Testing the impact of athlete brand image attributes on fan loyalty

Purpose Athlete brand image management has become a popular topic among sport marketing scholars. This study aims to test the impacts of the attributes of an athlete brand image on fan loyalty. Design/methodology/approach In total, 500 questionnaires were delivered to university students and 472 completed questionnaires were returned. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the psychometric properties of the measures and structural equation modeling was carried out to test the hypotheses. Findings The findings of this study show that three attributes of athlete brand image (e.g. marketable lifestyle, athletic performance and attractive appearance) positively influenced fan loyalty. Research limitations/implications To increase the loyalty of fans, effective marketing strategies could be designed to create positive images of athletes with both athletes’ on-field (e.g. athletic skills, competition style and excellence in sport) and off-field performance (e.g. engagement with fans, community involvement, public relation and charity activities). Originality/value This paper provides valuable insights into the measurement of athlete brand image and fan loyalty and offers a foundation for future research on athlete brand management.