Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MSc Sports Science Department, Human Sciences Faculty, Jahrom University, Jahrom, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Sports Science Department, Human Sciences Faculty, Jahrom University, Jahrom, Iran.

3 Assistance Professor, Sports Science Department, Human Sciences Faculty, Jahrom University, Jahrom, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: Color is commonly regarded as the primary symbol that elicits customers' attraction, interest, or aversion. This research examines brand characteristics concerning color: Brand Commitment and Brand Equity.
Methodology: The statistical population consisted of all customers of sports shopping stores in Jahrom City. Due to the uncertainty of the number of the statistical population, 384 questionnaires were distributed by convenience sampling, 300 of which were analyzable. The Color questionnaires based on Haji Hassani et al. (2018), the Brand Equity questionnaire (Aaker & Keller, 1990), and the Brand Commitment questionnaire (Momen, 2014) were used for data collection. The face and content validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by sports management professors who were experts in sports marketing, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient confirmed the reliability of the questionnaires. Cronbach's alphas of questionnaires achieved 0.89 for color, 0.92 for brand equity, and 0.87 for brand commitment. PLS software was used for fitting and testing the hypotheses using structural patterns.
Findings: The results showed that color directly and significantly affects brand equity and commitment (Path coefficient = 0.50, t-value = 7.96). The mediating role of brand equity value on the role of color in brand commitment in sporting goods buyers is also confirmed (Path coefficient = 0.84, t-value = 6.50). The model fit analysis also showed that the proposed model has a goodness of fit (GOF = 0.57). According to the research findings, manufacturers and sports executives must always consider the importance of color, which is far more than its aesthetic aspect, in choosing a practical and comprehensive brand strategy.
Originality: Color in sports is presented as a unique symbol that often affects the biases of sports fans and excites them. According to this issue, the effect of color on the brand of sports goods was investigated in this research, which has been given less attention in the reviewed literature.

Keywords

  1. Aaker, D. A. (1992). The Value of Brand Equity. Journal of Business Strategy, 13(4), 27-32. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb039503
  2. Aaker, D. A., & Keller, K. L. (1990). Consumer Evaluations of Brand Extensions. Journal of marketing, 54(1), 27-41. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299005400102
  3. Abril, C., Gavilan, D., & Avello, M. (2009). Influence of the perception of different types of store brands on consumer typologies and satisfaction levels. Innovative Marketing, 5(4), 75-82. https://www.businessperspectives.org/index.php/component/zoo/influence-of-the-perception-of-different-types-of-store-brands-on-consumer-typologies-and-satisfaction-levels
  4. Alavi, S. M., & Khodadadeh, S. (2017). Investigating the Effect of Brand Identification on Successful Brand Extension: Analyzing the Role of Brand Love, Brand Commitment, and Brand Loyalty. Sport Management Studies, 8(40), 187-208. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22089/smrj.2017.910
  5. Altaf, M., Saleem, I., Mustafa, F., & Anwar, F. (2022). The buy-in benchmark in Islamic banking: combined effect of brand role clarity and employee brand commitment towards employee brand equity. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(10), 2028-2046. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-08-2019-0170
  6. Armstrong, K. L. (2008). Consumers of Color and the" Culture" of Sport Attendance: Exploratory Insights. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 17(4), 218-231. https://www.proquest.com/openview/0a85f841ebf7535b30eeafe6519ee67d/1?cbl=28711&pq-origsite=gscholar
  7. Asgari, M. H. (2023). Co-creation of Customer Brand Value-Based and Temporal Risk of Online Brand Communities in Sportswear Industry. Sports Business Journal, 3(2), 27-47. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22051/sbj.2023.43172.1079
  8. 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
  9. Bodaghi Khajeh Noubar, H., Kalejahi, H., & Rostamzadeh, R. (2020). Impact of social media marketing activities on brand equity and brand commitment in the leather industry. International Journal of Business Excellence, 20(2), 191. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBEX.2020.105346
  10. Bottomley, P. A., & Doyle, J. R. (2006). The interactive effects of colors and products on perceptions of brand logo appropriateness. Marketing Theory, 6(1), 63-83. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593106061263
  11. Breuer, C., & Rumpf, C. (2015). The Impact of Color and Animation on Sports Viewers’ Attention to Televised Sponsorship Signage. Journal of Sport Management, 29, 170-183. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2013-0280
  12. Buil, I., Catalán, S., & Martínez, E. (2016). The Importance of Corporate Brand Identity in Business Management: An Application to the Uk Banking Sector. BRQ Business Research Quarterly, 19(1), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brq.2014.11.001
  13. Chang, W.-L., & Lin, H.-L. (2010). The impact of color traits on corporate branding. African Journal of Business Management, 4(15), 3344. https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJBM/article-full-text-pdf/CF287D320855
  14. Chi, H.-K., Huang, K.-C., & Nguyen, H. M. (2020). Elements of destination brand equity and destination familiarity regarding travel intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, 101728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.12.012
  15. Cutler, M. S., & Hocker. (1974). Securities and Real Estate: Where the Twain Meet. Sec. Reg. LJ, 2, 48. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/secregl2&div=6&id=&page=
  16. Das, G., Agarwal, J., Malhotra, N. K., & Varshneya, G. (2019). Does brand experience translate into brand commitment?: A mediated-moderation model of brand passion and perceived brand ethicality. Journal of Business Research, 95, 479-490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.05.026
  17. Ebrahim, R. (2019). The Role of Trust in Understanding the Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Equity and Brand Loyalty. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 19(3), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332667.2019.1705742
  18. Fullerton, G. (2003). When Does Commitment Lead to Loyalty? Journal of Service Research, 5(4), 333-344. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670503005004005
  19. Garber, L. L., & Hyatt, E. M. (2003). Color as a tool for visual persuasion. In Persuasive imagery (pp. 313-336). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781410607256-21/color-tool-visual-persuasion-lawrence-garber-eva-hyatt
  20. Gencay, O. A., & Kurakucuk, S. (2005). Colors and cultural interactions in the Turkish sport clubs. The sport journal, 8(2). https://thesportjournal.org/article/colors-and-cultural-interactions-in-the-turkish-sport-clubs/#:~:text=The%20fact%20that%20the%20white,yellow%20comes%20sixth%20(8.96%25).
  21. Ghasemi, M. (2015). Investigating the effect of color on the visual identity of logos in financial institutions. [Master Thesis, University of Tehran]. Tehran, Iran. [In Persian].
  22. Haji Hasani, F., Sadeghpour, A., & Alavi, S. M. (2018). Investigating the Effect of Apparel Color Dimensions on Customer Purchase Intention: An Analysis on Customer Gender Differences. Journal of Business Management, 10(3), 659-672. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22059/jibm.2018.234046.2651
  23. Hamidavi, E. (2014, December 17). The use of color psychology in marketing and its impact on advertising success and brand design. Interntional Conference on Business Development and Excellence, Tehran, Iran. [In Persian]. https://civilica.com/doc/330820
  24. 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, 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-04
  25. Hemphill, M. (1996). A Note on Adults' Color–Emotion Associations. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 157(3), 275-280. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.1996.9914865
  26. Hoegg, J., & Alba, J. W. (2007). Taste perception: More than meets the tongue. Journal of Consumer Research, 33(4), 490-498. https://doi.org/10.1086/510222
  27. Huang, K.-C., Lin, C.-C., & Chiang, S.-Y. (2008). Color Preference and Familiarity in Performance on Brand Logo Recall. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 107(2), 587-596. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.107.2.587-596
  28. Hynes, N. (2009). Colour and meaning in corporate logos: An empirical study. Journal of Brand Management, 16(8), 545-555. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2008.5
  29. Jaberi, A. (2023). Developing the Brand Equity of Football Clubs: The Partial Role of Identity Distinction, Identity Attractiveness, and Fan-Team Identification (Case Study: Iranian Premier Football League). Sports Business Journal, 3(4), -. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22051/sbj.2023.42889.1073
  30. Jin, C., Yoon, M., & Lee, J. (2019). The influence of brand color identity on brand association and loyalty. Journal of product & brand management, 28(1), 50-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2017-1587
  31. Keimasi, M., & Khoshnevis, M. (2017). Using ZMET technique for exploring current and ideal brand image. Quarterly Journal of Brand Management, 4(3), 29-48. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22051/bmr.2018.21880.1563
  32. Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-Based Brand Equity. Journal of marketing, 57(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299305700101
  33. Kiani, M. S., & Nazari, L. (2022). Investigating Brand Equity in Sports Product Advertisements and Recommending it to Consumers. Sports Business Journal, 2(2), 169-181. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22051/sbj.2022.41652.1050
  34. Kim, K. H., Kim, K. S., Kim, D. Y., Kim, J. H., & Kang, S. H. (2008). Brand equity in hospital marketing. Journal of Business Research, 61(1), 75-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.05.010
  35. Kim, S., & Jun, J. (2016). The impact of event advertising on attitudes and visit intentions. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 29, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2016.04.002
  36. Kim, Y., Hur, W.-M., & Lee, L. (2023). Understanding customer participation in CSR activities: The impact of perceptions of CSR, affective commitment, brand equity, and corporate reputation. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 75, 103436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103436
  37. Kimpakorn, N., & Tocquer, G. (2010). Service brand equity and employee brand commitment. Journal of services marketing, 24(5), 378-388. https://doi.org/10.1108/08876041011060486
  38. Klink, R. R. (2003). Creating Meaningful Brands: The Relationship Between Brand Name and Brand Mark. Marketing letters, 14(3), 143-157. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1027476132607
  39. Labrecque, L. I., Patrick, V. M., & Milne, G. R. (2013). The marketers’ prismatic palette: A review of color research and future directions. Psychology & Marketing, 30(2), 187-202. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20597
  40. Liang, W., Ye, Y., & Bao, M. (2019). Research on the Influence of Brand Fit on Brand Emotion and Brand Loyalty International Conference on Applications and Techniques in Cyber Security and Intelligence ATCI 2018, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-98776-7_125#citeas
  41. Lieven, T., Grohmann, B., Herrmann, A., Landwehr, J. R., & van Tilburg, M. (2015). The effect of brand design on brand gender perceptions and brand preference. European Journal of Marketing, 49(1/2), 146-169. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-08-2012-0456
  42. Liu, C.-H. (2020). Integration of different perspectives of culinary brand equity. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 45, 152-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.08.007
  43. Liu, C., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, J. (2020). The impact of self-congruity and virtual interactivity on online celebrity brand equity and fans’ purchase intention. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29(6), 783-801. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-11-2018-2106
  44. Lohse, G. L., & Rosen, D. L. (2001). Signaling quality and credibility in yellow pages advertising: The influence of color and graphics on choice. Journal of advertising, 30(2), 73-83. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4189180
  45. Maroto, J., & De Bortoli, M. (2001). Web site localization. Proceedings of the European Languages and the Implementation of Communication and Information Technologies (Elicit) conference, University of Paisley, Scotland. http://www.globalpropaganda.fresa.net/articles/TranslatingColours.pdf
  46. Mohammadi Far, Y. (2012). The Psychology of Colors in Marketing and Sales. Rasa Publications. [In Persian].
  47. Momen, M., Gharache, M., & Ghanbarzadeh M, R. (2015). The Role of Affective Commitment and Continuance Commitment on Customer Perception of the Intention to Repurchase. Journal of Business Management Perspective, 14(24), 87-101. [In Persian]. https://jbmp.sbu.ac.ir/article_96207.html?lang=en
  48. Mortazavi Far, S. R., Farzan, F., & Alamtalab Poshtiri, S. S. (2017). The Role of Body Image in Selecting the Color of Sports Apparel (a Case Study: Academics of Mazandaran University). Sport Psychology Studies, 6(22), 87-98. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22089/spsyj.2017.3472.1358
  49. Panigyrakis, G. G., & Kyrousi, A. G. (2015). Color effects in print advertising: a research update (1985-2012). Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 20(3), 233-255. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-12-2011-0072
  50. Pring, I. (2007). Forum - Going underground: how ethnography helped the Tube tunnel to the heart of its brand. International Journal of Market Research, 49(6), 693-705. https://doi.org/10.1177/147078530704900604
  51. Ridgway, J., & Myers, B. (2014). A study on brand personality: consumers’ perceptions of colours used in fashion brand logos. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 7(1), 50-57. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2013.877987
  52. Rodríguez-Molina, M. A., Frías-Jamilena, D. M., Del Barrio-García, S., & Castañeda-García, J. A. (2019). Destination brand equity-formation: Positioning by tourism type and message consistency. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 12, 114-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2019.03.010
  53. Rodriguez, S. (2023). Marketing: Color Psychology in Branding. [Presented to the University Honors Program California State University, Long Beach]. https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/c821gr716
  54. Rojas-Lamorena, Á. J., Del Barrio-García, S., & Alcántara-Pilar, J. M. (2022). A review of three decades of academic research on brand equity: A bibliometric approach using co-word analysis and bibliographic coupling. Journal of Business Research, 139, 1067-1083. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.10.025
  55. Sarker, M., Mohd-Any, A. A., & Kamarulzaman, Y. (2021). Validating a consumer-based service brand equity (CBSBE) model in the airline industry. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102354
  56. Sasmita, J., & Mohd Suki, N. (2015). Young consumers’ insights on brand equity. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 43(3), 276-292. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-02-2014-0024
  57. Singh, N., & Srivastava, S. K. (2011). Impact of Colors on the Psychology of Marketing — A Comprehensive over View. Management and Labour Studies, 36(2), 199-209. https://doi.org/10.1177/0258042x1103600206
  58. Singh, S. (2006). Impact of color on marketing. Management Decision, 44(6), 783-789. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740610673332
  59. Sondoh Jr, S., Omar, M., Wahid, N., Ishak, I., & Harun, A. (2007). The effect of brand image on overall satisfaction and loyalty intention in the context of color cosmetic. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 12(1), 83-107. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-effect-of-brand-image-on-overall-satisfaction-a-Sondoh-Omar/b493cb4f99ea1711e544b776381aa0e5ef5b352a
  60. Sun, M., & Kim, J. (2023). Sustainability and Brand Equity: The Moderating Role of Brand Color and Brand Gender. Sustainability, 15(11), 8908. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118908
  61. Walsh, M., Winterich, K., & Mittal, V. (2012). Do Logo Redesigns Help or Hurt Your Brand? The Role of Brand Commitment. Journal of product & brand management, 19(2), 76-84. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610421011033421
  62. Walsh, M. F. (2005). Consumer response to logo shape redesign: The influence of brand commitment. [PhD Thesis, University of Pittsburgh]. http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/9746/1/mfwalsh_dissertation.pdf
  63. Wang, H., Wei, Y., & Yu, C. (2008). Global brand equity model: combining customer‐based with product‐market outcome approaches. Journal of product & brand management, 17(5), 305-316. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420810896068
  64. Wang, Y., Wang, T., Mu, W., & Sun, Y. (2022). What is the glamor of black‐and‐white? The effect of color design on evaluations of luxury brand ads. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 21(4), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2030
  65. Williams, A., Son, S. W., Walsh, P., & Park, J. (2021). The Influence of Logo Change on Brand Loyalty and the Role of Attitude Toward Rebranding and Logo Evaluation. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 30(1), 69-81. https://doi.org/10.32731/SMQ.291.032021.06
  66. Zhang, J., Shabbir, R., Pitsaphol, C., & Hassan, W. (2014). Creating Brand Equity by Leveraging Value Creation and Consumer Commitment in Online Brand Communities: A Conceptual Framework. International Journal of Business and Management, 10(1), 80-91. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v10n1p80