FIFA Soccer Video Game and it's Relationship to Brand Loyalty

Evan Baechler

Adviser: Whitney Wagoner

Is The FIFA Video Game an Antecedent to Team Loyalty?

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...How many team brands?

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Team Sport Marketing Environment

Strong association with place

Like any business growth is goal

Geographic expansion is an opportunity

Digital technologies make geographic more accessible

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Content production is cheap Distribution is Free Create out-of-market brand touch

points BUT...sports marketers must choose

between many digital spaces Proliferation poses danger

Digital & Geographic Expansion

BUT...sports marketers must choose between many digital spaces

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Product placement and digital signage common

BUT...sports teams overlook huge potential

Players take control of the core brand experience

Games facilitate achievement and actions people can't do themselves

Branding & Sport Video Games

Brand intimacy and achievement potential

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Games Are Extremely Realistic

Little disparity between virtual brand experience and real brand

experience.

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Test The Viability of Team Sports Video Games:

Is playing FIFA an antecedent to developing brand loyalty to an out-of-market soccer club with which an individual has no other "real" connection?

If yes, how can sports organizations use FIFA as a marketing tool to elevate their brand among gamers?

What further research does this project reveal?!7

Club soccer video game produced by Electronic Arts

29 leagues from 22 countries; 42 national teams; 56 stadiums

Available on all major game consoles and mobile devices

Players manipulate teams in a variety of scenarios

Social: play with friends and community

$50-60

What is FIFA?

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Play onlineSingle gamesTournaments

Aligned with real events

The FIFA Experience

Play single matchAs a team

As a single playerWith the computer

With friends

Extended exp.Live Season

Manager modeOffline tournament

Create player Customize /helpTutorials

Profile MGMTGame manual

Friends' records

Most successful sports game - 100 million copies

Exclusive licenses Most teams aren't American /

best teams aren't American Decreases previous, close

contact with teams prior to play

Why FIFA?Best research platform for

team sports and loyalty

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Psychological commitment to team

Bias in favor of one team relative to similar teams

What is Brand Loyalty?Two-dimensional Construct

Demonstrates commitment through brand interactions

Such as purchases, watching games, consuming news...

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Attitudinal Behavioral

Satisfaction is an antecedent and sustainer of loyalty

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Why is Brand Loyalty Important?

Mechanism of profitability: Repeat purchases Willingness to pay more to stay

with one brand over another Increase in word of mouth, online

sharing, referrals, socialization Growth of per customer revenue

Soccer team example: An increase in out-of-market

loyalty leads to increased Licensed product purchases

(jerseys, etc.) Media consumption More lucrative licensing, media,

and sponsorship partnerships

Violent Video game play leads to aggressive emotion, cognition, and behavior.

More graphically real games lead to stronger effects.

Players develop tangible relationships with game characters

Virtual success = self-esteem = satisfaction.

Research proves video games can influence satisfaction, behavior, and attitude - components of brand loyalty

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Existing Video Game Research

First survey Identify a sample of viable

research participants People who have played a lot

and often People who play with one team People who weren't loyal to team

before playing FIFA (basic awareness OK)

People who are skilled

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MethodologySecond survey

Measures loyalty - attitude and behavior

Psychological commitment to team scale (attitude)

Open-ended questions about team brand interactions outside FIFA (behavior)

Series of yes/no and how often questions about brand interactions (behavior)

35-50 participants

Targeted online distribution

Qualtrics Through LCB classes

(Whitney to help) Through EA campus rep. Second survey is a follow-up Incentives!!!

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Methodology

HypothesisBased on existing research proving video games do influence

behavior and attitude, and because of the self-esteem parallel

between sports fandom and video game play, I anticipate players

who fit the profile determined by the first survey will show signs of

loyalty toward the teams they manipulate in the FIFA video game.

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Implications

FIFA becomes a bona fide branding medium

Can sell exclusives to clubs who want to boost loyalty

Can sell data about where pockets of loyalty exist

Interview to determine other possible implications

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Clubs can use FIFA to grow brand

Elevate team within game through EA partnership (be on cover, integrate other media)

Increase jersey sponsor and license fee value

Locate foreign pockets of loyal fans - align other markets there.

Manchester City example...

Interviews with other sports organizations: media (ESPN), footwear / apparel (NIKE)

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Exclusive jersey release in FIFA 12 using this video distributed through game platform

Elevated brand experience: stadium detail, game content aligned with real events, more detail in MCFC players

Further Research

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This study focuses only on FIFA, soccer, specific gaming

platforms, American gamers, and if FIFA leads to team loyalty.

A new study could alter each of these variables:

League brands:Relevent to

building MLS?

Other games:Relevent to non-USBasketball loyalty?

Body movement-controlled video

gamesHow / Why players

Select teams:Inform Specific tactics for

elevating teams

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Questions please!