Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Brand Authenticity In Specialized Communities: An Interpretive Qualitative Study Of The Brit Iron Rebels Las Vegas Clan, Sullivan Charles

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Postmodern society is marked by a condition where traditional identity markers have degenerated in value. Without the spatial or temporal connection provided by traditional identity markers, individuals look to brands perceived to be authentic to aide in identity construction. Paradoxically, individualized identities need the interpretive support of other likeminded individuals in specialized communities to give legitimacy to constructed identities. These specialized communities often focus around a lifestyle or a brand. This research employed interpretive qualitative methodology to understand authenticity. Semistructured depth interviews were conducted with members of the Brit Iron Rebels Las Vegas Clan to understand the authenticity of Triumph …

Fan Loyalty And Motivation, Jason Mays

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose Statement: The purpose of this professional paper is to review psychological and marketing theory and research to explain what motivates an individual to become a highly identified loyal fan of a sports team. Implications for professional practice and future research will be presented.

Justification: Understanding what motivates a fan to become a highly identified fan is important to a team manager because fans are the primary revenue source of a team. The fundamental goal of marketing managers is to create repeat customers (brand loyalty) (Fortunato, 2006) and loyal fans represent most repeat customers. An organization’s brand is critical in …