Team Brand Communities. Potentials and Pitfalls of the Brand Community Concept in the International Sport Brand Management

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Research question
• Current status of research
• Structure of the thesis
• Branding and Communities - Theoretical Basis
• Brand management
• The meaning of a brand
• Brand equity
• Relationship marketing
• Community and Consumption
• Definition and evolution of the community concept
• Constitution of communities
• Consumption-centred communities
• Brand Community - A Definition
• Constituting a community around a brand
• Core commonalities
• Shared consciousness
• Rituals and traditions
• Moral responsibility
• brand.comm
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Team Brand Communities – A Symbiosis
• Team Brands – Brand management in the sports marketplace
• Integrated sports marketing communication
• Branding in the sports marketplace
• Models of brand equity in the sports marketplace
• Communities in the sports marketplace
• Individual sports consumption
• Communal sports consumption
• Brand communities in the sports marketplace
• Consciousness of kind
• Rituals and traditions
• Moral responsibility
• Potentials and Pitfalls of Team Brand Communities
• Potential competitive advantages
• Customer loyalty and its benefits
• Enhanced brand equity
• Marketing efficiency
• Pitfalls of the brand community concept in the sports marketplace
• Counterproductive consumer behaviour
• Uncontrollable brand development
• Conflicts with sports marketing particularities
• Anti-brand community
• Interim conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis investigates the potential and pitfalls of the brand community concept within the context of international sport brand management, specifically focusing on "team brand communities." The study aims to understand how these communities form, the benefits and challenges they present, and their implications for sports marketing strategies.

• The formation and characteristics of team brand communities
• The potential advantages of team brand communities for brands and consumers
• The potential disadvantages and pitfalls of the brand community concept in sports marketing
• The impact of team brand communities on brand equity and customer loyalty
• The relationship between team brand communities and sports marketing strategies

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The first chapter introduces the research question and the current state of research in the field of brand communities and sports marketing. The second chapter provides a theoretical foundation by examining brand management concepts, community formation, and the relationship between consumption and community. The third chapter defines brand communities and explores their core commonalities, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Chapter four delves into the concept of team brand communities, examining the role of brands in the sports marketplace and the specific characteristics of communities in this context. Finally, the fifth chapter focuses on the potentials and pitfalls of team brand communities, analyzing both the potential advantages and disadvantages for brand management in the sports marketplace.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The core concepts of this thesis revolve around brand management, community formation, and the specific application of these concepts within the sports marketplace. Key terms include brand equity, customer loyalty, relationship marketing, community consciousness, rituals and traditions, brand community, team brand communities, sports marketing, and potential competitive advantages.