Graduate Research and Discovery Symposium (GRADS)

Advisor

Dr. Sheila Backman

Document Type

Poster

Department

Parks, Recreation and Tourism

Publication Date

Spring 2013

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the Twitter's role in the formation of team allegiance through the revised Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) by creating James and Funk (2006). Although collegiate sports programs are using social media to communicate with their fans, little research about how social media impacts the formation of team allegiance has been done. The primary focus will be to analyze how individuals interact with a sports team via Twitter and how those interactions form allegiance. Twitter, a new communication technology platform, is, at present, one of the most popular sites and communication technologies among both individuals and organizations (Clavio, 2011). Twitter also offers a beneficial platform as a strategic marketing tool, enabling fans to elevate team allegiance within the sports realm. This study will also specifically determine whether observing people’s interactions on Twitter is an effective way to study the developing relationship between individuals’ awareness and emotions related to watching sports games and their allegiance toward specific sports team. This research will also help sports marketers learn about sports consumers’ behaviors, needs, and motivations online, which will help shape internet marketing communication.

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