Digital Fandomonium: Psychology-based Engagement and Media Strategy in Sports

Being a sports fan is not a new concept. What has changed however are the ways in which we identify with and experience sport. Published in 2018, this report contains three main sections to explore sport and fan identity as multidimensional experiences: Identification, The 3Es: Emotion, Engagement, Experience, and Brand Building.

Singleton, T., & Green, K. (2021). A Lot of People Did Not Want This to Happen: Analyzing the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Brand Identity During COVID. Journal of Emerging Sport Studies, 5.

Abstract: Using three highly visible promotional videos from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), we perform a critical examination of the UFC’s branding during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first is a recorded endorsement from President Donald Trump, the second introduces the origin of an international pay-per-view series called “Fight Island” and the third is an end of year retrospective of the UFC’s performance in 2020. Employing content analysis grounded in brand psychology and narrative persuasion, we deconstruct the visual communication and story-based elements within this advertising to reveal how the company has adopted an identity of heroic dominance and defiance. This persona is built from a cognitively biased and framed suggestive notion which the UFC uses to market themselves as the lone organization fearless enough to “conquer” COVID-19 through the continuation of live events and overcoming obstacles posed by government regulation and media criticism. Ultimately, we find three dominant narratives actively established from this identity and heavily employed in their subsequent branded content: “Sport Must Go On,” “Unstoppable Force,” and “World Gone Crazy.” We conclude by arguing that the UFC’s branding reifies the tenuous social and political position the young sport occupies by marketing the combat sports company as different than other mainstream sport leagues, through repeated celebration of the Dana White (President of the UFC) as a heroic figure, by their disavowal of caution in the face of a pandemic, and in portrayal of the mainstream media as a jealous enemy.

Abstract: Being a sports fan is not a new concept. What has changed however are the ways in

which we identify with and experience sport. Current research has largely considered sport fans to be organization members due to a set of shared, defining attributes between team, player and consumer. Yet previous scales of team identification have only been unidimensional in nature, scaling just one aspect of psychological connection and not the conduit to these experiences. The evolution of sport media consumption has progressively become more digitally-centered and immersive with the adoption of platforms such as social media and virtual reality. This emphasis in technology means that team identification is likely stimulated by new patterns of digital media consumption and participation.

This dissertation aims to explore sports’ mental market from an emotional and digital perspective, asking what are the components of a multidimensional sport experience and what impact does social media have on it and team identification. By bringing a foundation of organizational psychology to the discipline of sport identification, existing literature is curated and analyzed to illustrate how modern-day sport experiences are serviced in both physical and digital spaces. This study produced a reliable and valid experiential ecosystem model to illustrate the multidimensional nature of fan identification. Overlapping fields within this network are community, self and organization.

A quantitative electronic survey has been administered to measure how digital media technology has impacted the sport experience and these three fields. It is determined that when this system is facilitated through social media consumption and participation, the variables of team-identification, group membership, player loyalty, and team promotion are all enhanced. Furthermore, an experiential score is generated proving that the overall sport experience is valued greater than any individual game.

How is COVID-19 changing the way we connect? Hosted by We Are Social’s Chief Strategy Officer, Mobbie Nazir and Global Head of Cultural Insights, Lore Oxford, Unprecedented? is a new webinar series from We Are Social’s global network. Focusing on how we stay connected, entertained and informed, we explore how Covid-19 is changing the way we behave online, and what it means for brands – not just in the coming months, but in the long-term. n goes here

Industries are scrambling to figure out how to effectively integrate technology into their business. Increasing your brand’s presence in the digital space is wise. But do you know what you’re offering your audience and potential customers? This presentation explores what an experience is, how it connects to brands, and the point of technology by taking it back to the fundamentals of human connection. (Originally published 2015)

What is the fan perception of watching live sports in virtual reality? Is there a demand for a more immersive, interactive environment in live sports consumption? This presentation highlights a research study conducted by two Media Psychologists to determine the efficacy and suggestions of using VR as a platform to consume live sports.

This presentation explores the emotional and digital gridirons of how contemporary fandom are experienced and expressed. (Originally published 2016)

An exploration of sports media and marketing as a transmedia property to amplify the fan experience. (Originally published 2017)

Data visualization = storytelling. In order to build audience growth and retention in a landscape saturated with content, brands must differentiate themselves. This presentation highlights a framework founded in organizational psychology to address brand storytelling with data – The 3Es: Emotion, Engagement, and Experience.

3Es Framework conceptualized by Dr. Tunisha Singleton, 2016.