The Difference Between a Fan and a Consumer

The Case for Football Sponsorship

In the context of this article, a fan is simply someone who supports a football club whilst a consumer, in the more mainstream commercial sense, is someone who buys a product or service intended for personal use. The difference between a fan and a consumer lies in the word ‘support’. It is this sole concept that makes a fan much more valuable than a consumer.

Just like how you do not choose your parents to love, fans do not choose their club to support. It happens almost naturally. Fans will support their hometown club, in the town they were born and raised in. Fans will support the club of their parents and grandparents before them, practically an inheritance, passed down from one generation to the next. Unlike consumers, fans don’t go through supporting multiple clubs before settling on the one. Nor are they sold by marketing techniques.

If you were born in Milan, you are most likely to support either Inter Milan or A.C. Milan. In Paris, it would be Paris Saint-Germain. In Manchester, it would either be Manchester United or Manchester City. Situations where there are multiple clubs in one city, fans will pick the club that is geographically nearest to their home. If you grew up on the red half of Merseyside, you’ll most likely support Liverpool, and Everton if you grew up on the blue half of Merseyside. That being said, in many instances, regardless of the location, fans do opt to support the club of their fathers. Either way, the selection process by fans is deeply rooted in their emotion and identity.

Fans don’t switch clubs when they are losing. They stick with their team no matter the circumstances, losses or disappointments. Fans have a strong bond with their clubs. It’s almost family like. And you never give up on family. You might get frustrated and angry. You might yell and curse. You might even burn the odd jersey or so. But, at the end of the day, you come around and continue to support your club. Why? Because you never give up on family.

Now, consider this notion in the traditional consumer-brand relationship. When a club losses, the negative sentiment is like a brand producing lower quality and undesirable products. Consumers will soon switch to a different brand that can offer the quality they seek. Consumers, due to their lack of emotional connection, are easily attracted to the latest marketing gimmick by the newest brand in the market, possibly shifting their spending. In the case of the “fast” industry, such as fast fashion and fast-moving consumer goods, consumers are very in tuned with the latest trend and if your brand is not as tuned in, consumers will walk. These are just but few examples of the many distractions a consumer faces when it comes to your brand. It is always and will always be a measure of dollar to quality for consumers. Emotional connection plays a very important role in dispersing discretionary income. We spend on things we like, and more on things we love. Wouldn’t it be great to be loved?

Sponsorship can bring you a step closer. Sponsorship allows a brand to be part of the footballing family. Soon, fans will have the same emotional sentiment towards the brand. Over time, fans will consider the brand part of the club, and part of the family. Notice I used the words ‘soon’ and ‘over time’. Well, trust is not developed over night. A lot still must be done for fans to accept a brand as a genuine member but sponsorship is the first step that signifies the notion of intent from the brand. The next step, arguably a more important step, would be activating the sponsorship.

Sponsorship activation is the process whereby a brand instigates actions or events to communicate and promote their sponsorship to fans. This is basically the leg work of the sponsorship, a tactical marketing approach for brands to advertise themselves. The most common types of activation include fanfares during matches. Sponsorship activation, when executed correctly, can be the difference between money well spent and money wasted. Let’s be honest, sponsorship is a measure for brands to increase their revenue and brand awareness, therefore it does come down to dollars and cents. But it makes a lot of difference when brands make effort to get closer to the fans, to understand their wants and needs, their culture and principles, their emotions and characteristics. When brands acknowledge the fans by indulging in fan-centric activations, they will create a much stronger bond with the fans. Only then can you gain a place in the heart of the fans.

Just like how their emotional sentiment drives their endless and persistent support for their club, fans will support brands whom they perceive to mirror the image and culture of the club they cherish, and by extension, mirror the image and culture of the fans. No amount of commercial distraction will waver their attention and support. But brands must acknowledge the fans as an important part of their plans.

A sponsorship is like a love story. You may have a contract with the club, but your true relationship is with the fans. Win the trust and hearts of the fans, and they will support you till the very end. This is why a fan is more valuable than a consumer.