Managing strategies of professional football clubs in Thailand for increasing fan clubs

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to study influencing factors of building fan clubs for professional football clubs in Thailand, and the making and implementing of strategies for increasing fan clubs for professional football clubs in Thailand. In this study, the researcher used an applied research method using mixed methodologies of both quantitative and quantitative research approaches. In the quantitative research approach, a Likert scale questionnaire was use on a group of samples, who are 412 participants from a field of executives (clubs executive, club presidents, club managers) and field of non-executives (supporters, players and football journalists) through an analysis of frequency and standard deviation. As for thequalitative research approach, 13 in-depth interviews were conducted. The result found that there were 3 factors influencing fan club management of professional football clubs, which are 1) motivation between the clubs and their attendances and fan clubs, 2) marketing, and 3) club loyalty. The result also finds that there are 10 factors in the managing strategies of professional football clubs for increasing fan clubs and attendances which are 1) strategies and concepts of increasing fan club management, 2) how high executive leaders manage increasing fan clubsstrategies, 3) social responsibility strategies, 4) planning strategies for driving fan club management strategies, 5) communicating strategies into practice, 6) fan club and attendances focus, 7) measurement, analysis, and knowledge management to support fan club management strategies, 8) club personnel focus, 9) strategic management, and 10) strategic outcome in fan club management.