wonders for the brand. But at the end of
the day, the proof the pudding is in the eating. So the product must be good. So
in a sense, the promise of good vibes, is that it is a good quality product, plus
the fact that it is being seen and endorsed by franchise/good players can made
 selling it more easy than if you put it just there in little banderitas or calendars.
It wouldn’t have grown.—A.A., Creamline Cool Smashers Team Manager

Is it extra ordinary? Because you know, sports marketing even in the PBA
would indicate huge impact. But the mere fact that you are able to improve the
identity as a brand, is in itself ready solidifying your defense against
competition. So that’s what’s happening. And that’s the good thing about sports
marketing.—R.D, CCS Team Manager, Creamline Marketing

The experts further shared how fortunate they are to have a good strategic fit with sports
especially because ice cream is a celebratory product. This matches the team’s “good vibes”
mantra which the Creamline embodies every game. Having a team that epitomize “good vibes”
and a brand that sells celebratory products like ice cream has been doing wonders for
Creamline’s sports marketing progress.
To us management, even the fans, the “good vibes” mantra goes beyond just
watching. It’s an emotion that can inspire you to be positive in any instance and
they would always relate that to Creamline. But at the end, it’s all based upon
the fact that we would like to show the same experience to the fans because
whenever they see the team play “good vibes” volleyball, everybody is living
it, and everyone would say that the team embodies the essence of Creamline as
an ice cream brand that exudes good vibes and celebration.—A.A., Creamline
Cool Smashers Team Manager

The good vibes positioning is fitting because ice cream is a celebratory product
so therefore, unlike the other brands, they would say, “indulges, creaminess
and so on and so forth”, but to us, it is experience. So when Creamline
marketing studied what kind of opposition it can have, we said that lets
capitalize that people eat ice cream because they want to celebrate something
or when they see ice cream, they feel happy. Hence, the good vibes mantra.—
R.D, CCS Team Manager, Creamline Marketing

Furthermore, the experts were also honest enough to share how careful they are in
selecting players. This fact is valuable to the concept of developing team identification. The
Creamline management stressed how they select players not just because of skills, but also based
on their personalities because they want the fans to associate themselves to a team that promotes
“good vibes” volleyball embodied by “good vibes” players. In the correlation analysis, it has
been identified that the variable with the highest mean rating predictive of brand consumption is
Team Identification (M=3.996, SD=.666), followed by social media (M=3.764, SD=.780) and
fan loyalty (M=3.725, SD=.646). This finding can be further explained by identifying team
identification as the strongest predictor of brand consumption because it is paralleled with the
PCM’s first levels of psychological connection that are awareness and attraction. The rating of
team identification appeared higher because it is the easiest to achieve among all levels.
Meanwhile the variable with the lowest rating in the correlation analysis is fan loyalty.
 Fan loyalty appears to be the least according to correlation but it definitely is a strong
predictor of brand consumption. Having been parelled to the PCM’s allegiance level, fan loyalty
is something strong but formed by many factors such as team identification the same way that
allegiance is achieved by going through the 3 other levels of connection first, which are
awareness, attraction and attachment.

H3: Strong social media presence of Creamline Cool Smashers positively impact fans’ brand
consumption.
Data from the correlation analysis shows that social media is a predictor of Brand
Consumption (t=40.873, p<0.01). This significant relationship was also reflected in the online
FGD and in-depth expert interview. The FGD participants said that social media impacts all of
them in a way by which they develop a deeper relationship with the team and the players. For
them, it is the easier access they have that allows them to get connected with the team. They feel
the urge to always be online so they could stay updated on the latest news about Creamline.
Majority of the respondents shared that they express their fanship mostly on Twitter because it is
the platform where they see the athletes more active and it is where they feel like sharing and
exchanging blow-by-blow updates and engage in conversations regarding a game, an athlete, and
other topics relevant to the team.
When it comes to influence, all the FGD participants openly shared how they all respond
to Creamline players’ posts online, encouraging them to watch live or even buy products. All 10
said that they feel responsible in expressing how they, as fans, will make the effort to support the
players and the team with whatever they promote. This is their way of exhibiting support and at
the same time, they do this because a “feel-good” feeling follows every time they show support
to the team. It has also been their habit to make themselves available to attend or engage in
whatever activity the CCS encourages them to join in.
Social media is evidently a very powerful marketing tool, making noise in today’s
generation. With this, the researcher asked the participants if they buy Creamline ice cream as
much as they post about the team. Five out of 10 respondents answered “yes”, they would buy
Creamline frequently as long as it is available and would post it on social media to show support
to the CCS. However, the other half does not post it on Twitter but makes sure to retweet and
comment on any posts made by the team to still show support, despite not generating their own
content. This act by the fans make them feel like they are an extension of the team. Consistency
has also been something that these loyal fans have been exuding. They constantly tweet about the
team, games and players. However, they admit that they are not as consistent when it comes to
tweeting about Creamline products, although despite this, they still make it a habit to retweet and
share tweets by other co-fans or the players that promote Creamline products.
I engage to their (players’) invitation to buy Creamline ice cream because this
is my way to show my support to them, and at the same time, I also loved the
product. This is only one of the many promotions and invitations that we, fans,
support.
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE
RESEARCH
Findings suggest that team identification is a strong predictor of fan loyalty. This proves
the H1, the greater the team identification of a fan is to a team, the greater their loyalty is to the
team.
In addition, this study’s findings through the qualitative data were aligned with Fink et
al.’s (2002) motives that influence psychological levels of a fan including their team
identification and fan loyalty. The data regarding these correlated variables validated H1 and H2,
which state the greater the team identification of a fan is to a team, the greater their loyalty is to
the team (H1) and the more intense fan loyalty is to a team, the higher the brand consumption
(H2). Moreover, H3 has also been proven valid since the qualitative data showed how the strong
social media presence of the CCS positively impact brand consumption of Creamline fans and
how team identification links fan loyalty to brand consumption. This is very evident in the
qualitative data presented from the online FGD. One of the significant implications of the
qualitative data based from the online FGD is that, fan loyalty to Creamline Cool Smashers
volleyball team translates to brand loyalty to Creamline Ice Cream.
The results of this case study have initially proven all hypotheses to be valid. Moreover, it
may also be due to the type of product that Creamline has, particularly ice cream, which is a
consumer-based product. This means that the type of product Creamline has is something that
consumers and fans can purchase regularly. Therefore, the strategic fit between sports marketing
and Creamline is good. It is easier to monitor increase in sales and performance on consumer-
based products because consumers purchase their goods or services more frequently than those
brands that offer specialized products/ services by which consumers only purchase from time to
time (e.g. condominium units, cars, etc.). Hence, for the recommendation on future research, it
would be a good addition to the sports marketing literature if a researcher does a comparison
study between two teams, one that promotes consumer-based products/ goods (example of
volleyball teams carrying consumer-based products: Choco Mucho- brand of snacks, Generika-
drugstore, PLDT- internet services), versus another team carrying a brand promoting specialized
products/ services (example of volleyball teams with non-consumer-based products/ services:
Foton- a car brand, Sta. Lucia- a realty company, etc., Marinerang Pilipinas- team representing
a corporation of seamen), and examine whether the fan loyalty among these two teams can lead
to purchase or brand consumption of the said brands the same way that the fan loyalty of
Creamline Cool Smashers led to consumption of Creamline products among fans. Results on the
impact of sports marketing towards teams carrying brands promoting consumer-based products/
services may be different from impact on teams carrying brands promoting specialized products/
services especially because the latter have specialized/ niche market as compared to consumer-
based brands that promote products that have a wider selection of target market which sports can
tap. This is an interesting scenario to explore on future researches in order to examine whether
sports marketing is effective even for those with limited/ targeted market. This recommendation
for future research will also measure sustainability and profitability of the teams to be compared,
which will be beneficial in determining whether sports marketing is the appropriate form of
marketing for said businesses to venture on and to identify if sports marketing have limited
effects on non-consumer based brands.
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