The Football Fan's Journey How do the different channels influence the experience of a SL Benfica fan?

Master’s Degree Program in Data-Driven Marketing The Football Fan's Journey How do the different channels influence the experience of a SL Benfica fan? Francisco Maria Martins Loureiro Master Thesis presented as partial requirement for obtaining a Master’s Degree in Data-Driven Marketing NOVA Information Management School Instituto Superior de Estatística e Gestão de Informação Universidade Nova de Lisboa MDDM NOVA Information Management School Instituto Superior de Estatística e Gestão de Informação Universidade Nova de Lisboa The Football Fan's Journey How do the different channels influence the experience of a SL Benfica fan? by Franciso Maria Martins Loureiro Master Thesis presented as partial requirement for obtaining the Master’s degree in DataDriven Marketing, with a specialization in Marketing Intelligence. Supervised by Marlon Dalmoro, PhD, Nova IMS July, 2024 pg. i STATEMENT OF INTEGRITY I hereby declare having conducted this academic work with integrity. I confirm that I have not used plagiarism, any form of undue use of information or falsification of results along the process leading to its elaboration. I further declare that I have fully acknowledged the Rules of Conduct and Code of Honor from the NOVA Information Management School. Lisbon, 2024 pg. ii ABSTRACT In order to interact with its fans, football teams are using a wider variety of conventional and digital venues, from fan clubs and matchday experiences to websites and social media accounts. These channels foster a strong feeling of community among fans in addition to bridging geographical divides. Football has become a universal language that unifies fans worldwide in our technologically linked society. The study "The Football Fan's Journey: How do the Different Channels Influence the Experience of an SL Benfica Fan?" explores the complex and dynamic interactions that take place between supporters and these many channels of communication. Through an emphasis on ardent followers of S.L. Benfica, this study seeks to comprehend how various media platforms influence and augment the fan experience. Using a quantitative research approach, the study aims to identify the precise mechanisms by which conventional and digital interactions support Benfica fans' engagement, loyalty, and general well-being. Football teams hoping to improve their fan engagement tactics and cultivate a more devoted and engaged fan base are expected to benefit greatly from the findings. KEYWORDS Football Fan Experience; Digital Engagement; Social Media Interaction; SL Benfica; Matchday Experience; Fan Loyalty; Club Fans; Supporter Engagement. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): pg. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Context .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2. Research Gap and Objectives ................................................................................ 2 1.3. Work Structure ...................................................................................................... 3 2. Literature review .......................................................................................................... 4 2.1. Consumer Experience ............................................................................................ 4 2.2. Consumer Journey ................................................................................................. 5 2.2.1. Consumer Journey Map ................................................................................. 6 2.2.2. Planning and Implementing the Customer Journey Map Process ................. 7 2.2.3. Results on Implementing The Map ................................................................ 8 2.3. Consumer Journey and Consumer Experience on the Football Industry – Emotional Marketing ........................................................................................................................ 10 3. Methodology .............................................................................................................. 11 4. Empirical Study ........................................................................................................... 13 5. Results and Discussion ................................................................................................ 16 5.1. Digital Usage ........................................................................................................ 28 6. Conclusions and Future Research .............................................................................. 29 Bibliographical References .............................................................................................. 30 Annexes ........................................................................................................................... 33 pg. iv LIST OF FIGURES Graph 1.Transportation used to get to Estádio da Luz on game day ...................................... 16 Graph 2. Use of Food & Beverage establishments around the stadium ................................. 17 Graph 3. Use of Food & Beverage establishments around the stadium ................................ 17 Graph 4. Use of the Fan Zone ................................................................................................... 18 Graph 5. People who use App – Pre-Game .............................................................................. 18 Graph 6. App and Social Media Experience ............................................................................. 20 Graph 7. Pre-match Atmosphere - Graph 8. Stadium Entertainment .................................... 20 Graph 9. Stadium WiFi usage and Speed satisfaction ............................................................. 22 Graph 10. Stadium sound, Illumination and Screens performance´s satisfaction .................. 22 Graph 11. Importance of App and Social Media usage during the game - Overall ................. 23 Graph 12. Importance of App and Social Media - Below 18y .................................................. 23 Graph 13. Importance of App and Social Media – 18y to 29y ................................................. 24 Graph 14. Importance of App and Social Media – 30y to 39y ................................................. 24 Graph 15. Importance of App and Social Media – 40y to 49y ................................................. 24 Graph 16. Importance of App and Social Media – 50y to 59y ................................................. 25 Graph 17. Importance of App and Social Media – Above 60y ................................................. 25 Graph 18. Usage of Benfica App during the game - Graph 19. Usage of Benfica Social Media during the game ............................................................................................................... 25 Graph 20. Post-Game digital usage .......................................................................................... 26 Graph 21. Money spent during the game day ......................................................................... 27 Graph 22. Overall Game Experience ........................................................................................ 27 pg. v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Sociodemographic Gender/Age - Table 2. Sociodemographic Gender/Studies ...... 14 Table 3. Sociodemographic Age/Occupation .......................................................................... 15 Table 5. People who use Social Media/Age ............................................................................. 19 Table 6. Merchandising/Money spent on the entire journey .................................................. 21 pg. vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS CX Consumer Experience pg. 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. CONTEXT “Football is more than twenty-two men chasing a ball for 90 minutes. For many people football is a question of life and death. Football is passion. It's identity. Football is the world’s largest sport for children and youth. Football is the world's largest media product. Others will say that football first and foremost is a game with specific rules.” (Goksoyr, 2014) Nevertheless, we can acknowledge that football has evolved into much more than just a game in the modern day. A complete culture is built around a love and enthusiasm for a sport that has moved and will continue to move a great number of people. Thus, looking at things from the same angle, Akmaljon Turaqulov (2023) investigates how football affects society and highlights how important it is in ways that go beyond just entertainment. According to him, football has evolved into a phenomenon that is deeply ingrained in national identity and instills a sense of affiliation in its supporters. Turaqulov (2023) asserts that football is a powerful tool for promoting values like patriotism, community cohesion, and making the most of leisure time, and that it may thus have an impact on society norms and attitudes. As a result, football teams are increasingly connecting with their followers through a variety of conventional and digital platforms, including as websites, social media, fan clubs, and matchday experiences, in an effort to break down geographical borders and promote a feeling of community among supporters. In our increasingly technologically linked society, football has become a universal language that connects supporters worldwide. In the context of football, however, it must be acknowledged that fans are now treated like customers. Therefore, in order to satisfy the requirements and interests of these supporters, clubs must comprehend the fan experience from beginning to end. To offer a thorough background for this study, it is necessary to rapidly discuss the two main areas that the literature review will cover: consumer journey and consumer experience, both for the benefit of current and future research. A series of contacts that "involves all activities and events related to the delivery of a service from the customer's perspective" is referred to as a "consumer journey" (Zomerdijk and Voss 2010, p 74). In this instance, the journey of a football fan on a match day will be examined, considering a variety of conventional and digital aspects while always keeping in mind the offerings of SL Benfica. On the other hand, comprehending consumers and their experiences using products and services from companies in physical and online retail environments is one of the primary objectives of marketing. In the domains of consumer behavior and marketing, experience is not as pg. 8 Figure 1. The seven steps to plan e execute journey mapping. (Berman,2020) 2.2.3. RESULTS ON IMPLEMENTING THE MAP Consumer Experience Optimization. Positive customer experiences, according to Berman, B. (2020), rely on providing unique, useful, and relevant information in addition to other brand interactions. A business might discover methods to enhance the general customer experience by aligning the solutions offered by their brand with their comprehension of the driving forces and issues faced by their clientele. Providing for their fundamental needs in an efficient manner boosts their engagement and promotes the development of more pg. 9 positive assessments. In light of this, the author suggests the following key crucial actions to maximize the customer experience while utilizing the consumer journey map: • Prioritize Your Goals: Consider carefully which stages of the customer experience are most crucial to your company's success and seize critical turning points. Use this to your advantage to strengthen ties with loyal followers, for instance, if prospective buyers are still in the contemplation stage and routinely subscribe to your YouTube channel. • Adopt an Omnichannel Strategy: By implementing into action an omnichannel marketing strategy, businesses may get a wealth of data and a comprehensive understanding of the consumer experience. This process makes it possible to provide customized customer experiences to a very high degree. Use omnichannel analytics technologies to capture and analyze intricate cross-channel interactions. • Personalize Interactions at Every Stage: Developing significant and tailored experiences for your target audience at every stage and interaction is essential to developing a customer journey map. Utilize relevant data insights to personalize online and in-store shopping experiences according to consumer preferences and requirements. • Promote a Relationship Based on Mutual Trust: Establishing a foundation of trust is essential, especially when dealing with customers who have low levels of trust. Support your marketing promises with loyalty programs, personalized rewards, and excellent customer service. Being trustworthy and sincere may help you create relationships with your customers that last a lifetime. This specific topic will be covered in more depth later in this project. pg. 10 2.3. CONSUMER JOURNEY AND CONSUMER EXPERIENCE ON THE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY – EMOTIONAL MARKETING As football is a sport that arouses a multitude of emotions, I think it's essential to understand how clubs can exploit that. In the marketing sector, emotions are quite important. This link has been well researched and examined. Several scholars have scrutinized psychological ideas in detail to comprehend how emotions impact marketing strategies (Consoli, 2010). Numerous industries such as tourism, retail and consumer engagement and satisfaction have investigated the influence of emotions. It is imperative that this element be considered in any research of the customer journey due to the wide-ranging applications and substantial impact of emotions. Additionally, studies on consumer behavior and experience have focused on emotions (Akgün et al., 2013). The applicability of this variable extends to contexts including sports, where fans' emotional involvement can have a substantial influence on their whole experience and conduct (Kwak et al., 2011). Researchers may learn more about how consumers engage with businesses, make decisions, and form loyalty by including the study of emotions into their research. In conclusion, we can say that by appealing directly to emotions, football clubs will be able to improve and preserve their relationship with their fans, providing them with an ever better experience and consequently more satisfaction. pg. 11 3. METHODOLOGY Bearing in mind all the introduction and consequent problems of the project, it is now essential to define which methodological tools will be used so that this same problem can be answered effectively and efficiently. Therefore, the option that best fits the project is to carry out an online survey to collect specific data that is essential to solve the problem defined above. Nevertheless, because of their impartiality and accuracy, which make it possible to consistently gather and interpret numerical data, quantitative approaches are crucial in research. These strategies make it easier to apply complex statistical tools to find trends and test hypotheses, as well as to generalize results to bigger populations and make investigations reproducible. Furthermore, the scientific community commonly accepts quantitative approaches as scalable, cost-effective, and time-efficient, which enhances the validity and impact of the results gained. Then, firstly, we need to define what an online survey is. According to Van Selm & Jankowski (2006), one of the most used methods of gathering data is the online survey, sometimes known as an internet survey. In this type of survey, a target sample is given a series of questions to answer over the World Wide Web. They also argue that the use of this methodological tool should always "rule out" targeting people with a high level of Internet experience and should have the main objectives of obtaining a high number of responses as well as their quality and clarity. In this specific case, considering that internet surveys are easily accessible as well as easy to use, they were also employed as an investigative approach. So that, the primary objective of the survey is to get insightful feedback from customers to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing their decisions on game day. Therefore, out of the interest of both parties, the online questionnaire mentioned above was constructed with the support of some SL Benfica officials in order to provide important information both for the realization of the project and for the analysis and action of the club in question. In this way, the various stages of the consumer journey were taken into account as the basis for the questions. Thus, all the facilities used at each stage were considered in order to understand their usefulness and relevance on a fan's match day. On the other hand, I was responsible for sending out the questionnaire to SL Benfica Fans via email, SMS or social media. Thus, the sample chosen includes all those who usually attend SL Benfica matches, and the gender or age of the respondents is irrelevant. This way, we'll try to get as many responses as possible so that future analyses can be facilitated by the large amount of data available. pg. 12 In conclusion, inferential analyses will be carried out in the future to draw conclusions and recommendations that are essential to solve the problem defined above. It should be noted that Excel and Qualtrics platforms will be used to carry out all the necessary analyses. These will be diverse and will endeavor to arrive at the expected result in an effective and efficient manner. pg. 13 4. EMPIRICAL STUDY In order to conclude my research, it is important to describe and explain how the survey is constructed. The main goal of my research is to map the journey of a football fan on a match day, taking into account their satisfaction during all stages of the process. Therefore, the survey and the consequent consumer journey are divided into three distinct stages: Pre-Match, During-Match and Post-Match. In this first stage, the Pre-Match, it is possible to separate the questions into Transport and Food, SL Benfica App and Social Networks, Environment and lastly Merchandising. The main aim of this stage is to understand all the points of contact and their effectiveness between club and fans from the moment they leave home until the match starts. On the other hand, in the second stage, the questions address various issues that seek to understand fan behavior during the 90 minutes of the game. Thus, the topics addressed are the conditions the stadium has to offer (Restaurants, Wi-Fi, Sound, Lights and Screens), as well as the interaction with the App and Social Networks and finally the Environment and Animation experienced. Finally, the Post Game stage includes different questions about the satisfaction and quality of interaction, digital touchpoints and the possibility of feedback and suggestions for analysis. Therefore, in order to be able to fully analyze the data collected, the online survey includes multiple choice questions, yes/no questions, many Likert scales and even open-ended questions where the respondent is allowed to give their opinion and suggestions on the above-mentioned topics. Having said that, it is important to have a clear and defined target audience where the results from my research align with the problem of this theses. This way, my target are SL Benfica fans of all ages and genders who attend the matches, this will allow me to understand the different perspectives and ways of experiencing a match day. Therefore, below I will present a brief analysis of the sociodemographic data collected through the survey of 219 participants. pg. 14 Table 1. Sociodemographic Gender/Age Table 2. Sociodemographic Gender/Studies Looking at the tables above, you can see that the vast majority of the audience is male (143) and aged between 18 - 29 (59) and 40 – 49 (39). It should be noted that these figures are due to the fact that football, and consequently SL Benfica, has many more male fans than female fans. Nonetheless, nowadays there is a huge mobilization of women for sport, who are increasingly making their presence felt in stadiums, and this can be seen in the 65 responses I received. In Table 2, we see a relatively high level of education in both genders, which shows that the participants are quite literate and able to answer questions effectively, taking into account their ideas and opinions. It should also be noted that in both tables we have 10 invalid answers, which shows human error. I won't take these into account for future analyses. Row Labels Count of Age Female 65 < 18 years old 4 18 - 29 years old 51 30 - 39 years old 4 40 - 49 years old 3 50 - 59 years old 2 60 + years old 1 Male 143 < 18 years old 1 18 - 29 years old 59 30 - 39 years old 26 40 - 49 years old 39 50 - 59 years old 14 60 + years old 4 Did not answer 10 50 - 59 years old 1 Did not answer 9 Prefer not to say 1 60 + years old 1 Grand Total 219 Row Labels Count of Studies Female 65 Secondary School 15 Bachelor Degree 42 Master Degree 8 Male 143 PhD 1 Secondary School 40 Bachelor Degree 69 Master Degree 31 Other 2 Did not answer 10 Bachelor Degree 1 Did not answer 9 Prefer not to say 1 Other 1 Grand Total 219 pg. 15 Table 3. Sociodemographic Age/Occupation According to table 3, which relates age to current occupation, we can see that a large proportion of respondents are still students in the 18-29 age group. On the other hand, in all the other age groups, the participants are mostly employees. Row Labels Count of Occupation < 18 years old 5 Student 5 18 - 29 years old 110 Unemployed 1 Employed 32 Self-Employed 4 Student 72 Other 1 30 - 39 years old 30 Unemployed 1 Employed 24 Self-Employed 5 40 - 49 years old 42 Unemployed 2 Employed 32 Self-Employed 8 50 - 59 years old 17 Employed 12 Self-Employed 5 60 + years old 6 Employed 1 Self-Employed 1 Other 4 Did not answer 9 Did not answer 9 Grand Total 219 pg. 16 5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Having analyzed the sociodemographic data, it is now time to study the results obtained in the survey. As mentioned above, the questionnaire is divided into 3 stages that presuppose the stages of a SL Benfica fan's consumer journey. First Stage – Pre-Match Firstly, in the first stage, which deals with the pre-match moment, we can draw various conclusions about the journey and interactions that a fan goes through until the moment of the match. Below I will analyze some relevant data about this stage of the process. In the first question, participants were asked how they usually travelled to the Estádio da Luz on a match day. In the graph below, we can see that 64 per cent of fans travel in their own vehicle to watch the game. However, it is also important to note that 31% of these fans travel by public transport or other paid transport. Therefore, SL Benfica should be concerned about this, as transport and the amount paid for it will increasingly have an impact on fan satisfaction. In this respect, we can also say that the more solutions SL Benfica comes up with, the better its fans will be satisfied. These solutions include the promotion of free public transport that can take ticket holders from the country's main cities. Graph 1.Transportation used to get to Estádio da Luz on game day In the second question, when asked about pre-match food and drink around the stadium, the majority of participants were in favor of doing so (74%). Of those who do, the places they go to, can be quite different, with some preference for the usual food trucks (87 participants). By checking the graphs below, the club can see that there is less preference for the options it offers. pg. 17 Graph 2. Use of Food & Beverage establishments around the stadium Graph 3. Use of Food & Beverage establishments around the stadium Directly related to the above questions, it is also relevant to understand why participants prefer venues outside the stadium to the Fan Zone within it. As a result, Graph 4 shows that 74 per cent of fans don't usually go to the fan zone. We can also add that, according to the opinion given in response to the questionnaire, the fans consider that there is a lack of atmosphere for the game, that the prices are expensive and that SL Benfica is not really experienced there. The club should therefore change its approach in order to meet the wishes and needs of its fans. Greater interaction with fans, the use of club music and lower prices could be some of the solutions to this problem. pg. 24 Graph 13. Importance of App and Social Media – 18y to 29y Graph 14. Importance of App and Social Media – 30y to 39y Graph 15. Importance of App and Social Media – 40y to 49y pg. 25 Graph 16. Importance of App and Social Media – 50y to 59y Graph 17. Importance of App and Social Media – Above 60y Directly related to the importance of the App and social networks is their use. See the graphs below. Graph 18. Usage of Benfica App during the game Graph 19. Usage of Benfica Social Media during the game To conclude this phase of the journey, it's important to say that the use of social networks and apps is underrated. Thus, the lack of influence they have on the satisfaction of the club's fans pg. 26 during this moment is notorious. As mentioned in the literature review, although digital is increasingly essential in people's lives, the football moment takes precedence, pushing all these digital media into the background. Third Stage – Post-Match Finally, the post-match moment. At this point, the questionnaire asks about the general experience of the match day. It also gives room for opinions that can be analyzed below. So, firstly, still on the digital side, we tried to understand whether or not the SL Benfica channels would be used post-match. We also analyzed which channels were used and for what purpose. As we can see in the graph below, the vast majority of participants use digital channels at this stage, particularly to see the analysis and summary of the game. The most used channels are social networks, the app and the club channel, BTV. It's worth noting that this is the second stage where digital media are used the most. Graph 20. Post-Game digital usage That said, it's also important to understand how much a SL Benfica football fan spends on a match day. Thus, the graph below shows us some disparity in values, with the 24 per cent who spend more than 30 euros standing out. This figure indicates that many people end up travelling from far away, thus making a rather large financial effort these days. Benfica therefore has the opportunity to make the difference. Move more and more people from all over Portugal to the Estadio da Luz. Through the return of the Benfica train or the dynamization of private transport from the country's main cities. pg. 27 Graph 21. Money spent during the game day To finalize this analysis, it's important to understand what the real impact of everything mentioned above is on the final experience of the SL Benfica fan. Through the graph below, we can conclude that the vast majority of fans surveyed are satisfied with their experience. On a scale of 0 (Bad Experience) to 5 (Excellent Experience), 95 of the participants rated their day as 4 or 5. However, through an openended survey, it was possible to conclude that there was some dissatisfaction with various issues. These issues relate to the cost, the poor atmosphere during the game, the high volume of the music and the poor timing of the speaker and DJ. Graph 22. Overall Game Experience pg. 28 5.1. DIGITAL USAGE The final results of this study show that SL Benfica Fans use social media and app the most during the Pre-Match and Post-Match phases of their fan journey. In the first phase, fans try to keep up to date with the club and other supporters before the match, such as up-to-the-minute updates on the team and other relevant information. In the third phase, these same fans aim to discuss and find out all the details that may have been missed during the game. This information fosters a relationship with the club and other fans and marks the opening of a "discussion" on the way home. However, in the second phase, the use of social networks and apps loses all its relevance because we're in the moment during the game. So fans concentrate on a more sensory face-to-face experience and look to their fellow fans for the thrill of a game with their favorite club. This discrepancy between phases promotes the need to combine interaction via digital platforms with the personal and unparalleled interaction of experiencing a football match. pg. 29 6. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH This investigation entitled "The Football Fan's Journey: How Do Different Channels Influence the Experience of an SL Benfica Fan?" provides an invaluable insight into various factors that shape fan engagement and satisfaction. However, while the result of the game remains the main influence on a fan's experience, there are other factors such as involvement on social media, the quality of services at the stadium and connections with the club, online or in person, that are crucial. In today's digital world, fans value close bonds with their clubs as fundamental to their overall happiness. Furthermore, this study contributes to academic knowledge by improving our understanding of the various factors that influence fan satisfaction, specifically in the context of SL Benfica. On the one hand, it is useful for businesses; for example, it suggests ways in which clubs can improve their interaction strategies with fans. If SL Benfica works on these key points identified above, it will be able to interact better with fans, leading to better experiences and greater engagement. It must be acknowledged that this study is not exhaustive without recognising its limitations. Moreover, this research focuses exclusively on SL Benfica fans, which limits the possibility of applying these conclusions to other clubs or even sports. Additionally, biases may arise due to the fact that it is based on self-reported data, as these are based on individual perceptions and experiences. To confirm and extend these results, future research should investigate the experiences of fans at different football clubs and sports. Performing comparative studies would also provide a better understanding of how the various clubs use digital and traditional channels to engage fans. The use of longitudinal studies would also be useful in explaining how different changes have affected fan satisfaction and engagement over time, thus describing the changing nature of the relationship between clubs and fans. The use of advanced analytical techniques and large volumes of data could produce more accurate metrics to measure supporter engagement, thus guiding informed strategies. 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Journal of Service Research, 13(1), 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670509351960 pg. 33 ANNEXES Online Survey - Questions