ABSTRACT
An attitude in the sport context has been defined as representing an individual’s general thoughts and feelings of favourableness towards a sport or recreation object that is often learned from our socio-cultural environment (Ajzen, 1988). Given that an individual’s attitude is unobserved and abstract in nature, it is normally examined as a consumer behaviour construct that is useful for marketers based on its ability to predict intentions and actual behaviour. Consumers have developed specific attitudes toward products and services they like or dislike, which often determine their consumer behaviour such as information search, brand preference and purchase of a product/service. Attitude research is therefore beneficial for developing a sport marketing strategy, since this information can provide a better understanding of consumer decision-making. Examples of attitude research topics that are important for sport marketing include:
• measuring consumer attitudes toward a new product/service (e.g. a new fitness programme in a health club);
• determining the risk of a new product/service being unsuccessful (e.g. collecting data on fans’ attitudes toward a new line of the team’s merchandising);
• measuring the attitudes of specific target groups toward a new product, and then selecting the right marketing strategy (e.g. testing how attractive a new exercise programme is for the elderly);
• measuring consumer attitudes in relation to an advertising spot/commercial (e.g. testing fans’ attitudes toward a promotional campaign about season ticket sales);
• measuring consumer attitudes toward a specific sport brand (e.g. image of a profes - sional sport team);
• designing effective communication strategies to transform consumer attitudes (e.g. public authority’s marketing campaign to change local attitudes toward a healthy lifestyle);
• evaluating sponsorship programmes (e.g. measuring fans’ attitudes toward the sponsoring of their favourite team);
• evaluating corporate social responsibility actions (e.g. measuring fans’ attitudes).
