Rivalries in sports give fans a unique connection with their team, school, or favorite athlete. The game or match may also draw more attention because of geographical considerations, cultural aspects, and team disposition. Furthermore, rivalries in single-player sports expose the intimacy and personalities of the opposing competitors. Understanding rivalries, particularly in individual sports, can give marketers an upper hand in identifying areas to promote their brand. This study analyzes 11 elements of team rivalry defined by Tyler and Cobbs (2015) and applies a similar methodology for individual sports. The results suggest that parity, defining moments, and frequency of competition are key pillars of an individual-sport rivalry. Star power of individual players along with contrast between competitors also enhance rivalries. By identifying these main elements of an individual-sport rivalry, marketers can design and execute strategies that more effectively capitalize on rivalry.
AgassiA. (2010). Open: An autobiography. New York City, NY: Vintage Books.
2.
AshforthB. E., & MaelF. (1989). Social identity theory and the organization. Academy of Management Review, 14, 20–39.
3.
BaleJ. (1986). Sport and national identity: A geographical view. International Journal of the History of Sport, 3, 18–41.
4.
BeeC, & DalakasV. (2015). Rivalries and sponsor affiliation: Examining the effects of social identity and argument strength on responses to sponsorship-related advertising messages. Journal of Marketing Communications, 21, 408–424.
DerfusP. J., MaggittiP. G., GrimmC. M., & SmithK. G. (2008). The Red Queen effect: Competitive actions and firm performance. Academy of Management Journal, 51, 61–80.
HavardC. T. (2014). Glory out of reflected failure: The examination of how rivalry affects sport fans. Sport Management Review, 17, 243–253.
15.
HavardC. T., GrayD. P., GouldJ., SharpL. A., & SchafferJ. J. (2013b). Development and validation of the Sport Rivalry Fan Perception Scale (SRFPS). Journal of Sport Behavior, 36, 45–65.
16.
HavardC. T., & ReamsL. (2016). Investigating differences in fan rival perceptions between conferences in intercollegiate athletics. Journal of Sport Behavior, 39, 126–146.
17.
HavardC. T., WannD. L., & RyanT. D. (2013a). Investigating the impact of conference realignment on rivalry in intercollegiate athletics. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 22, 224–234.
18.
HoggM. A. (2006). Social identity theory. In BurkeP. J. (Ed.), Contemporary social psychological theories (pp. 111–136). Redwood City, CA: Stanford University Press.
19.
JauchL. R., OsbornR. N., & MartinT.R N. (1980). Structured content analysis of cases: A complimentary method for organizational research. Academy of Management Journal, 5, 517–526.
20.
KilduffG. J. (2014). Driven to win: Rivalry, motivation, and performance. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5, 944–952.
21.
KilduffG. J., ElfenbeinH. A., & StawB. M. (2010). The psychology of rivalry: A relationally dependent analysis of competition. Academy of Management Journal, 53, 943–969.
TajfelH., & TurnerJ. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In WorchelS. & AustinW. G. (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (2nd ed., pp. 7–24). Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.
26.
TignorS. (2011). High strung: Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, and the untold story of tennis's fiercest rivalry. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
27.
TylerB. D., & CobbsJ. B. (2015). Rival conceptions of rivalry: Why some competitions mean more than others. European Sport Management Quarterly, 15, 227–248.
28.
WhyteR., & LohmannG. (2015). The carrier-within-a-carrier strategy: An analysis of Jetstar. Journal of Air Transport Management, 42, 141–148.
29.
WigginsD. K., & RodgersR. P. (2010). Rivals: Legendary matchups that made sports history. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press.
