Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM: Campus Center Auditorium [A77]

Narrative-Driven Content’s Influence on Fan Engagement and Brand Equity in English Football: The Case of Wrexham AFC, Leeds United, and Sunderland AFC

Presenter: Aidan Justice Hickey

Faculty Sponsor: Muzzo Uysal

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

ABSTRACT

As the development of digital media continues to strengthen its presence in our society, there is a significant demand for personalization and originality. Few institutions in our society contribute to a deeper social experience than sports. Fandom of a club or team, no matter the sport, can connect you with people all around the world, acting as a medium for connection, like the role that social media plays. As viewers demand more personalized experiences in their media consumption, sports media have innovated their content styles to acquire new viewers and engage with current fans. Nowhere is this innovation more prevalent than in the production of sports documentaries, often called “docuseries.” This thesis research attempts to examine how narrative-driven content, such as the docuseries, influences fan engagement and brand equity outcomes for three English football teams: Wrexham Association Football Club (AFC), Sunderland AFC, and Leeds United. Limited research has specifically focused on how this content style influences audience engagement or how this content impacts the brand equity of an organization. The purpose of this study is to understand how short and long-term fan engagement is affected by exposure to this media, determine what elements of this narrative content drive audience engagement, and analyze if there are measurable changes to brand equity outcomes by audiences because of such viewership. 

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