I hate dook with a burning passion that I inherited from generations of Stephenson Carolinians. When dook plays NC State (2nd only to Duke in their awfulness), I cheer for the Wolfpack. When Austin Rivers made that 3 point shot at the buzzer two years ago, I mourned. When Coach K coached the USA Olympic Basketball team, I strongly considered cheering for Canada (in the end, I just decided to focus all of my efforts on gymnastics).
My hatred of Duke doesn’t make me a lover of sports, it just makes me a die-hard Carolina fan. To be honest, you couldn’t pay me to sit through a basketball game played by a team other than UNC. For me, it’s not about the love of the sport, it’s about the love of the team.
So what are the traits of a sports fan? That’s a little difficult for me to answer since I’d rather watch Swan Lake than a Lakers game, but I’ll do my best.
You can absolutely become a fan of a brand. When I was in high school, I was all about Patagonia. I loved their commercials and I loved that my Patagonia coat made me feel outdoorsy (which I just am not). I didn’t care less about the quality of my outerwear, I just wanted to have a piece of the brand I so adored.
A lot of my contemporaries are Nike superfans. They buy Nike shoes, pants, watches, sweatbands— you name it. Does it matter that Nike’s running shoes are not necessarily the best for distance running? Nope. Nike has created such an outstanding and enduring brand identity that consumers recognize and yearn for their products.
Brands need to keep this in mind when developing their strategy. This weekend I went to the UNC vs. Pittsburgh game in the Dean Dome, and everyone at the game got a free t-shirt. The sense of excitement, camaraderie, and intensity inside the stadium was amazing…and exactly what brands need to build for themselves.
My hatred of Duke doesn’t make me a lover of sports, it just makes me a die-hard Carolina fan. To be honest, you couldn’t pay me to sit through a basketball game played by a team other than UNC. For me, it’s not about the love of the sport, it’s about the love of the team.
So what are the traits of a sports fan? That’s a little difficult for me to answer since I’d rather watch Swan Lake than a Lakers game, but I’ll do my best.
- Sports fans are loyal
- Sports fans are superstitious
- Sports fans love their team, win or lose
- Sports fans will do almost anything to watch/attend a sporting event
- Sports fans are either the kinds of people who know WAY too much about a team…
- Or they’re the kinds of people who require absolute silence when watching a team
You can absolutely become a fan of a brand. When I was in high school, I was all about Patagonia. I loved their commercials and I loved that my Patagonia coat made me feel outdoorsy (which I just am not). I didn’t care less about the quality of my outerwear, I just wanted to have a piece of the brand I so adored.
A lot of my contemporaries are Nike superfans. They buy Nike shoes, pants, watches, sweatbands— you name it. Does it matter that Nike’s running shoes are not necessarily the best for distance running? Nope. Nike has created such an outstanding and enduring brand identity that consumers recognize and yearn for their products.
Brands need to keep this in mind when developing their strategy. This weekend I went to the UNC vs. Pittsburgh game in the Dean Dome, and everyone at the game got a free t-shirt. The sense of excitement, camaraderie, and intensity inside the stadium was amazing…and exactly what brands need to build for themselves.