Title: Analysis of the Behavior of Female Football Club Supporters in Indonesia
Author: Yoseph Benny Kusuma
Item Type: Thesis (Thesis)
Affiliations: Master of Management Science Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga , Surabaya, Indonesia
Publisher: Universitas Airlangga
Abstract
Football is a popular sport that is said to have a far greater fan base than any other sport worldwide. Its fans come from various social backgrounds and classes, from children to adults, from the working class to the nobility, from commoners to presidents (Horne and Manzenreiter, 2002). An interesting phenomenon that has emerged recently is that football club supporters are no longer dominated by men but are also starting to be filled with women. This culminated in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when the world's highest football organization, FIFA, reported that 43% of the global television audience for World Cup matches were women. This study aims to observe the behavior of women who support football clubs in Indonesia, demonstrating their fanaticism for the football clubs they support. Furthermore, it will explore the motivations that drive them to demonstrate their fanatical behavior in supporting a football club. Football supporter fanaticism can be demonstrated in various ways, such as fans always wearing attributes that identify their favorite team, such as wearing t-shirts, hats, scarves, and jackets. Another form of supporter love is the establishment of a fan club consisting of supporters of the team. Sports marketing is the specific application of marketing principles and processes to sports products and the marketing of non-sports products through association with sports (Shank, 2009). Shank (2009) argues that in sports it has been assumed that the main purpose of the game is to entertain and satisfy customer needs. Hunt (1999) has grouped five types of fans: temporary fans, local fans, devoted fans, fanatic fans, and dysfunctional fans. Motivation is an impulse or desire within humans that causes individuals to do something to fulfill their needs. The concept of loyalty in the context of brand communities is also assessed not only limited to repeat purchasing behavior, but also relationships with other customers, including within the brand community. The stages of relationship formation between consumers and companies, or what is called the ladder of loyalty, consist of Prospect, Purchaser, Client, Supporter, Advocate, and Partner. The loyalty ladder in female supporters consists of five levels: Purchaser, Client, Supporter, Advocate, and Partner.
Keywords: Fanaticism, Ladder of Loyalty, Sport Managements