Losing on the Pitch, Winning in the Stands: Identity driven Loyalty among Football Supporters during Poor Performance
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2025-07-07
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en
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This research studies the loyalty of football supporters during periods of poor performance of their team, focusing on supporters of FC Twente. Traditional marketing research shows that loyalty is mainly conditional and based on performance or satisfaction, this study dives into the loyalty that is embedded in identity and emotional attachment. By using Consumer Culture Theory and the theory of the extended self, this research tries to answer the questions how poor performance on the field impacts supporters and what motivates supporters to keep on supporting. For this study, qualitative research was done by combining ethnographic fieldwork with semi-structured interviews among FC Twente supporters. The findings of this study show that loyalty during periods of poor performance is deeply rooted in four types of identity: family identity, personal identity, regional identity, and social identity. This makes that supporters see FC Twente not just as a football club but rather as an extension of who they are and strongly intertwined into their everyday lives. This study is a contribution to sports and traditional marketing by showing an identity-driven loyalty that goes beyond rational consumer behaviour and offers practical insights for fostering loyalty in high involving and sports driven markets.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen