99SYN14528_SocialSportsFanDoc-V2

Mind the gap
“Few subjects are more hotly debated across the sports marketing community than social media.
From the ‘power’ of a Premiership player’s tweet to the ‘fickleness’ of fans that don’t care where
content comes from, as long as it’s quick. Discussion is big, broad and rolling.
You would think that with so many questions being asked by an industry that claims to crave clarity,
that research would be rife. Not so. Each day our feeds bulge with case study round-ups, top ten
tips and indecipherable infographics that fan the flames of confusion. Typically, ‘insight’ focuses on
what is new and big, rather than what works and why.
Understanding what motivates people is the bedrock of worthwhile innovation and creativity. Our
recent work with real-time social content threw light on what motivates sports fans to follow and
share. This heightened our hunger for more, but when we looked for findings, few could be found.
In collaboration with Loughborough University’s School of Business and Economics, we set out
to lay bare the discoveries and debate that will inevitably erupt in response to the question,
‘What motivates sports fans to use social media?’”
Josh Robinson
Head of Digital
Synergy Sponsorship
Academic rigour
“One of the major issues facing marketing professionals is in the understanding of how social media
sits alongside conventional marketing strategies. Research has shown that many organisations
struggle to find where to place social media within their organisational structures. Part of the reason
for this indecision is that there is no clear understanding of the motivation of why particularly young
people use social media, and what impact this has on their engagement with products and brands.
As the number one university for sport in the UK, Loughborough, through its School of Business and
Economics, is interested in understanding how social media impacts on people’s engagement with
their sport or team, but more importantly how this affects their engagement with particular products,
brands and sponsors.
As a university, we train the marketing professionals of the future, and it is essential that our teaching
is based on well researched insights as opposed to simple, uninformed opinions. This research
project aims to develop this understanding and allow organisations to exploit the real potential of
social media.
The research partnership between Synergy and Loughborough University brings together leadingedge
commercial practice with academic rigour and will draw on work from thought leaders in
this area.”
Professor Jim Saker
Professor, School of Business and Economics
Loughborough University