Why Do Sports Fans Buy More than they Want to Buy

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As I continue designing Ayala Marketing Strategy and learning how marketing works in the sports sector, I am now seeing that this is something very simple but very profound. Fans don’t always buy things because they need them. In many cases, people buy based on what they feel most strongly about at that moment.

I’ve felt this before as well. When I am watching a game in person and I feel the energy of the crowd, it makes me want to go and buy merchandise. I might even make a stop and buy some food before getting the merch.  At the end of the day, buying food and merchandise or even thinking about going to another game feels natural. It’s something that I hadn’t thought of before, something that I never planned on doing. It just happened as a consequence of these emotions connected to the game. 

These emotions are at the fore front of what Ajzen explains over attitudes influence in sports, and it makes sense. According to Ajzen in Consumer Attitudes ad Behavior (Ajzen, 2008)Links to an external site., attitudes are shaped by beliefs people have and how they evaluate those beliefs to make sense. Sports fans already believe in supporting a team as part of their own personal identity, they believe it's who they are. So, if they get excited or proud, they are even more motivated to spend money.

You can see this in many different teams. At a Miami Dolphins game, everything there is meant to create excitement for the sports fans. The music, visuals, crowd reactions, and when their team wins is all there in order for the fans to build excitement. All of this creates strong emotions and feelings of belonging. If fans feel that energy, then they’re more likely to buy jerseys, meals, and even upgrades without really thinking. Having good sports experience and strong feeling of identity linked to their favorite sports team drives them to spend money. 

This is the same way the Miami Marlins structure their promotional nights and the big games. With the Miami Marlins, it’s not just baseball games, its entertainment, fan interaction, and moments that keep people engaged. One of my favorite things from the Miami Marlins during my time working as part of the marketing team was the Latino community they built by inviting fans to a Latino music nights after each baseball game. We also planned different activities for fans such as the Monster Truck Week. That environment makes the fans feel like they are a part of something special. Most fans are not taking a deeper look back on their purchases. In a way, emotions, images, and the atmosphere influence all of it. 

I also see this on social media very often. When teams show highlight videos, emotional moments, or inside the team scenes, it certainly can change how people feel about the team. This feel of team power can turn into actions with people buying tickets and buying merchandise. In the article Smart, Savvy and Synced: The Constantly Connected CustomerLinks to an external site. mention that brands that respond in an accurate and timely manner will be more likely to influence behavior. Sports teams do this really well by issuing statements just after very special moments happen.

Sports marketing can only generate a feeling, so selling that makes fans enthusiastic, part of the team, and feel connected and involved as if being a fan of the sports team is part of who they are. Only then does buying seem natural and not required. Once the passion is there the fans think for themselves and go to the store. In reality, the best sports marketing strategies don’t have a focus on the product, they focus on the emotions they can build in the fans. This is what really drives fan behavior.

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