Exploring the Rise of Fandom in Contemporary Consumer Culture


Book Description

Every company wants their business to have a strong, loyal following, but achieving this feat can be a challenge. Examining the growth of fandom popularity in modern culture can provide insights into consumer trends and patterns. Exploring the Rise of Fandom in Contemporary Consumer Culture is an innovative scholarly resource that offers an in-depth discussion on the soaring popularity of fan communities and how these followers serve a larger purpose in a consumer-driven society. Highlighting applicable topics that include brand loyalty, fan perceptions, social media, and virtual realities, this publication is ideal for business managers, academicians, students, professionals, and researchers that are interested in learning more about how fan behavior can impact the economic environment.




Handbook of Research on the Impact of Fandom in Society and Consumerism


Book Description

Fans of specific sports teams, television series, and video games, to name a few, often create subcultures in which to discuss and celebrate their loyalty and enthusiasm for a particular object or person. Due to their strong emotional attachments, members of these fandoms are often quick to voluntarily invest their time, money, and energy into a related product or brand, thereby creating a group of faithful and passionate consumers that play a significant role in multiple domains of contemporary culture. The Handbook of Research on the Impact of Fandom in Society and Consumerism is an essential reference source that examines the cultural and economic effects of the fandom phenomenon through a multidisciplinary lens and shapes an understanding of the impact of fandom on brand building. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics such as religiosity, cosplay, and event marketing, this publication is ideally designed for marketers, managers, advertisers, brand managers, consumer behavior analysts, product developers, psychologists, entertainment managers, event coordinators, political scientists, anthropologists, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current studies on the global impact of this particularly devoted community.




Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Media Fandom


Book Description

Leisure time today is driven by fandom. Once viewed as a social pariah, the fan and associated fandom as a whole has transformed into a popularized social construct researchers are still attempting to understand. Popular culture in the modern era is defined and dominated by the fan, and the basis of fandom has established its own identity across several platforms of media. As some forms of fandom have remained constant, including sports and cinema, other structures of fandom are emerging as the mass following of video games and cosplay are becoming increasingly prominent. Fandom has been established as an important facet in today’s society, and necessary research is required for understanding how fandom is shaping society as a whole. Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Media Fandom is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research that reviews some of the most exigent facets of today’s fandom and highlights understudied cultures of fandom as well as emerging intricacies of established fandom. While promoting topics such as esports, influencer culture, and marketing trends, this publication explores both qualitative and quantitative approaches as well as the methods of social science and critical perspectives. This book is ideally designed for marketers, media strategists, brand managers, consumer behavior analysts, researchers, academics, and students.




Handbook of Research on Pathways and Opportunities Into the Business of Esports


Book Description

Esports have attracted considerable attention over the past few years and become an industry that is projected to continue to increase rapidly. Intersecting with the esports industry are organizations and businesses that develop and support the esports game experience. Included is the entrepreneurial spirit of gamers, who are interested in creating their own career paths through capturing and posting gaming microassists on different public venues that are driven by advertising dollars, invitational competition monetary winnings, and other forms of marketing their expertise for financial gain. All these organizations and industries form satellites of career opportunities as well as opportunities for research and enhanced forward-leaning study. Such career opportunities can be explicitly addressed within the structure of university degree and micro-credential certificate programs, some of which have begun to offer esports-directed degrees, but most of which have not yet moved from esports clubs into a recognition of the business and industry monetization of esports. The Handbook of Research on Pathways and Opportunities Into the Business of Esports addresses the intersection of esports gaming and the business and industry of esports, rather than an exploration of the video games themselves. It is the supporting and intersecting industry driven by esports and the vast opportunities this brings that are the foci of this book. Covering topics including digital learning, esport marketing curriculum, and gaming culture, this text is essential for business professionals, industry analysts, entrepreneurs, managers, coaches, marketers, advertisers, brand managers, university and college administrators, faculty and researchers, students, professors, and academicians.




Research Anthology on Fandoms, Online Social Communities, and Pop Culture


Book Description

The internet has grown to become one of the largest communication hubs in history. With its ability to share content and create community bonds, it has seen many fandoms and online social communities develop within the past decades. While there are some detriments to these communities, there are also many benefits and potential uses for the betterment of society. The Research Anthology on Fandoms, Online Social Communities, and Pop Culture explores the ways in which the internet has presented itself as a platform for communities to gather. This essential reference source discusses the engagement of these communities, social media use, and the uses of these communities for education. Covering topics such as digital communities, transmedia language learning, and digital humanities, this book is a vital tool for educators of K-12 and higher education, digital folklorists, sociologists, communications researchers, online administrators, community leaders, and academicians.




Sport Fans


Book Description

Sports, and the fans that follow them, are everywhere. Sport Fans: The Psychology and Social Impact of Fandom examines the affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions of fans to better comprehend how sport impacts individual fans and society as a whole. Using up-to-date research and theory from multiple disciplines including psychology, sociology, marketing, history, and religious studies, this textbook provides a deeper understanding of topics such as: the pervasiveness of sport fandom in society common demographic and personality characteristics of fans how fandom can provide a sense of belonging, of uniqueness, and of meaning in life the process of becoming a sport fan sport fan consumption and the future of sport and the fan experience. The text also provides a detailed investigation of the darker side of sport fandom, including fan aggression, as well as a critical look at the positive value of fandom for individuals and society. Sport Fans expertly combines a rigorous level of empirical research and theory in an engaging, accessible format, making this text the essential resource on sport fan behavior.




Research Anthology on Business Strategies, Health Factors, and Ethical Implications in Sports and eSports


Book Description

From issues of racism to the severity of concussions to celebrity endorsements, the sports industry continues to significantly impact society. With the rise of eSports and its projection as the next billion dollar industry, it is vital that a multifaceted approach to sports research be undertaken. On one side, businesses are continually offering new methods for marketing and branding and finding the best ways to enhance consumer engagement and the consumer experience. On the other side, there has been progress and new findings in the physical fitness and training of the athletes themselves along with discussions on their psychology and wellbeing. This two-tiered approach to analyzing sports and eSports from a practical business perspective, along with a lens placed on the athletes themselves, provides a comprehensive view of the current advancements, technologies, and strategies within various aspects of the sports and esports industry. Research Anthology on Business Strategies, Health Factors, and Ethical Implications in Sports and eSports covers the latest findings on all factors of sports: the branding and marketing of sports and eSports, studies on athletes and consumers, a dive into the ethics of sports, and the introduction of eSports to the industry. This wide coverage of all fields of research recently conducted leads this book to be a well-rounded view of how sports are functioning in modern times. Highlighted topics include branding tactics, consumer engagement, eSports history and technologies, ethics and law, and psychological studies of athlete wellness. This book is ideal for sports managers, athletes, trainers, marketers, brand managers, advertisers, practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested working in the fields of sports medicine, law, physical education, assistive technologies, marketing, consumer behavior, and psychology.




The Management of Emotions in Sports Organizations


Book Description

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.




Understanding Rivalry and Its Influence on Sports Fans


Book Description

While rivalries are a key aspect of the sports world, they are not well understood. It is essential to study how rivalries influence fan behavior in order to predict and identify their effect on social interaction, consumer behavior, and the entertainment industry. Understanding Rivalry and Its Influence on Sports Fans is an essential reference source that discusses what causes and influences rivalry, as well as how it impacts sport fans. Featuring research on topics such as bracketed morality, competitive sports, and social identity, this book is ideally designed for academics, students, and researchers studying the rivalry phenomenon across such disciplines as psychology, sociology, political science, sport and entertainment, consumer behavior, and marketing.




Rivalry and Group Behavior Among Consumers and Brands


Book Description

This interdisciplinary book extends knowledge by comparing rivalry and rival group behavior in sport within areas outside of sport, such as consumer brands, political discourse, and product/service preferences. It examines how out-group behavior differs among relevant groups. Readers are introduced to the phenomenon of rivalry, using the sport setting as an example. Then, the author offers separate quantitative and qualitative investigations to compare how rivalry and group behavior differ among sport and non-sport settings. Incorporating research from marketing, psychology, political science, and sociology, this book offers researchers in several fields a new understanding of individual and group behavior.