CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN THE ARENA: A CLASSIFICATION OF FOOTBALL FANS

The purpose of this research is to analyze consumer behaviour in the arena and identify the different segments of football fans. A survey was done based on a structured questionnaire that was compiled using scales from previous research and personally administered to a purposive sample of 312 respondents from two major cities in Greece. Data analysis was done with SPSS 15 and included cluster analysis; discriminant analysis; crosstabulations; and one-way ANOVA. Results showed that 95,2% of cases can be classified into 5 segments of fans: occasional fans; football lovers; socialites; loyal fans, and devoted fans. Each segment was described based on their demographic characteristics; their motives to come to the stadium; their usage behaviour in the stadium; the factors that affect their satisfaction in the stadium; their involvement and loyalty to the team, and their future intentions. This study extends findings in the area of consumer behaviour in the football arena. However, the sample is purposive and is limited to 303 fans from two cities in one country. Future research can validate these results with wider samples or multi-country studies. The findings of this study present many implications for team management such as customizing offers for different types of fans; enhance the possibilities for socializing in the stadium; customize advertising messages; deal with loyal customers, and manage effectively the service mix (physical evidence and processes).