Symbolic Purchase in Sports Marketing: The Effect of Perceived Quality and Self-image Congruity on Intention to Purchase; A Field Study in Turkey

Öz

Modern life urges people to meet their needs for communication faster and more effective than ever. As a result of this fact people spend more and more time in front of the computer and other means of communication. Thus, mankind moves less and the need to keep fit becomes more important. So, people involve much more in sports facilities and this means consumption of sports equipment and other tools of sports marketing.

The present study aims to investigate the effect of self-image congruity and perceived quality on the purchase intentions of Turkish football fans. In order to do so, a questionnaire which is adapted from the former studies is applied to the supporters of the teams which involve in Spor Toto Super League.

In order to analyze 316 responses, descriptive statistics, reliability, correlations, factor analysis, structural equation modelling and linear regression analysis are applied. The tests approved that a valid and reliable data set is acquired. Also the theory of the research validated in the data. Hence, the hypothesis test revealed that the data doesn’t fit with the research model. Nevertheless,it is statistically proved that perceived quality has effect on purchase intentions of the randomly selected sample.