Abstract
The research examines how consumers balance two opposing desires when selecting and using sport team apparel: expressing group affiliation with other fans that support a team while maintaining a degree of individuality among that fan group. Based on signaling theory and group dynamics, we investigate common versus unique team apparel consumption in a professional sport context. Sport consumers (N = 399) participated in online surveys to examine how team apparel behavior is influenced by identification with sport teams but also group dynamics and social utility. Specifically, whether sports fans who engage in identity-expressive apparel behavior are influenced by a desire for signaling affiliation status with a specific team fan group and a desire to maintain a level of individuality within that fan group. In addition, the activation of each desire is contingent upon the social visibility of the apparel use context, creating a pendulum effect swinging back and forth to achieve an optimal balance. Understanding of this dynamic has implications for sport marketers developing and promoting sport team merchandise that aligns with sport fans’ complex identity signaling behaviors.
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