Beyond Trust: The Mediating Role of Brand Activism in the Effect of Brand Trust on the Intention to Purchase Licensed Products

Öz

This study investigates how football fans’ trust in their club’s brand affects their intention to purchase licensed products and examines the mediating role of brand activism perception. Drawing on Social Identity Theory and the Commitment-Trust framework, the research argues that fans’ identification with their team strengthens trust and loyalty, while brand activism -defined as a brand’s explicit stance on social, political, or environmental issues- can influence consumer behavior when perceived as sincere. Data were collected from 327 football fans in Erzurum who regularly follow their team’s matches. Participants completed validated scales measuring brand trust, brand activism perception, and licensed product purchase intention. Analyses were conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro Model 4 with bootstrapping. Results showed that brand trust was relatively high, activism perception moderate, and purchase intention moderate-to-high. Correlation analyses revealed significant positive relationships among all three variables. Mediation analysis indicated that brand trust significantly predicted both activism perception and purchase intention, while activism perception itself also positively influenced purchase intention. Importantly, brand activism partially mediated the relationship between trust and purchase intention, with the model explaining 36.7% of the variance. Findings suggest that trust not only directly increases fans’ willingness to purchase licensed products but also enhances perceptions of activism, which further strengthens purchase intentions. For sports clubs, this highlights the importance of building and maintaining trust as a prerequisite for effective activism strategies. Aligning activist initiatives with fans’ values and integrating them into licensed product strategies can enhance both brand credibility and economic outcomes. Future studies should test this model in different sports contexts, with longitudinal and cross-cultural designs.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Brand trust
• brand activism
• licensed product purchase intention

Güvenin Ötesinde: Marka Güveninin Lisanslı Ürün Satın Alma Niyetine Etkisinde Marka Aktivizminin Aracılık Rolü

Öz

Bu çalışma, futbol taraftarlarının kulüp markasına duyduğu güvenin lisanslı ürün satın alma niyetini nasıl etkilediğini ve bu ilişkide marka aktivizmi algısının aracılık rolünü incelemektedir. Sosyal Kimlik Teorisi ve Güven–Bağlılık yaklaşımına dayanan araştırma, taraftarların takımlarıyla özdeşleşmelerinin güveni ve bağlılığı güçlendirdiğini; markaların sosyal, politik veya çevresel konularda sergilediği aktivist duruşların ise tüketici davranışlarını etkileyebildiğini vurgulamaktadır. Araştırmaya Erzurum’da yaşayan ve takımlarının maçlarını düzenli olarak takip eden 327 taraftar katılmıştır. Katılımcılar, marka güveni, marka aktivizmi algısı ve lisanslı ürün satın alma niyetini ölçen ölçekleri yanıtlamıştır. Veriler, Hayes’in PROCESS Macro Model 4 aracılığıyla bootstrapping yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, taraftarların marka güveni düzeylerinin yüksek, aktivizm algılarının orta ve satın alma niyetlerinin orta–yüksek seviyede olduğunu göstermiştir. Korelasyon analizleri, değişkenler arasında anlamlı ve pozitif ilişkiler ortaya koymuştur. Aracılık analizi ise marka güveninin hem aktivizm algısını hem de satın alma niyetini anlamlı biçimde yordadığını, ayrıca aktivizm algısının da satın alma niyetini pozitif etkilediğini göstermiştir. Model, satın alma niyetindeki varyansın %36.7’sini açıklamış ve kısmi aracılık etkisi doğrulanmıştır. Sonuçlar, güvenin sadece doğrudan satın alma niyetini artırmakla kalmayıp, aynı zamanda aktivizm algısını güçlendirerek bu niyeti dolaylı yoldan da etkilediğini göstermektedir. Spor kulüpleri açısından bu bulgu, güven inşa etmenin aktivizm stratejilerinin başarısı için ön koşul olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Taraftarların değerleriyle uyumlu ve lisanslı ürün stratejileriyle bütünleşen aktivizm girişimleri, hem marka inandırıcılığını hem de ekonomik çıktıları artırma potansiyeline sahiptir. Gelecek araştırmalarda farklı spor branşları, boylamsal tasarımlar ve kültürlerarası karşılaştırmalar önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Marka güveni
• marka aktivizmi
• lisanslı ürün satın alma niyeti

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