Brand Keys 2016 Sports Fan Loyalty Index
- Written by Len Stein
NEW YORK, NY May 31, 2016 The 2016 National Basketball Association playoffs have concluded but when it comes to the fans loyalty is much more than a teams win-loss ratio.
Historically, making the NBA playoffs raises a teams fan loyalty levels by about 10%. Winning almost doubles that. When a team makes the playoffs, they always get a lift in fan loyalty said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, Inc. (www.brandkeys.com), the New York-based brand engagement and customer loyalty research consultancy that conducted the 24th annual Sports Fan Loyalty survey.
The Brand Keys Sports Fan Loyalty Index (SLI) was designed to help professional sports team marketers identify the key drivers of fan loyalty in their home and national markets by identifying emotional aspects surrounding the team that require strategic brand coaching. Brand Keys assesses all of the teams in the league, interviewing 250 self-classified basketball fans from each of the 30 NBA teams immediate metropolitan areas. The current 2016 NBA top 5 and bottom 5 team standings follow:
Top Five 2016 2015
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (#6)
2. San Antonio Spurs (#3)
3. Miami Heat (#4)
4. Golden State Warriors (#10)
5. Chicago Bulls/Los Angeles
Clippers (#1, #2)
Bottom Five 2016 2015
30. Sacramento Kings (#30)
29. Minn. Timberwolves (#29)
28. Milwaukee Bucks (#27)
27. Utah Jazz (#24)
26. New Orleans Pelicans (#22)
Winning may be the only thing when it comes to a playoff championship, noted Passikoff, but when it comes to winning fan loyalty its not the only thing. Fan loyalty correlates very highly with broadcast viewership, merchandise purchase, and to a certain degree ticket revenues. Teams can count on some lift to fan loyalty by making the playoffs (about a 10% lift) or a championship win (about 20%), both of which fall into the Pure Entertainment category loyalty driver.
Driving Fan Loyalty
Its important to keep in mind that teams dont leap to the top of the loyalty roster just because they win a playoff or championship. It adds to the loyalty bond, but you need the complete package, pointed out Passikoff. There are three other emotionally based factors that must be taken into account when measuring fan loyalty: Authenticity, Fan Bonding, and History and Tradition, with all these loyalty drivers functioning like this:
Authenticity
How well they play as a team. Sometimes a new arena and, often, a new manager, can lift this driver. A new name helped the Hornets. Which brands sponsor the team can matter as well. Brand support has a lot to do with building concomitant fan loyalty and a larger viewer audience, noted Passikoff. It becomes a symbol of genuine teamwork.
Fan Bonding
Are there players who are particularly respected and admired? More is always better and it helps if that bonding extends beyond a players ability to sink a three-point shot. If you have to think about whom that might be on your team, or can only come up with one name, your teams Fan Bonding is likely to be low. Yes, noted Passikoff, we know that all these players are supposed to be the best of the best, but the roster that fans really bond with on individual teams is relatively small.
History and Tradition
Have the game and the team become part of fans and community rituals, institutions, and beliefs? Thats one of the strongest drivers when it comes to fan loyalty in any Major League sport, said Passikoff. For some teams it accounts for the lions share of loyalty they possess. Think about a team like the Washington Wizards, only a reasonable level of History and Tradition keeps them out of the bottom five.
Teams need to meet some minimum levels on all four factors to create reasonable levels of fan loyalty. If one of those drivers weakens, or disappears, so do high levels of loyalty. Want proof, asked Passikoff, look at the Sacramento Kings.
The NBA again this year ranks third of the four Major League Sports that Brand Keys tracks. The National Football League is first, followed by Major League Baseball. The National Hockey League is last. Overall league and team rankings no matter which league correlate with viewership and merchandise and ticket sales and game attendance, and since rankings can be influenced by how loyalty drivers are managed, its critical that team marketers act as strategically as the coaches.
The secret of fan loyalty in basketball? asked Passikoff. Have five great and admired players and as many fans as possible.
Historically, making the NBA playoffs raises a teams fan loyalty levels by about 10%. Winning almost doubles that. When a team makes the playoffs, they always get a lift in fan loyalty said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, Inc. (www.brandkeys.com), the New York-based brand engagement and customer loyalty research consultancy that conducted the 24th annual Sports Fan Loyalty survey.
The Brand Keys Sports Fan Loyalty Index (SLI) was designed to help professional sports team marketers identify the key drivers of fan loyalty in their home and national markets by identifying emotional aspects surrounding the team that require strategic brand coaching. Brand Keys assesses all of the teams in the league, interviewing 250 self-classified basketball fans from each of the 30 NBA teams immediate metropolitan areas. The current 2016 NBA top 5 and bottom 5 team standings follow:
Top Five 2016 2015
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (#6)
2. San Antonio Spurs (#3)
3. Miami Heat (#4)
4. Golden State Warriors (#10)
5. Chicago Bulls/Los Angeles
Clippers (#1, #2)
Bottom Five 2016 2015
30. Sacramento Kings (#30)
29. Minn. Timberwolves (#29)
28. Milwaukee Bucks (#27)
27. Utah Jazz (#24)
26. New Orleans Pelicans (#22)
Winning may be the only thing when it comes to a playoff championship, noted Passikoff, but when it comes to winning fan loyalty its not the only thing. Fan loyalty correlates very highly with broadcast viewership, merchandise purchase, and to a certain degree ticket revenues. Teams can count on some lift to fan loyalty by making the playoffs (about a 10% lift) or a championship win (about 20%), both of which fall into the Pure Entertainment category loyalty driver.
Driving Fan Loyalty
Its important to keep in mind that teams dont leap to the top of the loyalty roster just because they win a playoff or championship. It adds to the loyalty bond, but you need the complete package, pointed out Passikoff. There are three other emotionally based factors that must be taken into account when measuring fan loyalty: Authenticity, Fan Bonding, and History and Tradition, with all these loyalty drivers functioning like this:
Authenticity
How well they play as a team. Sometimes a new arena and, often, a new manager, can lift this driver. A new name helped the Hornets. Which brands sponsor the team can matter as well. Brand support has a lot to do with building concomitant fan loyalty and a larger viewer audience, noted Passikoff. It becomes a symbol of genuine teamwork.
Fan Bonding
Are there players who are particularly respected and admired? More is always better and it helps if that bonding extends beyond a players ability to sink a three-point shot. If you have to think about whom that might be on your team, or can only come up with one name, your teams Fan Bonding is likely to be low. Yes, noted Passikoff, we know that all these players are supposed to be the best of the best, but the roster that fans really bond with on individual teams is relatively small.
History and Tradition
Have the game and the team become part of fans and community rituals, institutions, and beliefs? Thats one of the strongest drivers when it comes to fan loyalty in any Major League sport, said Passikoff. For some teams it accounts for the lions share of loyalty they possess. Think about a team like the Washington Wizards, only a reasonable level of History and Tradition keeps them out of the bottom five.
Teams need to meet some minimum levels on all four factors to create reasonable levels of fan loyalty. If one of those drivers weakens, or disappears, so do high levels of loyalty. Want proof, asked Passikoff, look at the Sacramento Kings.
The NBA again this year ranks third of the four Major League Sports that Brand Keys tracks. The National Football League is first, followed by Major League Baseball. The National Hockey League is last. Overall league and team rankings no matter which league correlate with viewership and merchandise and ticket sales and game attendance, and since rankings can be influenced by how loyalty drivers are managed, its critical that team marketers act as strategically as the coaches.
The secret of fan loyalty in basketball? asked Passikoff. Have five great and admired players and as many fans as possible.