ABSTRACT

Research question

The competitive landscape facing branded running events demands insights into how to increase brand loyalty amongst participants. This study examines how participants need to engage with branded running events to stimulate brand loyalty; and how the social environment (i.e. the presence of other unacquainted participants), encourages participants to engage more with the event brand.

Research methods

Data, collected via personally administrated survey, from 246 participants of the closing event of ‘Cairo Runners' were analysed by means of Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modelling.

Results and findings

Self-brand identification is enhanced by cognitive, behavioural and emotional engagement with the event brand. To encourage Word-of-Mouth requires emotionally and socially engaged participants. As a social stimulus, perceived similarity with other unacquainted participants acts as a major driver of social, behavioural and cognitive engagement. Positive perception of other participants’ physical appearance stimulates cognitive and emotional engagement but hinders social engagement. Suitable behaviour of other participants encourages social engagement.

Implications

Theoretically, this is the first study on participatory sport events including the full spectrum of participant engagement with an event brand; highlighting the unique role the different ways of engagement play in stimulating aspects of brand loyalty. The findings quantify the largely overlooked stimulus effect created by the sheer presence of unacquainted participants on participant engagement. We highlight the central role of perceived similarity amongst participants as a driver of participant engagement. Event organisers are encouraged to identify alternative criteria that resonate with participants to create a sense of similarity amongst participants.

中文翻译：

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参与者参与跑步活动以及为什么其他人参加很重要

摘要

研究问题

品牌跑步赛事面临的竞争格局需要深入了解如何提高参与者的品牌忠诚度。这项研究探讨了参与者如何参与品牌跑步活动以激发品牌忠诚度；以及社交环境（即其他不熟悉的参与者的存在）如何鼓励参与者更多地参与活动品牌。

研究方法

通过个人管理的调查收集了“开罗跑步者”闭幕活动的 246 名参与者的数据，并使用偏最小二乘结构方程模型进行了分析。

结果和发现

通过对活动品牌的认知、行为和情感参与，可以增强自我品牌识别。鼓励口碑传播需要参与者在情感上和社会上积极参与。作为一种社交刺激，与其他不熟悉的参与者的感知相似性是社交、行为和认知参与的主要驱动力。对其他参与者外貌的积极认知会刺激认知和情感参与，但会阻碍社交参与。其他参与者的适当行为可以鼓励社交参与。

影响

从理论上讲，这是第一个针对参与性体育赛事的研究，包括参与者与赛事品牌的全方位参与；强调不同的参与方式在刺激品牌忠诚度方面发挥的独特作用。研究结果量化了由于不熟悉的参与者的存在而对参与者参与度产生的刺激效应，这一效应在很大程度上被忽视了。我们强调参与者之间感知的相似性作为参与者参与的驱动因素的核心作用。鼓励活动组织者确定与参与者产生共鸣的替代标准，以在参与者之间建立相似感。