HERITAGE SPORT, MODERN FANS: BRAND PERSONALITY AND FAN LOYALTY IN THE MALAYSIAN SEPAK TAKRAW LEAGUE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEMP.935046Keywords:
Brand Personality, Consumer Behaviour, Fan Loyalty, Fan Psychology, Indigenous Sport, Malaysia, Relationship Marketing, Sequential Mediation, Sepak Takraw, Sport BrandingAbstract
This study investigates the brand personality dimensions of the Malaysian Sepak Takraw League (STL) and their influence on fan loyalty through a sequential mediation pathway involving emotional attachment, fan engagement, and brand trust. Despite growing interest in sport branding, limited empirical research has examined how brand personality influences fan loyalty in indigenous sports, particularly through the psychological mechanisms that connect brand perceptions with long-term behavioural commitment. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed and data from 500 STL supporters were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4. Six culturally adapted brand personality dimensions were identified and validated: Success and Competence, Talent and Quality, Entertainment, Dedication and Effort, Admiration and Respect, and Care and Responsibility. The results supported all seventeen hypothesised relationships, confirming that emotional attachment, fan engagement, and brand trust jointly mediate the relationship between brand personality and fan loyalty. Talent and Quality emerged as the strongest predictor of Emotional Attachment (β = 0.250), which collectively explained 71.6% of its variance (R² = 0.716). The findings advance sport brand personality theory by establishing a validated sequential mediation model applicable to indigenous sport leagues in developing economies, with practical implications for fan development strategy and youth sport participation programmes.
Downloads
References
Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(3), 347–356. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151897
Astro. (2025). 40 bakat muda terpilih warnai Kem Final Klinik STL 2025. Stadium Astro. Retrieved from https://stadiumastro.com/sepak-takraw-league/40-bakat-muda-terpilih-warnai-kem-final-klinik-stl-2025
Astro. (2025). Klinik STL 2025: Sertai kem latihan asas di Pusat Akademi Sepak Takraw Negara yang pertama di Malaysia. Stadium Astro. Retrieved from https://stadiumastro.com/sepak-takraw-league/klinik-stl-2025
Bauer, H. H., Stokburger-Sauer, N. E., & Exler, S. (2008). Brand image and fan loyalty in professional team sport: A refined model and empirical assessment. Journal of Sport Management, 22(2), 205–226. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.22.2.205
Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Juric, B., & Ilic, A. (2011). Customer engagement: Conceptual domain, fundamental propositions, and implications for research. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 252–271. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511411703
Chaudhuri, A., & Holbrook, M. B. (2001). The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: The role of brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 65(2), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.65.2.81.18255
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Plenum Press.
Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 343–373. https://doi.org/10.1086/209515
Funk, D. C., & James, J. (2001). The Psychological Continuum Model: A conceptual framework for understanding an individual’s psychological connection to sport. Sport Management Review, 4(2), 119–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3523(01)70072-1
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Kementerian Belia dan Sukan. (2025). Kem Final Klinik STL 2025. Retrieved from https://www.kbs.gov.my/ms/pusat-media/berita/1399-kem-final-klinik-stl-2025.html
Kunkel, T., Funk, D. C., & Lock, D. (2017). The development and change of brand associations and their influence on team loyalty over time. Journal of Sport Management, 31(2), 99–111. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2016-0140
Kunkel, T., Funk, D., & Hill, B. (2013). Brand architecture, drivers of consumer involvement, and brand loyalty with professional sport leagues and teams. Journal of Sport Management, 27(3), 177–194. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.27.3.177
Majlis Sukan Sekolah Malaysia. (2026). Takwim kejohanan MSSM 2026. Retrieved from https://ecentral.my/takwim-mssm-2026/
Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 63(4_suppl1), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429990634s105
Olympic Council of Malaysia. (2026). TM ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup Kuala Lumpur 2026. Retrieved from https://olympics.com.my/tm-istaf-sepaktakraw-world-cup-kuala-lumpur-2026/
Portal Berita RTM. (2025). Kem Final Klinik STL 2025, lonjak pembangunan bakat muda sepak takraw. Retrieved from https://berita.rtm.gov.my/arena/senarai-berita-arena/senarai-artikel/kem-final-klinik-stl-2025-lonjak-pembangunan-bakat-muda-sepak-takraw/
Ross, S. D. (2006). A conceptual framework for understanding spectator-based brand equity. Journal of Sport Management, 20(1), 22–38. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.20.1.22
Stadium Astro. (2025). Sepak takraw 2025 tetap kenangan namun 2026 cerita cabaran. Retrieved from https://stadiumastro.com/sukan/sepak-takraw-2025-tetap-kenangan-namun-2026-cerita-cabaran
Thomson, M., MacInnis, D. J., & Park, C. W. (2005). The ties that bind: Measuring the strength of consumers’ emotional attachments to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 15(1), 77–91. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327663jcp1501_10
