Identifying the factors affecting the Brand Associations of Iranian Futsal Premier League clubs

Sport has become increasingly commercial, and sports institutions have become more professional over the years. Thus,Today, brand management is an increasingly important field in marketing management. Brand Associations is the most famous and valuable relationship that a customer shares with a brand. Brand Associations reflects the relationship between the customer and the brand. Brand Associationscan strengthen the customer's desire to repurchase and brand loyalty. Considering the emotional and cognitive link of dependence, its consequences can also be categorized. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to Identifying the factors affecting the Brand Associations of Iranian Futsal Premier League clubs (Case study: Sari Sharvand Futsal Club).

The research method is correlation and is practical in terms of purpose. The statistical population of the study included all fans of sari shahrvand futsal team. The sample size is infinite and the sample size is 384 people. To calculate the sample size in this study, the Cochran's formula for unlimited communities has been used. A researcher-made questionnaire was prepared by studying the sources. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by ten professors of sports management and the reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha test. The statistical tests of this research were structural equations modeling (SEM) and Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)

Findings showed that all research variables including success and fan identity, knowledge, coach, socialization, tradition, product, importance, logo, peer group acceptance, management, nostalgia, stadium, escape from everyday life, stadium atmosphere, education and Training, star player and pride in the place of living have a positive and significant effect on the brand affiliation of Iranian Futsal Premier League clubs (Sari shahrvand Futsal Club), respectively.

Due to the fact that league football clubs in the country, with a large number of fans, have a high capacity to generate revenue through activities related to brand management. Because one of the biggest problems of Iranian football clubs is their lack of common income in world football. Clubs in Iran have no income other than a small share of ticket sales and receiving money from shirt sponsors, and their eyes are on the hands of the government and the Ministry of Sports and the supporting capitalists. Therefore, it is suggested to the managers and officials of the Sari Shahvand Futsal Premier League Club that they take the necessary care in using the results of this research to advance the goals of the club.