Investigating the associations among the Premier League’s brand communication, brand equity, and consumers’ behavioural responses in the Chinese market
研究英超联赛在中国市场的品牌沟通策略如何影响品牌资产，进而影响消费者的重复购买、口碑传播和溢价支付意愿，对体育营销从业者具有参考价值。
Research Questions To enhance the Premier League’s expansion into external markets amidst growing competition, it is essential to understand how marketing strategies shape its brand equity and subsequently determine satellite fan behaviours. This research specifically examines the associations among the Premier League’s brand communication strategies, brand equity, and three key consumer behaviours, repeat purchase intention, Word-of-Mouth (WOM) intention, and willingness to pay premium price in the Chinese market.Research Methods Data were collected from 550 Chinese Premier League consumers. The proposed relationships among the constructs were examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM).Results and Findings Findings of the structural model revealed significant associations between one-way communication and brand awareness, perceived customer orientation, and perceived player quality. Two-way communication was significantly associated with all brand equity dimensions. Regarding consequences, except the associations between perceived customer orientation and WOM intention, and perceived player quality and willingness to pay premium price, all other proposed relationships were supported as significant.Implications This research contributes to the underexplored relationships among brand communication, brand equity, and consumer behaviours in sport industries in China, thereby successfully addressing the research gaps. Practically, this research provides practitioners with a comprehensive picture of building brand equity through effective and multiple communications and enhancing marketing performance through brand equity management.