ABSTRACT
This chapter deepens the conceptualisation of sport branding by considering the more complex relationships between branding elements and sport consumers. This examination considers the detailed choices consumers need to make on a regular basis, and how, in response, clever brands help to simplify consumer decision-making and remove perceptions of risk. By mobilising unique, favourable, and strong associations, sport brands utilise a form of identification to establish lasting connections that stimulate the personal relevance a consumer feels concerning the product category under consideration. The chapter highlights how managing moments-of-truth, utilising a masterbrand approach, and executing the critical concept of positioning can condition consumers to detect and react to brand associations in a positive manner that can build lifelong attachment.
