Which Senses Matter More? The Impact of Our Senses on Team Identity and Team Loyalty

Abstract

For the development of team identity and team loyalty, an understanding of how consumers experience the stadium through their senses is crucial, as the stadium is seen as the primary sensory space. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative impacts of the five senses on team identity and team loyalty. The study found that sight, sound, touch, and smell positively affected the team identity, while sight, touch, and smell positively affected the team loyalty. In addition, team identity positively affected team loyalty. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the effects of our senses on team identity and team loyalty. In order for marketers to maximize team identity and team loyalty, they need to develop specific sensory strategies that affect the game-day experience.