Introduction
Contemporary sports are some of the major social demographic events in the world attracting millions of spectators globally. They are also major economic factors because they are attached to sectors such as tourism and transport. Most sports today have a global fan base meaning that they can be studied using the concept of consumer behavior. The major question is therefore how and why spectators consume sports. One of the first efforts to study sports consumption was by Douglas Holt, whose article on “How consumers consume: A typology of consumption practices” is the basis for this paper. Holt discusses four metaphors: experience, integration, classification, and play. Using these typologies, the focus of this paper is to examine how I consume sports and to select which one of them most applies to my situation. Additionally, a brief description of how other fans of the same sports consume it will be presented.
Typologies of Consumption
Consumption is a major concept that interests both scholars and practitioners, including marketers because it describes how customers demand and purchase their products. The metaphors for consumption discussed by Holt (1995) provide a two by two matrix based on the basic idea that consumption can be categorized into structure and purpose. In terms of structure, the act of purchasing products and services comprise both the actions of engaging with the product and the interactions with other individuals in which the consumption is a focal resource. In other words, interpersonal and object actions describe the structure of consumption. On the other hand, the purpose of consumption entails consumption as both and end itself or a means to some further ends. The matrix arising from these two categories comprise four metaphors: consumption as experience, consumption as integration, consumption as classification, and consumption as play. These metaphors will be applied to the consumption of sports, specifically the English Premier League (EPL) football.
Consumption as Experience
This metaphor explains the consumer’s emotional and subjective reactions to the consumption of goods, services or objects. It is a psychological phenomenon that emphasizes the emotional states that emanate from the purchase or consumption of the object (Holt, 1995). The consumption experience is a subject that has been studied extensively, where some researchers describe it as the most disruptive concept in marketing theory (Chaney et al., 2018). The consumer decision-making process is explained using a cognitive framework where buyers are confronted with a problem of choice. As a cognition-affect-behavior model, consumption experience is formed through emotions.
As a consumer of sports, the emotions of joy and sadness when a team wins or loses explain consumption as experience in my case of consuming EPL sports. I fully support a single team, which means that their emotions directly affect mine. I can celebrate a goal and feel sad upon losing a match. I am happiest when my team wins and saddest when it loses. Thus, supporting a team makes me feel part of it.
Consumption as Integration
This metaphor explains how the consumer acquires and manipulates object meanings through practices such as personalized rituals and self-extension processes. Holt (1995) explains that consumption as integration is done through sacralizing processes and through integrating the self and the object. Consuming EPL gives me an identity of an EPL club supporter, and I identify myself with their slogans and anthems and other actions that can be deemed rituals during matches and other sporting events. Additionally, I abide by the values of the clubs and engage in debates regarding players, coaches and or managers, and other incidences that I feel affect the club and its performance. As a spectator, I identify with the symbolic properties of the club I support, including its attitudes towards sensitive subjects such as contributions to society.
Consumption as Classification
In this metaphor, consuming is seen as a process through which the objects are perceived as vessels of personal and cultural meanings that act to classify the consumers. According to Holt (1995), consuming-as-classification focuses exclusively on describing the structuring and interpretation of meanings particular to a certain group of consumers. The fans of EPL are those who believe that European football is the truest and the most enjoyable sport. Researchers such as Malchrowicz-Mo´sko and Chlebosz (2019) explain that one of the motivations for consuming sports is affiliation, which is connected to the social dimension of spectating. The fans are described as having a likelihood of consuming sport as part of a subculture or group. Therefore, I can be classified as a football fan who publicly supports the sport and displays all the symbols of the sport alongside those of the team I support.
Consumption as Play
The consuming-as-play metaphor has received the least attention in the matrix. It explains how consumers use consumption objects to play and develop the relationship between consuming and the three metaphors previously discussed (Holt, 1995). Consumption is perceived as a resource for interaction with fellow consumers. Therefore, being a spectator of EPL gives one the chance to interact with other consumers of the same sport and to engage in discussions and other events. It is a resource with which one uses to get acceptance to a particular group, which makes more sense when supporting a specific club. Today, virtual ports or video games have also become a means to further share mutual experiences and to entertain.
The metaphor which is most relevant to my experience is consuming-as-experience. Particularly, I spectate the EPL due to the emotions of joy and excitement that the sport brings. Football, particularly European football, comprises many interesting rules that can be observed within a match. In addition to observing these rules, the tactical spectrum across all the teams is a marvel for any spectator. The formations and lineups always differ and yield heated debates among commentators and fans regarding the strengths and weaknesses of each team. These comprise what Holt (1995) describes as the conventions, styles, habits, and strategies the spectators follow. Spectators make sense of not only football but also the rules that govern the game. This is especially attributed to the fact that regulations in football keep changing, which can make it the most dynamic of the top sports in the world. Professional football is, therefore, a great experience for myself and those fans who emotionally respond to what it has to offer.
Experience of Others
Other people may consume sports in the same or different ways considering that football is tied to commerce. Some consume it because it presents them with other experiences such as sports betting and other commercial aspects. Gambling is a serious social and demographic event closely related to almost all major sports. It is indeed an industry on its own in which major betting companies make billions of dollars every match day. The interest in football for such consumers is dependent on the winnings. However, it is important to emphasize that they use their knowledge of the sport to make their predictions based on their experiences with the sport. Additionally, consumption as classification could be an alternative way in which others consume EPL because each consumer supports a different team, which identifies them with particular groups or subcultures. The personal and cultural meanings are drawn not only from the sport but also from the affiliation to specific clubs (Malchrowicz-Mo´sko & Chlebosz, 2019). Therefore, each consumer has different ways of consuming the same object.
Conclusion
Sports consumption is an interesting subject because it can be analyzed from multiple angles. The four metaphors have been used to describe the consumption of EPL, which is one of the most popular football leagues across the world. The application of each metaphor explains how consumption as an experience, integration, classification, and play is achieved by a spectator. Using personal experiences, consuming-as-experience has been selected as the most relevant one because sports offers experiences such as entertainment and the emotions that come with associating with both the sport and a particular club. Lastly, an examination of how others may consume the sport has been presented, with an argument made that the commercial side of the sport has a major role to play in defining spectator experiences.
References
Chaney, D., Lunardo, R., & Mencarelli, R. (2018). Consumption experience: Past, present and future.Qualitative Market Research, 21(4), 402-420. Web.
Holt, D. (1995). How consumers consume: A typology of consumption practices. Journal of Consumer Research, 22(1), 1-16. Web.
Malchrowicz-Mo´sko, E., & Chlebosz, K. (2019). Sport spectator consumption and sustainable management of sports event tourism; Fan motivation in high performance sport and non-elite sport. A case study of horseback riding and running: A comparative analysis.Sustainability, 11(7), 1-18. Web.