Running Head: PRACTICUM 1

Marketing to Female Sports Fans

Bessie Chu

Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

University of Southern California

Paper submitted as partial fulfillment of requirements for

CMGT 597: Communication Research Practicum

Fall 2014

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Introduction

The words “sports fans” usually conjures up images of young men with facepaint

cheering wildly in stadium stands or a middle-aged dad at home yelling at the TV.

Popularized images of the typical sports fan tend to overwhelmingly represent men rather

than women. When women are in the picture, pop culture ideas revolve around a false

dichotomy that upholds a male-centric narrative of the nagging wife or girlfriend who has

been exiled from her partner during a game or women only attending sporting events to

accompany their partner, to try and meet men, or simply because they want to admire the

bodies of male athletes. Within this narrative, the virtue of male interest alone defines

women’s interest in sports. However, in spite of this dominant narrative, female sport

fans do, in fact, exist and come from various demographics and share diverse interests in

sports. In the United States alone, women consist of at least 30% of the audience of the

major professional leagues (Nielsen, 2013). 31% of real-time World Cup watchers are

women (globalwebindex, 2014). The number of women participating in fantasy football

doubled in 2011 (Dosh, 2012). Undoubtedly, women are a significant audience as

illustrated by the data above, and they represent a growing audience. The ability of these

fans to act as active consumers and participants in sports fan culture deserves attention.

Women’s increasing participation as sports fans indicate a growing market opportunity

via their increasing audience size in interest towards professional sports and participation

in sports-related activities, such as fantasy leagues. This growth in female sports fans

represents new segments of consumers from a commercial perspective.

Yet despite the unquestionable presence of female fans, these fans are often met

with suspicion. Studies on female fans has delineated different kinds of sports fans, for

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instance what Markovits & Albertson (2012) term as “sportisas,” are (p. 124) those

female fans who fit the requirements of sufficient sports knowledge and love sports, not

because they are seeking connection with men. However, even though a sportisa

performs the role of the traditional sports fan, she faces a gendered dilemma in that

“while she does meet the objective requirements to enter and remain in the club, this asset

may well be for naught because, regardless of her achieved knowledge, her ascriptive

characteristics will continue to deny her real entry and complete acceptance” (p. 124). In

other words, even if a female fan performs the same norms as a male fan, as defined by

Markovits & Albertson in her level of sports knowledge, the female fan will always be

suspect because of her gender. Many male fans will reject female fans because “they are

protecting a part of their identity that is essential to a much broader consistency: namely,

their gender, their maleness” (p. 123). For the purposes of this paper, I choose to adopt a

broader definition of fandom in the Markovits & Albertson’s framework that includes

both the “affective” fan and the “knowledgeable” fan (p. 127). The affective fan may not

have as much knowledge but still has an affinity for the game. My objective is to

understand and engage different female fans as consumers rather than contest the

hierarchies within fandom. When I refer to female sports fans in this paper, I am

referring to potential customers who enjoy sports and consumers whose needs may have

not been met by the sports industry.

Sports fandom for women has been a contested space because of gender norms.

A simple Google search of “female sports fan” will yield many articles that give

perspectives on the experiences of female sports fandom in spaces on devoted portals on

blogs and newwire sites that show that popular culture does not perceive women as

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legitimate sports fans in the way men are. Some examples that demonstrate the

experience of being a female sports fan include features from popular viral content sites

such as Buzzfeed or more professional sites such as EspnW. “Buzzfeed’s 20 Things

Female Sports Fans are Tired of Hearing” (Chirico, 2014) enumerates condescending

statements often thrown at female fans, such as “You’re going to bring food when you

come over to the game right?” (Par. 3) and “Who do you think the hottest player on the

team is?” (Par. 7). EspnW’s “The Right Way for Females to Fan” (Spain, 2012) tells

female fans “Don’t play dumb” (Section 3, Par. 1) and to “Mourn gracefully” (Section 4,

Par. 1) to “avoid any real dramatics” (Section 4, Par 2.). Despite the differences in

perspectives, from those that defend female fans to those that instruct female fans how to

behave properly in the two examples above, they show the spectrum of suspicion female

sports fans frequently encounter. This includes complaints about getting grilled on sports

facts trivia by men to justify their attendance or interest in a sport and accusations of only

being interested because of the attractiveness of the male players. This interpretation is

problematic in that it continues to argue that female sports fans’ participation in sports is

only a matter of men’s participation and maintains that they are not legitimate sports fans

the way men can be.

At worst, female fans face the issue of outright misogyny and harassment. The

popular sports blog network SBNation released an article titled: “10 Rules for Not Being

a Gross Misogynist During the World Cup” (Schlewiz, 2014) which includes a review of

FIFA Discrimination Statutes and criticizes FIFA for not taking a firmer stand against

sexism, explicitly stating in a tongue-in-cheek manner “9) No, I’m not going to take my

top off” (Par. 24) as one of the rules for interacting with women to not being a “gross

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misogynist during the World Cup” in reference to the title of the article. The fact that

SBNation felt the need to publish this article in anticipation of what may greet female

fans during the World Cup demonstrates the challenges female sports fans face. Female

sports fans are not seen as real sports fans compared to men and thus female sports fans

are questioned or their actions even policed for the participation in sports fandom. A

cultural chasm exists in terms of the legitimacy of female sports fans, one that thwarts

commercial opportunities and the unifying power of sports. Brands could also be making

a costly opportunity by ignoring female fans by upholding male fan-dominant narratives.

Many of the most popular commercials from this last World Cup reflect cultural

treatment of female sports fans not as full participants. These commercials portray

women more as sex objects and accessories, rather than as full-fledge fans in the way

men are. For example, a popular McDonald’s ad campaign for the World Cup features

five protagonists kicking soccer balls into difficult obstacles, such as a bin on a moving

escalator. While most of the characters in the ad are males in everyday situations, the

only woman featured is in high heels, dressed for a night out. The darling of this year’s

World Cup commercial The Game Before the Game (Beats by Dre, 2014), which Tim

Nudd (2014) at industry trade publication Adweek termed as having “Out-Niked Nike,”

demonstrates clear examples perpetuating these types of images. The commercial mainly

features women in overtly sexualized or feminine roles, such as a woman putting on

Spain flag themed underwear after a sex act, American tennis star Serena Williams

blowing nail polish, and American rapper Nicki Minaj lustily looking at a magazine

feature with a shirtless picture of Brazilian soccer star Neymar. Notably, Serena

Williams and Nicki Minaj, both of whom do not have overtly feminine public images, are

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feminized. These portrayals of women maintain the dominant narrative of sports being a

masculine domain and, along with preserving this sexist ideology; these representations

are particularly problematic in that they are largely geared toward male audiences alone.

The women in these commercials are not there to sell those products to women; they’re

in those commercials to heighten the product appeal to men.

This commercial exclusion is demonstrated by the lack of options for

consumption by female sports fans. A frequently named example is the smaller selection

of merchandise. Apparel for female fans is often stripped down versions of merchandise

for men or a proliferation of overly feminized merchandise such as pink jerseys (Chirico,

2014). A narrow selection of consumer goods likely creates a mismatch in the demand

by female fans, a growing segment as noted in the opening of this paper.

Recognizing the social and financial costs of ignoring female sport fans, Indra

Nooyi, the female CEO and chairman of Pepsi spoke to the value of female fans by

noting in a speech to the Sports Business Journal's Inaugural Game Changers

Conference (Nooyi, 2013) that the sports industry has not given an “authentic

experience” (Par. 36) to women. Elaborating on this issue, Nooyi explained her concern

by noting that, “too often, in very simple terms, we have been ‘pinking and shrinking’ the

man's experience to fit a woman” (Par. 36). Female sports fans are culturally and

commercially alienated from a larger world of sports fandom. The sports industry has

not put priority on commercially inclusive fan experiences despite the market

opportunity.

On a societal level, sports are a medium in which traditional barriers such as race

and nationality have been broken down to connect peoples. Women have largely been

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excluded from this culturally unifying medium. Markovits and Albertson (2012) in their

book on female sports fandom write that:

“Sports fandom has been a remarkable vehicle for including the most varied and disparate social groups into a common whole. While the inherently agonistic and competitive nature of sports necessarily leads to partisanship and thus division,

even animosity and hatred, the equally inherent meritocratic dimensions and wide intelligibility have given sports a power of inclusion and participation that is

second to none. Indeed, by dint of their inclusiveness and ubiquity, sports have created ties across class, ethnic, regional, cultural, religious, and age lines that few, if any, other forces could even approximate. By virtue of their inclusive

qualities, we have come to view sports as powerful agents of democractization. Note that we did not list gender in our aforementioned array of categories, which,

we claim, sports include and integrate. This is precisely our point. There is one clearly marked social group that sports have not fully integrated on either their production on their consumption side, and that is women.” (p. 3)

The gender barrier is the line that does not get crossed by sport’s unifying power,

even though it cuts across nearly all other cultural differences. This cultural issue likely

carries over to the lack of imagination in sports franchises on how to approach women as

consumers. The importance of a more multi- faceted examination of female sports

fandom is twofold. First, sports are a cohesive global phenomenon that unites disparate

groups and arguably plays an important role in that sense for the greater good. Second, to

tie this back to the goal of this paper in targeting female fans as consumers, by not being

recognized as legitimate fans, the female sports fan market is not fully realized by the

sports industry.

On the other hand, parts of the sports industry that have begun to recognize this

market have realized strong gains. The NFL has heavily invested in marketing to female

fans. In Kristen Dosh’s (2012, Feb 2) espnW coverage of NFL’s marketing outreach, she

cites the creation of a maternity line and an NFL site just for women. Its efforts were

rewarded with “125% increase” (Dosh, 2012, Feb 2, Par. 4) in sales during the 2011

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playoff season. Dosh also cites her interviews of marketing experts who say “women are

a prized demographic for the NFL because of their value to advertisers (Par. 7) … and are

brand loyalists (Par. 10).” Ann Bastianelli, senior lecturer of marketing at Indiana

University’s School of Business whom Dosh interviewed explains women make up “70

percent of ‘important family decisions,’ such as the purchase of big ticket consumer

goods, are made by women” (Par. 7). Cecamore, Fraesdorf, Langer, & Power (2011) in a

FIFA study on female fans reiterates these points looking at the gender disparity between

money spent on merchandise in the UK, arguing that this disparity could be due to the

“lack of a sufficient range of products that satisfy women’s needs” (p. 16) and also point

that that women are more likely than men to recommend “products and services they

have consumed” to their friends, families, and co-workers (p. 16). Female sports fans are

a consumer segment that has demonstrated potential and that sports franchises and

advertisers in the industry underserve. The business potential is a worthy case study for

examination.

So, how do we market to female sports fans in a way that isn’t patronizing and

engages women as a multi- faceted demographic? This paper will significantly focus on

this topic and examine the structural conditions in which female sports fandom exists.

This exploration will inform how to dig into the narratives that will appeal to female

sports fans commercially. Understanding female sports fans will be done through a

review of literature on sports fandom in general, female sports fans, sports marketing, and

the movement of sports fandom online. Secondly, this topic will be explored using the

World Cup as a case study through ethnographic interviews and observations and an

international survey.

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Literature Review

Why Do People Engage in Sports Fandom

To examine female sports fandom, we must explore the structural context of what

it means to be a sports fan in general. British sociologist Gary Crawford (2004), a sports

fan scholar, notes that to understand sports fandom, we need to avoid what he calls

“reductive dichotomies (such as those of fans vs. consumers)” and must instead examine

how “sport is located and experienced in everyday life and social interactions.” (p. 34).

This idea of looking at sports fans as multi- faceted individuals whose fandom is deeply

interwoven into their daily lives needs to be carried over to thinking about female sports

fan. An overall theme in his book Consuming Sport: Fans, Sport, and Culture, a primary

framework I’m using to approach sports fandom, centers around the idea that while most

scholarship on fandom examines more extreme cases of fandom, such as the underlying

sociological reasons for why people go to live games or even football hooliganism, true

understandings of what it means to be a sports fan have to do with the tedium of daily

life. I argue what being a sports fan means in the everyday lives of female fans will be

central in understanding how to relate to them as consumers.

Crawford’s thesis revolves around the central theme that individuals participate in

sports fandom primarily as an outlet for performances of identity, connection, and

consumerism to cope with everyday living. People participate in sports fandom to show

who they are. For example many sports fans often cheer on for the team of their

hometown, tying them to where they’re from and to their community, often making

purchases of items such as jerseys and other apparel to express this facet of their identity,

the connection to a community and place. In fact, elaborating on the cultural significance

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of fandom, Crawford writes that part of “being a sport fan, particularly demonstrating

certain sporting allegiances, can help define who a person is, and say a great deal about

them to other people” (p. 106). Sports fandom can be regarded in this argument as a

crucial constructor of identity for some sports fans. This includes demonstrations of

consumption, such as making costumes, banners, flags, and other “performances for

others around them” (p. 118). Sports fans show their allegiance and their identity by their

devotion to a sports franchise for themselves and for others, which can be seen as

demonstrations that look for connection through consumerism.

These performances of allegiance and identity are facilitated by the consumption

of consumer goods. Consumer culture plays an important role in sports fandom by

providing the proper merchandise, such as jerseys or banners for fans to purchase. What

goods are purchased and how they are used “convey a wide array of meanings, such as

signifying membership to a local community, social class” (p. 125), with Crawford

naming the example of wearing sport clothing as “fashion items” (p. 124) an important

part of North American youth culture. Sports fandom plays a role for many sports fans in

defining who a person is and where he or she belongs in multiple vectors of society. This

interplay and demonstration of identity in connection to others, from sociological

perspective, is important in a society that operates as sites of “imagined community” and

even as sites of “social exclusion” (p. 54). Sports fans act out their identity to signify

group membership, even sometimes to the exclusion of others.

Showing membership is also facilitated by the interaction between technology and

sports fandom. Especially among those “individuals who may feel a loss of ‘traditional’

forms of community, such as those based upon geographical, family, or social

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backgrounds, which they may have left behind, can find communities that complement

their specific interests and lifestyles (or even desired lifestyles) readily available on the

Internet” (p. 144). For those who lack traditionally defined affinities and loyalties, sports

fandom facilitates a role that can fill that gap, one that increasingly doesn’t require

physical connection to initially join. In Crawford’s research, he argues that these

interplays of identity, social connection, and consumerism are how and why individuals

engage in sports fandom. Having said this, who are female sports fans?

Female Sports Fans

To segue the discussion from sports fandom in general to female sports fans,

Crawford acknowledges that “women have remained largely marginalized, particularly as

followers of the majority of male mass spectator sports” (p. 56) even if in more

acceptable roles such as spectator rather than participants. He repeatedly notes the lack

of research in this area, which has largely examined the white male affluent demographic.

We have to dispel the notion that women haven’t been active participants in sports

fandom and haven’t demonstrated agency in their relationship with sports. Sports

journalist John Doyle (2010) writes about an example with Iran having to relent and let

Irish female fans attend a soccer game, which was “not customary” (p. vii). He also

wrote about the 2002 Japan/South Korea World Cup and how it was the young women

who carried the cheering for the South Korean team. His account paints the picture of “a

vast number of the Korean supporters, and some of them the leaders, are young women.

It’s the young women, some of them teenagers and some of them in their twenties, who

are the most vocal and who are completely unselfconscious about the vigor of the chants

and movements. They look confident and cool, empowered by the occasion and their

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role. They're more intense than any group of male soccer fans I've ever seen" (p. 73).

Female sports fans are a legitimate group to pay attention to, one that has lacked both

broad scholarship and commercial respect.

In discussing the female sports fan, a first step is to dispel the idea of a monolithic

female sports fan whose fandom is defined only by her relationship to the men who are

directly invested, as fans, in the sport. By approaching female sports fans as a monolith,

marketers potentially face missed opportunities that a more nuanced approach would

provide.

While some female sports fans engage in sports because of their significant

others, many other segments of female sports fans engage in sports for other reasons and

in different ways. Just as male sports fans aren’t marketed to as one segment, female

sports fans should not be either. Pepsi CEO Nooyi (2012) concluded in her speech that,

“I don't want pink jerseys, and I don't want dumbed-down content. I want to be treated as

a real fan--because I am proud to be one” (Par. 75). She expands on this saying on

determining how to best reach this untapped demographic that “the solution is simple.

Speak to women. Do it authentically. Give them the real sports experience they want.

They will respond” (Par. 78). In other words, in order to understand how to reach female

fans as an audience, marketers must discover how different female sports fans engage in

their fandom and learn how to authentically tell their brand stories to particular segments

to capture the attention of these fans to tap into a potentially huge market. It can’t be a

one-size fits all merchandising perspective nor can it be just mimic the archetypes of

male fans of a sport. Authentic fan experiences must be catered to different types of

female sports fans.

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The next section of the literature review will focus on the specific fan experiences

of female sports fans.

Understanding Female Sports Fans

Pope (2013) divides female sports fandom in “two binary oppositions: hot–cool”

(p. 179). Women who are “hot fans” (p. 179) emphasize their sporting allegiance as an

important part of who they are. Their loyalty to a football club is part of how they

describe who they are and team performance is very important to them. Others are more

“cool fans” (p. 179), who don’t spend as much time in their sport and aren’t as invested.

An interesting part of Pope’s scholarship is the discovery of how female sports fandom is

used as a means of escaping gendered identities. Pope wrote, “some female sports fans

identified intensely with the sports club as a means of escaping other identities (as mum,

daughter, etc.). This reflected back to their own preferred sense of self, which was often

masked or damaged by these other constraining responsibilities” (p. 185). What’s

fascinating here is that these women engage in sports fandom ostensibly as escapism

from more traditional gendered roles into space that is traditionally masculine. She

writes about how some female fans adopted “tomboy” identities to counter “what they

perceived to be extreme forms of conventional femininity” (p. 189). The women in

Pope’s study overlap in characteristics described in Crawford’s framework as sports as an

escape from the mundane, but with a gendered dimension in terms of their identification

and performance. Like male sports fans, the female sports fans Pope describes engage in

sports fandom as a way to cope with everyday living.

This is in contrast (or perhaps in parallel) to some of the accounts in Markovits &

Albertson’s (2012) scholarship on female sports fandom on the role of the “special-

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nature” of relationships between fathers and daughters that parallel those traditionally

imagined between fathers and sons in engaging through sports (p. 205). The difference in

their study, as echoed in Dietz-Uhler, Harrick, and Jacquemotte’s (2000) scholarship on

sex differences in sports behavior and fandom, is that unlike men who often bond with a

sport through play, the bond with a sport for female fans comes more from following the

sport rather the participation. For women, falling in love with the game has to do more

with spectatorship and viewing experiences rather than a traditional trajectory of a young

man growing up to love a sport by playing it as child. They explain that “sport has

traditionally been defined as a male domain” (p. 226), a domain that women may find

threatening to participate directly in through playing the sport.

Markovits & Albertson (2012) expand on this idea when they write on how some

elements of sports culture create a space that specifically enables men to essentially be on

their worst behavior. They note historically that sports is a realm where “one can really

behave badly - one can be racist and sexist - in other words, one can really be a man in

one’s element, unconstrained from the feminized discourse of empathy and civilization

that many men feel to be ubiquitous, hegemonic, and, at times, constraining. It is also not

by chance that such unruly male behavior exists in soccer and no other European sport

since it is soccer that represents by far the most important- in many countries sole-

constituent of hegemonic sports culture” (p. 69). They acknowledge that sports culture

traditionally has been a place for men to let off steam, even in ways that are anti-social.

Women’s entry into that space threatens the existence of that previous social sphere.

The entry of women into sports fandom is also shaped from existing gender

norms involving the division of household labor. These gender norms impact how

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female fans connect with the sport differently from men, especially in the case of valuing

social connection and inclusion rather than more the typical male fan behavior of

indulging in it almost as a hobby to learn many facts as possible about the sport.

Markovits & Albertson (2012) note that men “were free to relax at home and tend to his

hobbies, among which watching and following sports took pride of place until work the

next morning” (p. 141) while women had to continue taking care of domestic tasks in

maintaining the home, making it unrealistic for many women to engage in the level of

acquiring sports knowledge demonstrated by men. Despite these gender norms,

“participation in the consumption of sports, as fundamental a part of contemporary

American culture as it can be, is important to most women because of the opportunities

that such participation offers for social inclusion” (p. 160). Many female fans participate

in sports because of the social value and are simply not able to immerse themselves as

fully as men in terms of learning about the sport as deeply because of structural

constraints. For many female fans, it’s possible that it’s not that they don’t want to be as

immersed in sports knowledge as male fans, but women don’t have time to invest in

accumulating knowledge because of structural factors involving traditional divisions of

labor.

In another study that provides additional dimensions in female sports fan

practices, Jone’s (2008) ethnography of female sports fans in England highlights three

trends in which female soccer fans have responded hostile behavior. Jones emphasizes

the long-standing participation of female fans even during the heights of the hooliganism

in English soccer, though her study took place from 2001 and 2006, a time considerably

removed from the infamous violence of earlier decades. Still, she characterizes the

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environment in English stadiums as such where outright racism, homophobia, and sexism

can be prevalent. The first trend in response by female fans to this environment is by

condemning it, with refusal to participate in abusive chants. These fans actively resisted

what they saw as inappropriate practices and some even “argued for a definition of

fandom: They are real fans, rather than those who practice abusive hypermasculinity” (p.

524). These female sport fans refused to go along with the status quo and practiced

fandom on their own terms without perpetuating what they saw as abusive practices.

Another trend manifested by female fans was a form that was “both compliant and

resistant: they disapproved of the atmosphere at football matches, but they did not want

anything to change for them” (p. 523). These fans accept the status quo as part of the

game. Although they feel uncomfortable with the conduct, they don’t take any action on

that discomfort. The third group of female sports fans accept “gender stereotypes as part

of the game “ (p. 528) and consider themselves “real or authentic fans” (p. 528) versus

other female fans who do not understand the game to their standards. Jones writes that

“these women want to be seen as gender-neutral football fans and not as women” (p. 529)

who often downplay their status as women and play up their status as soccer fans and will

even participate in abusive chants. Jone’s study shows the diverse attitudes and

differences in how different female fans operate in relation to gender in negotiating a

complex and often hostile environment.

Female sports fans have been marginalized because of larger cultural reasons that

likely impact why they haven’t been considered fully as consumers. The literature

review above shows complexity in different types of female fans and their fan practices

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that should be examined with nuance from a marketing perspective. This next section

will give a quick primer into what is branding and why marketing segments are important

Marketing Practices and Unique Female Fan Preferences

To discuss sports marketing practices in relation to female sports fans, we first

must define the objectives and basic practices of marketing. According to the American

Marketing Association (2013) “marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes

for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for

customers, clients, partners, and society at large” (Para. 2). In other words, marketing is

about explaining a product offering. Marketing to female sports fans has an objective in

communicating added value to their sports consumption through merchandise or better

fan experiences.

In order for marketers to effectively reach female sports fans and show the value

of their product offerings, they must understand reaching the right audiences through

segmentation and how to attribute value to the market via branding.

In Milne & McDonald’s (1999) book Sports Marketing: Managing the Exchange

Process, they define segmentation as “identifying the various types of people who are

attracted to certain sport products and services… creating specific groups of customers or

potential customers based on similar characteristics” (p. 3). By segmenting, certain

product offers or services are tailored to particular groups of potential customers. In the

context of this study, marketers need to define the characteristics that differentiate

segments of female sports fans. Segmenting these niches is “an attractive means of

focusing on the most receptive audiences for the product or message” (p. 69).

Determining which groups to deliver focused messages to will increase the likelihood the

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targeted audience will respond well. Milne & McDonald (1999) also point out

“consumers have different sport options. As such, it is important for sports marketers to

understand which sporting options are competing for customers’ attention” (p.3). This

can be taken as a warning that sports marketing is a crowded landscape, one that has

largely treated women as an afterthought, but marketers who continue this pattern do so

at their peril in ignoring important segments that consist of female sports fans. By

identifying the right group of people to appeal to, brands can be most effective in selling

their products.

Marketing to the correct group also means that branding is important. Branding is

the process of attaching “identity” or “personality” to a product (Klein, 2008, Para. 1).

Brands are about what a certain product or company “stands for and what it is known for”

(Para. 8). This means when customers see a shirt with a branded logo, they do not just

see a shirt, they see a product that has meaning and values associated with a particular

brand, for example Nike’s tagline “Just Do It.” Spillecke & Perry (2012), in their book

Retail Marketing and Branding: A Definitive Guide to Maximizing ROI, explain, “Every

brand is a promise. And like any promise, brands attract and excite us; they capture our

hearts and minds; they give us a glimpse of a better life. But most important, brands

create tangible value. They are a retailer’s most powerful connection to the outside

world” (p. 3). Brands assign meaning and identity to products. Female sports fans are a

group that so far has not had brands that fully articulate meanings and identities to appeal

to them specifically.

Another framework for understanding branding in the context of this study is

through the “lived experience meaning platform” (Sherry, 2005, p. 47), which provides

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an additional definition of branding. Sherry (2005) explains that brands are part of the

“lived experience of customers, from which all those meanings relevant to the brand

arise, provides the platform from which brand strategy can be launched” (p. 47).

Customer interactions through advertisements for products targeted toward them or

experiences using a brand’s product inform the meanings assigned to the brand. Brand

meanings through these “lived experiences” (p. 47) determine the appeal of particular

brands. Marketers who find the right meanings to design experiences for female sports

fans have the potential to capture this market.

This section will now review how sports literature has analyzed specifically

marketing to female sports fans. Even though sports fandom is a traditionally male

domain, female sports fans participate in consuming sports for many of the same reasons

as men do and that is no “archetypical female sports fan” (Cecamore, Faesdork, Langer,

& Power, 2011, p. 9), although gender considerations must be taken into account.

Many studies of female sports fans still emphasize female sports fans in more

traditional gender roles, although they make valid points worth noting. Eden, Upright, &

Hey (2013) as well as Crawford (2000, p. 97) emphasize the safety measures, such as the

presence of security measures such as guards and fences, for games and fan events for

families. Eden, Upright, & Hey (2013) go to lengths to advocate for safety as a

marketing strategy to appeal to women to show the needs of these female sports fans

matter. While this group of female sports fans who attend events with families as a

marketing segment who take safety seriously is important to consider, it is also crucial

not to stop at this group as the primary representation of female sports fans that many

studies may have had the tendency to overemphasize.

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The preferences of female sports fans also tie into more general scholarship on

purchasing behaviors, or why individuals purchase certain products. Chen, Lin, & Chang

(2013) found in their experiments on team-licensed merchandise that “group

cohesiveness” (p. 84) or in other words, peer influence, strongly motivates sports fans to

make additional purchases. Marketers should take this into account in their marketing

activities toward female sports fans, many of who engage in sports fandom for the social

value and inclusion. For example, people buy merchandise such as jerseys to feel

socially connected to their sports fandom. Lee, Trail, Lee, & Schoenstedt (2013) found

in their study of purchase intentions of athletic team merchandise that “personal values

impact team identification” (p. 45) as a preference for why sport consumers purchase

athletic team merchandise. Moore & Homer (2008) found that women tend to emphasize

a stronger relationship to the “perceived brand meaning (including image and brand

personality), and the consumer’s self-concept” (p. 708), especially when it comes to

“female-oriented brands” such as the WNBA (p. 709). In other words, women tend to

hold strong opinions about a brand’s perceived values and ethics, especially if the brand

has a gendered focus toward women. Female sports fans can feel a deeper positive

connection to brand they perceive as ethical or negatively to a brand they perceive as

unethical. Women are markedly different from men in this regard. By ignoring this

market dynamic, brands could be losing out on this audience. Sports franchises could use

this insight to market to female fans by understanding that they could leverage social

connection and a brand’s ethical values as a way of appealing to female sports fans.

Another important point to acknowledge in identifying best practices reaching

female fans is notion of sexual objectification. Female sports fans do not appreciate the

PRACTICUM 21

perpetuation of the sexual objectification in commercial portrayals of female athletes,

female sports fans, and female interactions with sports media in general. While

Markovits & Anderson (2012) emphasize that while being female sports fan does not

automatically mean support of women’s sports (p. 10), women are sensitive to the

sexualization of female bodies in the rhetoric of sports, such as those depictions named in

the Beats by Dre and McDonald’s commercials in the introduction. Banet-Weiser &

Baroffio-Bota (2006) explain that “gender representation of women in the media are

driven by the commercial market, and revenue is generated through tried and true

formulae so that normative conventions of femininity are the surest bet for networks” (p.

496). The sexualization of women is business as usual. Many advertisers stick to this

tried and true formula because it is been the norm in sports marketing. These approaches

only use women as a sexualized body. However, by sticking to this convention,

advertisers may be alienating potential customers. Duncan (2006) wrote in her study on

gender and media that “since women received only a tiny amount of coverage that men

received, the effects of sexual objectification and sarcasm were that much more

powerful” (p. 239). The overrepresentation of women’s bodies as sexualized can cause

female sports fans to feel alienated. Because women are so poorly represented in general

in sports media, from athletes to sports commentators to fans, female sports fans can

respond negatively to the objectification of women in sports marketing.

Going back to Cecamore, Fraesdorf, Langer, & Power’s (2011) study on female

sports fans for FIFA, they also mention that some advertising intended to appeal to

women as “too easy and simplistic” (p. 53) and, as a way to clarify, they name the

attachment of a sports franchise to a “high-profile ‘women’s issue’ such as the fight

PRACTICUM 22

against breast cancer” as an example of this simplicity (p. 53). In the example above,

women are approached in relation to an illness specific to women, which Cecamore,

Fraesdork, Langer, & Power (2011) pointed out as problematic because it the campaign

essentially reduces the female sports fan audience to a women-specific disease. While

using an issue such as the fight against breast to appeal to women maybe altruistic,

female sports fans want to be approached as female sports fans, and not simply just as

women. Female sports fans “have grown impatient with initiatives which play on

stereotypes and generalisations (sic)” (p. 50):

“Female fans do not want to be forgotten about by the media. They want to see

and hear authentic women‘s voices with a deep sports passion and knowledge, women like themselves, who can address men and women from behind the sports

desk instead of this role falling to weather girls turned sports presenters. They do not want to be the butt of ̳in-house media jokes, but want to be acknowledged as

a credible presence by the sports media” (p. 48).

Many female sports fans want inclusion in the realm of sports fandom with

acknowledgement not of just as sports fans, and not just as women, but as female sports

fans.

Sports franchises should take these demonstrated cases in marketing and apply

them in conjunction given the importance of environment, identification, and social

connection for female fans in considering their marketing strategies. Additionally,

marketing initiatives need to acknowledge the diversity of approaches to fanship among

female sports fans. Marketers must practice caution not to patronize and pigeonhole

female sports fans with simplistic campaigns and instead create the right brand meanings

that appeal to different types female sports fans.

The Role of the Internet

PRACTICUM 23

One key component of sports fandom is the movement of sports fandom online.

In revisiting Crawford’s (2004) framework, he writes that, “the Internet (along with other

technologies) […] can strengthen existing communities, but can also expand the scope of

these and help create and nurture new ones. Individuals can now connect and form

affiliations and allegiances to sport via solely electronic means” (p. 143). Cecamore,

Fraesdork, Langer, & Power (2011) found that many female sports fans “have taken to

the web to start conversations about their fandom” (p. 24). Sutera (2013) writes in his

book Sports Fans 2.0, which explores sports fandom on social media, “the desire for

recognition is one of the most important motivating factors in our participation in sports,

both as athletes and fans” (p. 25). For female sports fans who may often face open

hostility in traditional spaces for participation in sports fandom, such as stadiums and

sports bars, the internet provides another venue for interaction and space for recognition.

Marketers should take care in identifying how participation is happening in different

online spaces. Sutera (2013) emphasizes that social media eliminates the “boundaries

and restrictions at live sporting events” (p. 41) and “operates as an intricate web of

information exchange between media consumers and producers as opposed to the simple

linear ‘trickle-down’ model of the past” (p. 41). Female sports fans participation in social

media and other spaces on the internet is an area worth further investigation as an

additional opportunity to reach female sports fans.

Study Purpose

In the literature above, we can see that one-dimension views of female sports fans

or outright exclusion of female sports fans in consumer marketing and sports culture

remains an issue. The literature also provided some examples of sports marketing tactics

PRACTICUM 24

in general. Additionally, the review showed some female sports fan specific marketing

examples that have been successful. I argue that a deeper understanding of female sports

fans is needed in order for marketers to successfully construct brand identities and stories

that account for the female fan and her consumer value. In order to reach the female

sports fan effectively, the previous literature suggests that segmentation of the sports fan

market must be driven by a careful appreciation for how gender politics impacts and

frames the fan identity and the consumer. Aiming to identify best marketing practices for

reaching and successfully marketing to female sports fans, this study strives to produce a

complex picture of female sports fans that moves beyond both normative gender

stereotypes that view female fans simply in relation to male fans and family values, and

ensures that female sports fans are recognized and addressed as valuable participants in

the consumption and practice of contemporary sports, sports fandom, and sports related

commercialism. While it appears the literature recognizes, to an extent, the diversity of

female sports fans and their motivations, how to reach them and how to present them

with brand stories that will motivate them to consume more goods and be more involved

in sports franchises has not been explored as deeply. Additionally, the internet has

potential as an additional space in reaching these fans. The internet provides not only a

medium with more marketing channels, but also a space for fan participation in

engagement. Fans can not only receive more marketing messages, but also can express

their sentiments online by spreading the marketing message in affirmation or even

challenge marketers if brand content is not well received. Marketers now have another

opportunity and another content channel to run different narratives.

PRACTICUM 25

At the heart in finding deeper insight in this entire study, I expect to discover the

types of stories that appeal to different segments of female sports fans can be found

looking at the intersections of identity, social connection, and consumerism.

Study Framework

The system I am using to explore the types of stories that may appeal to female

sports fans is the Leveraging Engagement Framework of the

FANS.PASSIONS.BRANDS Study by HAVAS Sports and Entertainment in conjunction

with the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab, where I work as a Project Manager and

Researcher. The Leveraging Engagement Framework uses eight logics of engagement

consisting of a “set of principles that categorizes the relationship between fans and their

passions” (HAVAS Sports & Entertainment, p. 1). These eight logics include:

“Entertainment-enjoyment of the overall experience and atmosphere”, “Immersion – will

to lose oneself in the emotion of the game/plot”, “Social Connection – desire to create or

deepen relationships with other fans”, “Play – virtual or real life participation in activities

related to one’s passion”, “Identification – self-association with the team,

players/characters and their emotions”, “Pride – reflection of the action/results in one’s

attitude and outward appearance”, “Mastery – interest in learning and understanding the

details behind strategies and stories”, and “Advocacy – championing on behalf of one’s

passion” (p. 1). I expect that research results will reveal that female sports fans may

engage in the logics of Identification and Social Connection more strongly than other

logics.

Methods

Objective

PRACTICUM 26

The objective of this study is to discover what actions the sports industry could

take to appeal to female sport fans. In order to identify what types of branding to

possibly deploy toward appealing to female sports fans, I used mixed methods to examine

female fan behavior and preferences. My goal is to understand female fans based on how

strongly they identify with certain logics of engagement to provide recommendations for

the sports industry.

First, I used the method of ethnography, via interviews and observations, to gain

qualitative and nuanced insight about why and how female sports fans engage in sports

fandom. The data produced via the ethnographic method is understood to provide real-

life examples of their sports experience, for example, stories of how female fans

participate in their fandom, and how they perceive sports brands. Second, I analyzed an

international survey I co-wrote and launched in May 2014 for The Annenberg Innovation

Lab and HAVAS Sports and Entertainment’s FANS.PASSIONS.BRANDS study to

provide a quantitative basis for how strongly female fans interact in the context of logics

of engagement to see how their survey responses coincide with the qualitative insights

from the ethnography. By combining mixed methods, I look to paint both a deep and

broad picture of how female sports fans engage with sport. I will now dive into a detailed

explanation of the ethnographic portion of the data collection.

Ethnographic Methods

Our research team for the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab and HAVAS SE joint

project conducted 53 interviews of sports fans at soccer viewings before, during, and

after the World Cup. I worked with a team of four researchers in addition to four

Brazilian translators for the portion of research done in Rio de Janeiro. A total of 20

PRACTICUM 27

female sports fans were interviewed, many of whom by me. The use of ethnographic

interviews of these fans expands on understandings of what it means to be female sports

fans as discussed in the literature review. I interviewed these fans to discuss specific

examples about their experiences as female sports fans and their opinions towards sports

brands.

The majority of respondents were women our research team struck up

conversations with at different venues showing soccer matches. We also interviewed

female sports fans from our social circles because of their self-identification as female

sports fans.

Participant

Pseudonym

Participant

Nationality Participant Age

KL Brazil 25

BZ Brazil 31

IM Brazil 42

RM Brazil 30

PB Brazil 33

PC Brazil 31

PV Brazil 48

JY Canada 25

PD Colombia 32

RH France 26

AD Germany 31

VC Italy 33

JC USA 44

TB USA 42

MC USA 58

CB USA 35

JB USA 27

SB USA 30

SD USA 51

SH USA 28

PRACTICUM 28

The respondents consisted mostly of Americans in Los Angeles and Brazilians in

Rio de Janeiro. Their ages ranged from their mid-twenties to late-fifties.

In sharing the experience of watching the games as a fellow female sports fan, I

established “conversational partnerships” with other female sports fans (Rubin & Rubin,

2011, p. 6). The key behind this methodology and successfully completing ethnographic

interviews was our mutual respect as female sports fans embarking on a “joint process of

discovery” in understanding female sports fandom (p. 6). While conducting these

PRACTICUM 29

interviews, I did have to take into account cultural differences of the different

interviewees and the context of the different settings we were in. For example, I had to

acknowledge and work with the different dynamics of interviewing a Brazilian mom in

her home in suburban Petropolis outside Rio de Janeiro versus talking to a German expat

at a crowded bar in the urban hip Silverlake neighborhood in Los Angeles. As a result,

the German expat might have spoken more to me because we sat next to each other at a

bar for an entire match and did not need a translator versus talking through a translator to

the Brazilian mom hosting a busy home viewing party. However, I believe it helped that

I was an “insider” and respondents may have felt more comfortable talking to me as

another woman (p. 76). As someone immersed in the world of soccer fandom like my

subjects of study, it likely made it easier for my subjects to open up to me and have a

conversation. I met many respondents organically by talking to people I sat next to

throughout the viewing of a match and sharing the experience of being female sports

fans.

We went where the fans were for observations and interviews, such as bars,

theaters, restaurants, and private homes in Los Angeles during matches. Additionally, we

attended match viewings with a Los Angeles-based soccer fan club, the Real Madridistas.

We found the Real Madridistas through Meetup, a website that helps coordinate groups

with shared interests. The Real Madridistas invited us to their viewings of the European

Champion’s League for initial observations and to test our methodologies prior to the

World Cup. The bulk of interviews and observations were conducted in bars, stadia,

public outdoor venues, and private homes in Rio de Janeiro during the World Cup.

PRACTICUM 30

In these contexts, the interview questions related to the logics of engagement

framework. We also included questions about brand perceptions and a fan checklist for

observations. The checklists tracked fan behavior involving brands that fans engaged

with in some form, for instance the behavior of fans wearing sponsor jerseys or when

they booed at the TV when the commercial sponsor of a rival team came on. This

methodology gave us deep insight into the psychology and personal opinions of fans that

could not be gained from the use of pure quantitative data in the survey.

The questions for the ethnographic interviews can be found in Appendix A

(excluded from this version on Slideshare for proprietary reasons).

Survey Methods

I analyzed an international survey taken of sports fans for research conducted in a

joint study between the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab and HAVAS Sports and

Entertainment. I co-wrote many of these questions working as part of the research team

as a project manager. The online survey, called the FANS.PASSIONS.BRANDS Global

Survey, was carried out by research firm YouGov on our behalf in Argentina, Brazil,

Chile, Columbia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Russia, and

the United States (including a focus on US Hispanics) in May 2014. The entire survey

included 21,868 respondents with an age range of 13 to 65+. The female portion of the

survey consisted of 11,343 respondents.

I started the process of analyzing this survey by first eliminating all the data

irrelevant to my goals for this paper and normalizing all reversed questions. My specific

focus for the survey looks at female sports fans in what logics of engagement they

primarily practice in their fandom, their feelings towards brands, and how they consume

PRACTICUM 31

media, in other words, how to reach them through different media channels to give

insight in how to reach these fans. Multiple offices and markets across HAVAS are

leveraging this survey for different purposes, and thus it contains a plethora of data, such

as looking at interests outside of sports, that are not relevant to this study. My goal is to

advise sports brands specifically on how they could engage female sports fans. Thus, I

first used Select Cases in SPSS to eliminate all extraneous values, such as responses by

men and those who responded to the survey who said that they were “Not at all interested

in sports.” I also removed all questions that did not pertain to sports.

Once I removed all those respondents that said they were not at all interested in

sports, I was left with 8,807 female sports fans for analysis. I did not further eliminate

from the sample since the rest of the respondents were all still at least “slightly

interested” in sports. Given the stigma female sports fans face and the perceived

hierarchal nature of sports fandom as discussed in the literature review, I believe women

are less likely to confidently respond with higher values on the Likert scale. However,

they still are “affective fans,” (Markovits & Anderson, 2012, p. 127) those fans have an

affinity to sports that marketers can reach.

After taking out unnecessary data, I pulled basic information such as the age

distribution and countries represented in the international survey, shown below. I used

descriptive statistics to analyze survey questions related to the ethnography. These

findings follow in the survey results and discussion sections.

The survey questions can be found in Appendix B (excluded from this upload on Slideshare for propriety reasons).

Age Distribution

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

PRACTICUM 32

Valid 13-17 744 8.4 8.4 8.4

18-24 1208 13.7 13.7 22.2

25-34 1878 21.3 21.3 43.5

35-44 1692 19.2 19.2 62.7

45-54 1388 15.8 15.8 78.5

55-64 1240 14.1 14.1 92.5

65+ 657 7.5 7.5 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

Country

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid UK 500 5.7 5.7 5.7

France 599 6.8 6.8 12.5

Germany 545 6.2 6.2 18.7

Italy 478 5.4 5.4 24.1

Poland 493 5.6 5.6 29.7

Portugal 515 5.8 5.8 35.5

Russia 527 6.0 6.0 41.5

Spain 470 5.3 5.3 46.9

Argentina 542 6.2 6.2 53.0

Brazil 525 6.0 6.0 59.0

Chile 478 5.4 5.4 64.4

Colombia 476 5.4 5.4 69.8

Mexico 502 5.7 5.7 75.5

South Africa 508 5.8 5.8 81.3

China 537 6.1 6.1 87.4

US Hispanic 590 6.7 6.7 94.1

US Non-Hispanic

522 5.9 5.9 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

PRACTICUM 33

Results and Discussion

Ethnography Results

PRACTICUM 34

The ethnographic interviews consisted of questions on engagement with sports

fandom in general, media use, and the participants’ perceptions about brands. The first

interview questions consisted of general questions on fan experiences, such as how did

the respondents become sports fans and what activities they engage in their sports

fandom. The media usage section covers questions on how fans access media content,

such as the importance of watching on TV or what social networks they use. A last

section focuses specifically on brand recognition and probed the respondents’ feelings on

brands.

I coded the ethnographic interviews based how many times and how strongly

logics were mentioned and split the analysis into two sections, one on fan engagement in

general and one specifically on brands. Lastly, I took extra stock of consistent trends I

saw that could be important for marketers to take note of, such as particularities in media

use, the importance of the live viewing experience, and attitudes towards brands and

ethical behavior.

As an example, if one of the participants mentioned activities that fall under

Social Connection five times, I coded that logic as a five for that participant. An example

of activity around Social Connection would be if the participant mentioned that getting

together with friends to watch a game at a bar is an important part of her fan experience.

To provide more color on the coding with another logic, if a fan mentioned that knowing

the stats behind players was an important activity for her, that activity would be coded as

an instance of Mastery. There were a few instances where participants focused deeply

about one aspect strongly and in-depth, so I scored those statements as two mentions.

One of the women I interviewed spoke at length about how she got into soccer because

PRACTICUM 35

her family immigrated to the United States from Argentina. She grew up watching

soccer as a child spoke at length about how that connects her to heritage and considers

herself a huge fan. She wore an Argentina jersey and scarf but also spoke at length

about how Team USA was very important to her. She spoke more about Identification

than most of the participants and it was clearly the most important part of her fan

experience, so I scored that as two mentions even though that was just a response to one

question.

I fully admit there is a degree of subjectivity in this method, but I strove for the

most consistency possible to maintain the integrity of this study. As a way to present and

analyze the data, I summed the mentions of the logics to show appearances the logics of

engagement on a scale. I used Excel to code and organize the data and Tableau to create

visualizations.

In the general fan experience questions, as a whole, Social Connection ranked the

highest with 65 mentions, followed by 56 mentions of Entertainment, 54 mentions of

Identification, 46 mentions of Advocacy, 45 mentions of Mastery, 43 mentions of Pride,

29 mentions of Immersion, and lastly 23 mentions of Play.

PRACTICUM 36

This additional Tree Map of the logics broken down by proportion show

Immersion and Play are far less prominent than the other logics.

PRACTICUM 37

In addition to coding the logics on female sports fans self-described fan histories

and behavior, I compiled the mentions of logics separately for questions on their feelings

specifically toward brands. Advocacy, the logic of championing, ranked the highest at 15

mentions, mostly involving statements approving of brand’s sponsoring certain teams the

fans liked or disapproving of some behavior by brands. Identification and Pride followed

with seven and six counts respectively. Mastery had four mentions. Entertainment, Play,

and Social Connection each had two mentions and Immersion only showed up once

under the brand logics section of the ethnographic interviews.

To examine further insights on logic counts surrounding general questions on fan

behavior and logic counts on questions related specifically to brands, I went back and

counted mentions in several areas of interest showed up prominently that I consider

worthwhile for discussion, such unexpected results from the media usage section.

PRACTICUM 38

The first measure of Brand Ethics and Values relates to any statement made

about preferences based on positive or negative brand associations based on ethical

values, which 17 of the 20 participants mentioned, if at least in passing. Two other

measures that could be useful to those creating sport fan experiences are the importance

of TV viewings, 14 mentions, and going to the stadium, 10 mentions. Additionally, eight

participants (not mutually exclusive) mentioned that they followed sports news using

official channels, such as official e-mail newsletters from Paris Saint Germain, a soccer

club, or official social media, such as following the US Soccer League Major League

Soccer, on Twitter. However, an equal number mentioned they specifically searched out

sports news about their favorite teams using aggregated newsfeeds they create themselves

or search for specific content specifically from fan sites. Lastly, an aspect that did not

show up much in the literature review, eight of the participants mentioned the importance

PRACTICUM 39

of family connections in their fandom, but not because of their significant others, but

because of family members, particularly siblings and children.

The interpretations of these results follow below.

Ethnographic Discussion

The results of the ethnography demonstrate a gap between fan practices and how

brands currently engage with female sports fans. I discuss the results in detail below in

relation to the literature review and also give brands recommendations to take to engage

with female sports fans.

From a raw numbers perspective, Social Connection features the most examples.

This could be interpreted on the lines of stereotyping female sports fans accompanying

their partners to tagalong with their male significant others, which is one of the taunts

against female sports fans mentioned by Chirico (2014) in the literature review or that

they only care about the social experience. However, none of the female sports fans

interviewed mentioned boyfriends or husbands as the sole or most important person they

shared their sports experience with. Additionally in observations in the field, we saw

many women with groups of friends, including many groups of only women going to

bars or attending viewing parties together. Two of the respondents mentioned watching

sports with their brothers and three of the respondents with children mentioned

connecting with soccer through their sons. The female sports fans we spoke to and

observed practiced Social Connection with groups of friends or with their families,

mostly through parental and sibling relationships. Sports brands should take note that in

potentially planning a social experience that relates to female sports fans, it isn’t just

about the guy she might be with, they should be able relate potential fan experiences to

PRACTICUM 40

other dimensions, such as family and friends. This calls back to importance of positive

experiences for families as emphasized by Eden, Upright, & Hey (2013) and Crawford

(2004). However, the real-world examples of female sports fans going and enjoying

sports in groups of friends, including exclusively with other female sports fans, have not

been as explored in the literature surrounding sports fans and likely is a missed

opportunity on part of sports brands. Especially given Chen, Lin, & Chang’s (2013)

findings about influence of peers impacting purchasing behavior, this is an area worth

exploring. The importance of live stadium experiences for some of these fans is an

opportunity worth further exploration.

Two other logics, Entertainment and Mastery, provide additional opportunities for

engaging with female sports fans. Brand experiences mentioning these two logics had a

low number of mentions, with Mastery having four mentions (ranked fifth to last place)

and Entertainment only having two mentions (tied for second to last place), although they

ranked relatively high in terms of how fans engaged outside of branding, with 55

mentions of Entertainment and 45 mentions of Mastery, ranking second and fifth in times

mentioned respectively – the difference in number of mentions of Mastery and other

ranked logics is low, as seen in the graph in the results section above. Entertainment and

Mastery in sports often go hand-in-hand in sports fandom. Entertainment in sports

fandom involves relishing the game, even without other people around. Mastery in sports

fandom involves learning the history and or facts, such as statistics, of a particular team.

Female sports fans are not portrayed in engaging with sports in this fashion in popular

media, for instance in the World Cup commercials mentioned in the introduction. While

the men in the commercials engage in watching and knowing sports, female sports fans

PRACTICUM 41

are criticized for not practicing sports fandom in this manner. The image does not match

the reality of these fans. Sherry (2005) emphasized the “lived experience platform,”

(p.47) meaning customers to attach meanings to brands through their interactions with

brands. Given that female sports fans discuss enjoy watching and learning about the

sport, enough that they are seeking out information on their own by curating newsfeeds

online, yet don’t associate brands with this behavior, shows sports companies are not

focused on fandom carried out with these two logics by female sports fans. Therefore,

brands miss the opportunity to create aligning experiences tapping into Entertainment and

Social Connection given how these female sports fans practice their fanship.

The third logic pairing to think about is Identification, which is closely related to

Pride, as Pride is most often the outward expression of Identification, for instance by

wearing a team jersey. Identification and Pride by female sports fans in particular

appears to be similar to sports fans in general as discussed in the literature. Crawford’s

(2004) approach to sports fandom is about the performance of identity and belonging

with the interplay of consumerism to validate those performances through the purchase of

symbols such as apparel to show allegiance outwardly. AD, 31, expressed she loved

Adidas because, “They’re super German. It’s so German. The colors are German, and I

really identify with the nation. It’s really sticking out for me.” KL, 25, Brazilian, also

spoke fondly of Adidas sponsoring her local home team, Flamengo, “I think Adidas is

good because they have a solid history of engaging with Flamengo. In the past, they’ve

been present in victorious moments. This is the memory we have about Adidas with

Flamengo. We are happy to have this brand back again.” Doyle (2010) wrote about the

intensity and power of female soccer fans as much as and in some cases even more so

PRACTICUM 42

more than male soccer fans during World Cup games. While these feelings toward

Identification and Pride may not manifest characteristics as gendered in how female

sports fans engage with the other logics, sports companies that sell merchandise to female

sports fans should take note in this level of enthusiasm in relation to sports-related

products. Many interviewees complained about the lack of appropriate gear for female

sports fans as too overtly feminine, mostly maternity-related clothing, or just not having

the right availability of sizes. Nooyi (2012) spoke about how she wanted to be treated as

a true fan, meaning she didn’t want over-feminized jerseys or “dumbed-down” content

(Par. 75). Chirio (2013) as well as Cecamore, Fraesdorf, Langer, & Power (2011) also

commented lack of merchandise to fulfill in relation to demand from female sports fans.

Female sports fans have been documented in their intensity in identifying with sports as

parts of their identity and desire to express it outwardly. Companies should take note in

additional possible sales beyond the current limited range of items and considering

creating merchandise for larger range of female sports fans, not just the pink jerseys or

maternity wear crowds.

The logics of Play and Immersion ranked far less for these female sports fans than

the other logics both in fan participation practices outside branding and in relation to

branding. The logic of Play involves engaging by playing the sport physically or through

digital games. The low mentions of Play fall in line with Markovits & Albertson (2012)

and Dietz-Uhler, Harrick, and Jacquemotte’s (2000) scholarship in that female sports fans

don’t often become fans through Play. This likely has much to do with gender dynamics,

especially given the different cultures covered in the study. The ethnography shows a

split between countries where women play more organized sports, such as the United

PRACTICUM 43

States and Germany, versus countries in Latin America that do not emphasize Play by

women as much culturally. Immersion is about being so absorbed in the sport that

nothing else matters. This is a turn-off for many women because of the implications of

hooliganism inherent in Immersion and losing control in the sport, although some women

do participate in Immersion. This aspect calls back to what Pope (2013) wrote about the

dichotomous nature of the female sports fans she studied, where some are very invested

that can be seen in terms of Immersion versus those who are not so invested. The varying

levels of intensity of female sports fans in Jone’s (2008) study also speak to this dynamic

of deeply contrasting levels of Immersion on among different types of female sports fans.

Two of the interviewees AD, 31, from Germany and JB, 27, from the United States, both

mentioned disliking overly immersive behavior, AD specifically mentioning a boyfriend

that was “too into it” and JB not liking “fans setting couches on fire after a win.” In

questions of Play and Immersion, these are factors that might be suited specific

opportunities for brands rather than broad marketing tactics. They should still not be

overlooked, especially in countries like the United States, where female rates of

participation in playing sports are higher. Anecdotally, the most Immersive female sports

fan I interviewed, an American, SH, 28, said, “Sports are pretty much my only hobby

outside of work” and owns an entire closet of sports team wear. Fandom around Play and

Immersion are niches that some brands may find important.

One last prominent dynamic that warrants discussion is attitudes were toward

brand ethics, as coded under the logic of Advocacy. Female sports fans overwhelming

mentioned how important good sportsmanship between players in matches and fans with

each other as well as the importance of ethical practices when they were asked brand

PRACTICUM 44

questions. TB, 42, American, said she would imagine not liking a player or a team if she

knew something negative about them. KL, 26, Brazilian, specifically pointed out she

disliked the Brazilian soccer club Corinthians because they are “too aggressive.” SB, 30,

American said, “good sportsmanship is one of my favorite parts of soccer. I love Lionel

Messi because he exemplifies this” in reference to the Argentinean soccer player. She

also complemented fans of the opposing team she was rooting against in friendly banter

while we at a bar. Some sort of vague statement came from 17 out of 20 respondents

when asked about possible positive impact of brands, for instance VC, 33, Italian said,

“Brands in general should be doing more good.” Nearly all the Brazilians respondents

liked it when a brand that operates ethically and has a good reputation sponsors their

home team. JB, 27, American from Baltimore said she liked how Under Armor

supported the city by sponsoring local initiatives and hiring locally. Many respondents

echoed these sentiments of how they liked it when sports franchises included local

businesses and community foundations in some way and could name brands that did so.

The negative comments were much harsher and very specific. Two notable complaints

from a German respondent and a Brazilian respondent talked about a perceived mismatch

in terms of a potato chip company and a supermarket sponsoring local soccer teams,

respectively. They both expressed that it was odd that food companies that didn’t

necessarily represent values of healthy eating sponsored a sport. In the backdrop of

controversy around corruption in the World Cup, SB, 30, an American added,

“Budweiser is disgusting specifically because of forcing laws to change to sell alcohol

during the World Cup” in reference to how alcohol can create an unsafe environment at

stadiums. She pointed to her beer and told me she takes care to not order anything made

PRACTICUM 45

by Budweiser. Moore & Homer (2008) found that women tend to have stronger feelings

toward brand values and ethics in comparison to men, both positively and negatively.

Another specific aspect of brand values that relate to female sports fans is the negative

reaction to sexism in sports. JB, 27, American said she “pays attention when I find things

sexist in sports. I take exception to that, such as in the Superbowl when they bring on

GoDaddy ads. Superbowl ads are sexist, but GoDaddy is the worst offender.” Nearly all

of the American participants I talked to after domestic violence scandals broke out in the

NFL, such as those surrounding Ray Rice, expressed disappointment in how professional

sports leagues handled violence against women. Moore & Homer (2008), Markovits &

Anderson (2012), Banet-Weiser & Baroffio-Bota (2006), and Duncan (2006) all wrote

about the continual practices of approaching sports marketing using women as sexualized

bodies or other approaches that marginalize women, which, in turn, alienates female

sports fans. Brands should take note in not just how to market more to female fans in

terms of advertising leveraging the logics in the previous paragraphs, but also about their

conduct in general, because female sports fans take notice. It is likely not enough to just

make more merchandise available, but also practice what female sports fan consider

ethical business practices to gain their loyalty.

Looking at female sports fans through the lens of ethnography, their lived

experiences, combined with the literature review provide insights in terms of specific

expressions of broad values that furthers what sports brands could use as principles to

bring better experiences to female sports fans. This paper now pivots to the quantitative

side in looking at how female sports fans responded to survey questions about their

fandom.

PRACTICUM 46

Survey Results

In this section, I provide top-line commentary of selected survey questions that

relate to the logics of engagement toward general fan practices and branding. Much of

this survey is out-of-scope and will provide needless complication to the purposes of this

paper on advising brands on broad values and strategies. I use selected parts of the

survey to provide greater context and examples to how female sports fans feel and to

confirm and expand upon the specific issues mentioned by the interviewees in the

ethnography in an attempt to paint a more complex picture that could be generalized to a

much larger sample of respondents.

Survey Discussion

In approaching the survey, I chose several groupings of questions to discuss

several themes. First, women do enjoy participating in sports fandom on their own.

Second, female sports fans experiences when they do decide to watch with the company

of others needs improvement. Third, I show the potential missed opportunities for

merchandise for female sports fans. Fourth, I comment briefly on the aspect of

participating in a sport itself on part of female fans through Play. Lastly, I round out the

discussion on the importance of ethics to female sports fans.

Women as Sports Fans Questions

ENTERTAINMENT: How much do you agree or disagree with the

following statement? - Whether I'm watching a game by myself or with a group of people, I still have a great time watching.

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly

Disagree

381 4.3 4.3 4.3

Disagree 711 8.1 8.1 12.4

PRACTICUM 47

Neither Disagree nor Agree

1733 19.7 19.7 32.1

Agree 4544 51.6 51.6 83.7

Strongly Agree 1438 16.3 16.3 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

ENTERTAINMENT: And how much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? - I attend, or would like to attend events

organized by the sponsors of my team because they improve my fan

experience around football

Frequency Percent

Valid

Percent

Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly Disagree

679 7.7 10.3 10.3

Disagree 1102 12.5 16.6 26.9

Neither

Disagree nor Agree

2349 26.7 35.5 62.4

Agree 2097 23.8 31.7 94.1

Strongly Agree 393 4.5 5.9 100.0

Total 6620 75.2 100.0

PRACTICUM 48

Missing System 2187 24.8

Total 8807 100.0

IMMERSION: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? - When the game is close, I focus totally on

what's happening on the field/court.

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly

Disagree

532 6.0 6.0 6.0

Disagree 778 8.8 8.8 14.9

Neither

Disagree nor Agree

1862 21.1 21.1 36.0

Agree 4267 48.5 48.5 84.5

Strongly Agree 1368 15.5 15.5 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

PRACTICUM 49

MASTERY: How much do you agree or disagree with the following

statement? - I love learning stories about the teams and/or players I follow

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly Disagree

680 7.7 7.7 7.7

Disagree 1183 13.4 13.4 21.2

Neither

Disagree nor Agree

2478 28.1 28.1 49.3

Agree 3620 41.1 41.1 90.4

Strongly Agree 846 9.6 9.6 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

PRACTICUM 50

MASTERY: And how much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? - Content produced by my team's sponsors is a

good source of information about my team

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly

Disagree

628 7.1 9.5 9.5

Disagree 1288 14.6 19.5 28.9

Neither Disagree nor

Agree

2857 32.4 43.2 72.1

Agree 1599 18.2 24.2 96.3

Strongly Agree 248 2.8 3.7 100.0

Total 6620 75.2 100.0

Missing System 2187 24.8

Total 8807 100.0

PRACTICUM 51

The responses to the above questions destroy the notion that female sports fans

care only about a social experience. The high levels of agreement, 5,982 (68%)

responded Agree or Strongly Agree, in enjoying the sport even without others around

attest their enjoyment of the sport itself. Female sports fans also responded they can be

immersed, 5,635 (64%) responded Agree or Strongly Agree to an Immersion question of

not being able to focus on anything but the sport they’re watching, which demonstrates

the high-level of attention and commitment to the sport by these fans. Furthermore,

they’re not clueless about sports in the way popular culture views them to be, the positive

responses in the questions about Mastery shows the passion of female sports fans in

learning about sports. 4,466 (51%) of the respondents Agree or Strongly Agree with

wanting to learn more about the team or players of the sport they follow. By extension,

there are also important implications for those behind sports content creation in the

second Mastery question: “Content produced by my teams sponsors is a good source of

PRACTICUM 52

information about my team.” This question ties in with the female sports fans seeking

out their own content online in the ethnography. 2,857 (32%) participants responded

Neither Agree nor Disagree, possibly showing a lack of awareness of such content if it

exists, followed by 1,916 (21%) answering Disagree or Strongly Disagree. Given the

context that female sports fans are not as welcomed in enjoying the sport in live venues

and Sutera’s (2013) emphasis on the importance of online communication in the

relationship between fans and producers, which is not happening here, these results have

implications for content creation or marketing existing content online for female sports

fans. Crawford (2004) also called out this type of marginalization of female sports fans

in his scholarship. Thus, sports brands should understand female sports fans do engage

with sports deeply for the love of the game and create experiences and content inclusive

of these fans, both physically and digitally.

Social Connection Underserved

SOCIAL CONNECTION: How much do you agree or disagree with

the following statement? - Pre or post-game rituals, such as meeting friends or going to a bar are important aspects of being a

fan.

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly

Disagree

1074 12.2 12.2 12.2

Disagree 1635 18.6 18.6 30.8

Neither Disagree nor Agree

2730 31.0 31.0 61.8

Agree 2776 31.5 31.5 93.3

Strongly Agree 592 6.7 6.7 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

PRACTICUM 53

SOCIAL CONNECTION: And how much do you agree or disagree with

the following statement? - I can connect with other fans through brands that sponsor my team or player

Frequency Percent

Valid

Percent

Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly Disagree

784 8.9 11.8 11.8

Disagree 1477 16.8 22.3 34.2

Neither

Disagree nor Agree

2512 28.5 37.9 72.1

Agree 1595 18.1 24.1 96.2

Strongly Agree 252 2.9 3.8 100.0

Total 6620 75.2 100.0

Missing System 2187 24.8

Total 8807 100.0

PRACTICUM 54

Social Connection plays a key role in the fan experience for many female sports

fans. The survey confirms this dynamic in the numbers above with 3,368 (38%) who

Agree or Strongly Agree that rituals around meeting friends or shared viewing

experiences are important. By contrast, another survey question also implies a lack of

action taken by sports companies to take advantage of Social Connection, with 2,512

(28%) respondents who neither Agree or Disagree and 2,261 (26%) respondents who

Disagree or Strongly Disagree with the survey statement “I can connect with other fans

through brands that sponsor my team or player.” Similarly, this gap shows up in the

ethnographic interviews in the disconnect between how important Social Connection was

for some female sports fans and how little they associate that aspect with brands. In

addition in our field observations, we saw many groups of female sport fans going to

viewing parties together or to watch games together at various venues. Markovits &

Anderson (2012) stated the importance of “social inclusion” (p. 160) as a motivating

PRACTICUM 55

factor for participation in sports for female fans. Brands should take notice of the gap

and think about how to create fan experiences that could be more inclusive of female

sports fans who partake in their fandom with others.

The Lack of Merchandise for Expression

IDENTIFICATION: How much do you agree or disagree with the

following statement? - The team or sport I support says something about who I am.

Frequency Percent

Valid

Percent

Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly Disagree

837 9.5 9.5 9.5

Disagree 1603 18.2 18.2 27.7

Neither Disagree nor

Agree

3067 34.8 34.8 62.5

Agree 2729 31.0 31.0 93.5

Strongly Agree 571 6.5 6.5 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

PRIDE: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? - I wear clothing that identifies myself as a fan.

PRACTICUM 56

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly

Disagree

1543 17.5 17.5 17.5

Disagree 2288 26.0 26.0 43.5

Neither Disagree nor Agree

2084 23.7 23.7 67.2

Agree 2112 24.0 24.0 91.1

Strongly Agree 780 8.9 8.9 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

PRIDE: And how much do you agree or disagree with the following

statement? - I know which brand makes my favorite team/player’s clothing and shoes

Frequency Percent

Valid

Percent

Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly Disagree

806 9.2 12.2 12.2

Disagree 1394 15.8 21.1 33.2

Neither

Disagree nor Agree

1977 22.4 29.9 63.1

Agree 2023 23.0 30.6 93.7

Strongly Agree 420 4.8 6.3 100.0

Total 6620 75.2 100.0

PRACTICUM 57

Missing System 2187 24.8

Total 8807 100.0

Female sports fans lament the lack of merchandise available for them to purchase

to express their sports fandom. Women in the ethnographic interviews complained about

everything from the lack of sizes to remarking that clothing was either too masculine or

too feminine or also not appropriate for their age or peer group. Nooyi (2013) declares

that the sports industry just “pinks and shrinks” (Par. 26) and Chirico (2013) complains,

“clothing items are in pink for no good reason” (Par. 14) in reference to sports-related

apparel. Cecamore, Fraesdorf, Langer, & Power (2011) posited that the gender disparity

in money spent on merchandise could be because of the limited types of products

produced for women. Consumption plays an important role in fandom because by

providing items for sports fans to purchase to outwardly express their identity (Crawford,

2004). While 3,067 (35%) female sports fans Neither Disagree or Agree that “the team

they support says something about who I am,” 3,300 (37%) Agree or Strongly Agree.

PRACTICUM 58

Additionally, 2892 (33%) Agree or Strongly Agree that they wear “clothing that

identifies me as a fan” and 2,443 (34%) Agree or Strongly Agree that they know “know

which brand makes my favorite team/player’s clothing and shoes.” These low numbers

imply an opportunity to reach out to female sports fans with more merchandise. As

mentioned in the introduction, given the success of the NFL in their expansion of female-

oriented merchandise (Dosh, 2012, Feb 2), that women make up nearly 30%, a growing

number, of audiences for all major professional leagues in the United States (Nielsen,

2013) and the World Cup (globalwebindex, 2014), sports franchises should act on this

growing opportunity. There are many types of female sports fans whose consumption

needs are currently not met. Hence, sports merchandisers should take notice of female

sports fans desire to outward express their Identification and Pride and expand their range

of merchandise.

Women and Play

PLAY: How much do you agree or disagree with the following

statement? - I get involved with the sport I follow by participating in local recreational leagues or playing with my friends.

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly

Disagree

1523 17.3 17.3 17.3

Disagree 2309 26.2 26.2 43.5

Neither

Disagree nor Agree

2043 23.2 23.2 66.7

Agree 2234 25.4 25.4 92.1

Strongly Agree 698 7.9 7.9 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

PRACTICUM 59

Before getting into the final section on values and the logic of Advocacy, I do

want to briefly address the Logic of Play among female sports fans. As mentioned in the

ethnographic interviews section and the literature review by Markovits & Anderson

(2012) and Dietz-Uhler, Harrick, and Jacquemotte (2000), female sports fans may more

often bond with a sport more from following the sport rather by playing it the way many

male sports fans become sports fans. Moreover, the aspect of cultural differences in Play

emerged in interviewing female sports fans. Namely, some countries encourage young

women to play sports more than others, such as the prevalence of organized sports

described by American and German interviewees in contrast to lack of organized sports

by the Brazilian and Italian interviewees. This dynamic is further addressed in the

Limitations section of this paper. This question in the survey had a noticeable split,

displayed in the graph above, 3,832 (44%) respondents who Strongly Disagree or

Disagree versus 2,043 (23%) Neither Agree nor Disagree with the aforementioned

statement. 2,932 (33%) who Agree or Strongly Agree with “participating in local

PRACTICUM 60

recreational leagues or playing with my friends.” This aspect visualized in the chart

above may well demonstrate these differences among cultures. Brands should be aware

of these differences culturally in the markets they operate in. While many female sports

fans have gotten to know a sport more by following it, certain nationalities and age

groups maybe more invested in the logic of Play. In short, for some makers of sports

equipment and gear or brands operating in certain markets, this could be an important

niche opportunity.

The Importance of Values

ADVOCACY: How much do you agree or disagree with the following

statement? - If I see a fan of a team my favorite team is playing against, I will tell them they're going to lose.

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly Disagree

2201 25.0 25.0 25.0

Disagree 2811 31.9 31.9 56.9

Neither

Disagree nor Agree

1842 20.9 20.9 77.8

Agree 1396 15.9 15.9 93.7

Strongly Agree 557 6.3 6.3 100.0

Total 8807 100.0 100.0

PRACTICUM 61

And how much do you agree or disagree with the following

statement? - I appreciate when my team or favorite player is involved with brands that make a difference for my community

Frequency Percent Valid

Percent Cumulative

Percent

Valid Strongly Disagree

416 4.7 6.3 6.3

Disagree 619 7.0 9.4 15.6

Neither Disagree nor

Agree

1961 22.3 29.6 45.3

Agree 2932 33.3 44.3 89.5

Strongly Agree 692 7.9 10.5 100.0

Total 6620 75.2 100.0

Missing System 2187 24.8

Total 8807 100.0

The last logic of engagement covered in the survey as it relates to the ethnography

is Advocacy, the action of championing. This logic can manifest itself negatively

through taunting other fans or can present itself positively through taking a stand on

certain ethical values. The survey question worded, “If I see a fan of a team my favorite

PRACTICUM 62

team is playing against, I will tell them they're going to lose” received 5,012 (57%)

responses of Strongly Disagree or Disagree. This aligns with much of the sentiment from

the women interviewed in terms of a strong preference for good sportsmanship as a part

of enjoying the game and dislike of bad conduct by teams or fans. In addition to good

sportsmanship among players of the sports they like and amongst fans, this notion of

Advocacy as it relates to values carried over when asked about players or brands making

a difference in their community, 3,624 (55%) Agreed or Strongly Agreed. Along the

same lines, these results coincide with the many statements made in the ethnographic

interviews and in the literature review regarding good sportsmanship. In fact, the

importance of ethical behavior is a particular trait that Homer (2008) found unique in that

women put greater weight into a brand relationship as it related to their values, in

particular in relation to portrayals of their gender. In sum, the importance of ethical

behavior is a unifying strand in female sports fandom. Female sports fans, like all sports

fans among them, have variations in how they approach their fandom, as seen in the

ethnography and the survey questions above, but this is the one factor that is nearly

universal among female sports fans. The sports industry should take note of this in both

their tone in how they formulate their marketing messages, what athletes and teams they

attach themselves to in relation to positive behavior, and the practices they themselves as

a company adhere to in order to not get on the wrong side of watchful female sports fans.

The above survey responses fall in line with the statements of female sports fans

we interviewed and the content of the literature review. Namely, women do actively

enjoy the sport on a purely entertainment level. Better social experiences by sports

brands also have potential to appeal to more female sports fans. Furthermore,

PRACTICUM 63

merchandise is lacking for female sports fans. Additionally, play has a bimodal and

niche dynamic among female sports fans. Lastly, as a whole female sports fans care

deeply about ethical values.

The next section will go over some of the gaps the sports industry needs to

overcome as expressed by this information and give some recommendations.

Gaps and Recommendations

This section briefly brings together the literature review with results and

discussion from the two research methods to present basic recommendations for the

sports industry in creating better business relationships with female sports fans in relation

to live events, the entertainment enjoyment aspect of female sports fans, the expansion of

content, need for more merchandise, and the need for recognition of the multi- faceted

nature of female sports fans.

First, female sports fans in this study do not have the most positive opinions about

live events and viewing, even though the interviewees and survey show they want better

fan experiences in this area. This includes safety from hostility and other adjustments to

the environment that promotes inclusiveness at places like stadiums and bars. Those

female sports fans that prize the social aspect of participating in sports should also be

paid attention to, perhaps by special deals on group discounts that are targeted to women.

Second, the sports industry overlooks female sports fans truly into the game

without the need for companionship. These are the fans that will sit at home alone and

wear her team gear to enjoy the game on TV. These fans deserve acknowledgment

through better commercial experiences. It follows then, that these fans should not be

overlooked in promoting marketing publications or online newsletters with deep content,

PRACTICUM 64

such as analysis of player statistics, as an example. Many female sports fans care about

this aspect of Mastery as well, and brands should take notice.

Third, while many female sports fans do engage with existing official channels in

relation to sports, such as watching SportsCenter on ESPN or following the official social

media feeds of teams and players, many actively seek out their own content. One of the

more surprisingly aspects of this study was the sheer amount of information aggregation

described by the female sports fans we interviewed and the glaring gap in discoverable

content by brands in the survey. Female sports fans clearly care about content, and that

content currently does not exist or is not marketed to female sports fans properly. Brands

should take stock that this demand for content represents a unique opportunity.

Fourth, the lack of merchandise available for female sports fans to buy is one

visible glaring market demand that has not yet been met. Insufficient products to express

fandom have been a wide complaint in the literature, ethnography, and survey. Female

sports fans strongly recognize brands and are cognizant of this lack of options. They are

a diverse group and want a wide range of merchandise that fits them to express their

devotion to the teams they love.

This last aspect calls back to Cecamore, Fraesdork, Langer, & Power’s (2011) in

recognizing that some marketing to women in sports is “too easy and simplistic” or

“stereotypical” (p. 53). Female sports fans want to be treated not simply by

acknowledging their gender or lumped with male sports fans, but as multi- faceted female

sports fans. Female sports fans are not a monolith.

Although I gave the above recommendations because these aspects have not as

deeply covered in previous literature, they are also limited and very general. Admittedly,

PRACTICUM 65

more nuanced research has not yet been done on these aspects of female sports fandom,

but that doesn’t mean that these fans do not deserve to be seen without complexity in

their fan behavior. Acknowledgement and further segmentation by brands could gain the

respect and dollars of female sports fans. I move on to discuss the limitations of this

study and possibilities for more research in the following two sections.

Limitations

Several limitations to the ethnographic interviews include the sample size,

composition of the interviewees, and bias due to the timing of this study. First, we only

interviewed 20 participants for the ethnographic interviews. The participants skewed

American and Brazilian.

Consequently, cultural dynamics are an issue here, particularly for the logic of

Play. In many countries, particularly some of those in Latin America and parts of

Southern Europe, women’s participation in playing some or all sports is more limited

compared to other parts of the world. The Italian and several of the Brazilian

interviewees stated that “soccer is for men” in their countries. Meanwhile, women’s

sports are much more normalized in North America and Northern Europe. However, in

general, the logic of Play is lower among women. This dichotomy appeared on the

survey questions as well with the visible split on Agree and Disagree answers on the Play

question. Gender roles in each country may have played a role in shaping fan practices.

Identification might also be more heavily weighted because of the strong ties to

identifying with a local soccer club as a part of Brazilian culture as described by our

Brazilian respondents. This affiliation is about more than just a hometown or school

preference to compare to Identification in the United States, but may also speak to

PRACTICUM 66

tradition passed down generationally and take on deep meaning in terms of family

histories, social class, status, and regional identities.

An additional element to be aware of in this study is the timing and conditions in

which we conducted the study. Both the ethnographic interviews and surveys were

carried out specifically to coincide with the World Cup. People are likely to have

become much more partisan to their national teams, and expats may have felt particularly

so. Dynamics particular to soccer might have been overemphasized with dynamics

particular to other sports underemphasized. We also had mixed gendered teams of

interviewers and translators, so some of the respondents may have felt they could speak

more freely on certain topics to female interviewers versus the male interviewers. Unlike

the survey, the ages in the ethnography do not have quite as a normal distribution and

definitely skew more mid-twenties to middle-aged, and thus are women that are more or

less in similar life stages. The ethnography lacked perspectives of teenage women and

women in their early twenties as well as audiences over the age of 60.

The biggest limitation in how I have presented the survey data is by relying

heavily on simple descriptive statistics to analyze a selected group of questions

surrounding fan engagement and brand logic questions. For the purposes of this study, I

searched for more universal themes that have not been fully examined in the literature

and sports industry at large at a very basic level. Therefore, I used this methodology to

generalize the ethnography look at a possible bigger picture. I acknowledge the

limitation in that these insights are likely better suited to mass marketing

recommendations. This study does not break out these fans into particular segments and

uses aggregate data, though that would be worthwhile exercise to undertake with this

PRACTICUM 67

data. What I have identified are general values that these female sports fans studied

share, facts that dispel stereotypes of female fans in their fan practices, and confirmed

and added to the literature written about female sports fans. While I used the logics of

engagement as my framework, there may also be other frameworks and theories that can

approach this data as well.

On that note, I freely acknowledge that I am combining data from a variety of

cultures and age groups using one framework. However, while brands will need to be

culturally specific in their targeting, the language of brands is universal and not

necessarily culturally driven. Even though there is still much more learning that could be

gleaned from this data, I focused on those universal themes to advise the sports industry

on gaps and opportunities in how they can better serve female sports fans and possibly

increase the bottom line. The next section will summarize this study and discuss some

possible further work that could be done on this topic with this data.

Possible Expansions of Study and Conclusions

This paper challenges the notion that female sports fans only care about sports to

relate to men. Moreover, female sports fans don’t engage more strongly in the logics of

Identification and Social Connection as I had hypothesized, but participate in sports

fandom in a complex interplay with all the logics of engagement. The survey and the

ethnography together disprove popular notions of female sports fans as passive. The

combined research validates and adds to the information covered in the literature review,

as well as identifies areas in how female sports fans practice their fandom and their

attitudes toward how they want brands to behave. The nuances female sports fans

expressed in the ethnography and on the survey demonstrate that their unfulfilled

PRACTICUM 68

consumer needs in terms of intangible experiences in their sports viewing and

participation as well as need for more tangible goods for purchase. Much of this is

because female sports fans are largely still seen in simplistic stereotypes like those of the

clingy girlfriend, stereotypes too simple to reach the wide spectrum of female sports fans.

A future step in this study outside of the scope of this paper would be to run a

factor and cluster analysis on the survey to determine individual segments that may group

these fans strongly in certain logics or characteristics across certain demographic groups.

A side-by-side comparison to male fans in terms of the ethnography and survey could

reveal possible overlaps as well as differences to consider for marketers. This additional

analysis could have important consequences for marketing teams with more specific

information to target certain age, demographic, and psychographic groups. Additional

interviews of female sports fans of ages that did not get covered or focus groups could

reveal more insights in how sports fandom is practiced among women.

One last point to speak on to wrap up this paper outside of the need for more

marketing studies: respecting female sports fans and perceiving female sports fans in

more complex manners as true sports fans uplifts sports and society. Markovits and

Albertson (2012) wrote extensively about the role sports has crossing boundaries and

creating unity, except on gender. Giving female sports fans a better consumer experience

will not only provide better fan experiences and create opportunities for the sports

industry, but also gives female sports fans greater legitimacy in sports fandom and

extends the uniting power of sports through recognition of female sports fans as an

essential part of the sports fan universe, a universe that brings different people together.

PRACTICUM 69

References

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