The Effect of Brand Association on Brand Equity of FC Persepolis Football Team with the Mediating Role of Fan-Team Identification

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the effect of brand association on the brand equity of the FC Persepolis football team with the mediating role of fan-team identification.Methodology: The present study is a quantitative, cross-sectional, and correlational study conducted in the field. The study's statistical population included football fans of the FC Persepolis football team in Iran. Based on Krejcie & Morgan’s table, ۳۹۱ fans were selected through random sampling in Azadi stadium at ۹۸th Derbi of Tehran. Washburn and Plank’s brand association questionnaire (۲۰۰۲), Yoo and Donthu’s brand equity Questionnaire (۲۰۰۱), as well as Mael and Ashforth’s fan-team identification Questionnaire (۱۹۹۲) were used to collect the research data. The validity of the research tool was calculated and confirmed based on content and structural validity, and the reliability was assessed according to Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. After distributing the questionnaires, ۳۹۱ valid questionnaires were completed, and structural equation modeling via PLS was used to test the research hypotheses.Findings: The results showed that brand association significantly affected brand equity (β= ۰.۳۹) and fan-team identification (β= ۰.۳۶). The results also confirmed the positive and significant effect of fan-team identification on the brand equity of the Persepolis football team (β= ۰.۴۱). Moreover, based on the Sobel test, brand association through fan-team identification had an indirect, positive, and significant effect on the brand equity of the Persepolis football team. The GOF index value also indicated the research model's proper fitness.Originality: This study is one of the limited research projects investigating the relationship among brand associations, team identification, and brand equity simultaneously as a comprehensive model in the Iranian sport context.

Keywords:

Branding , Football Teams , Sports brands , Sports fans