Building Fan Identification in Minor League Sport Organizations: Individual Player vs. Team Approach

Abstract

Fan identification has been widely documented as a psychological connection fans have with a team. In the quest to enhance fan identification with a minor league organization, obstacles such as limited budgets and relatively small fan bases present a vast array of challenges. Minor league organizations typically do not have the luxury of pursuing multiple marketing strategies, and therefore must determine the most effective and efficient alternative for promoting their team and building their brand. This study investigates whether it is more effective for a minor league organization to enhance fan identification by promoting the individual players or the team.