To the Next Level : Influence of Social Media on Sport Organisations' Brand and Relationship Management during Global Pandemic

Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of social media in building brand and relationship for sport organisations during a global pandemic. Methodology: The methodology in this study is built on a qualitative method based on a inductive approach. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews when interviewing the sports organisations and fans. Furthermore, a content analysis was employed as it served the aim of the study best. Findings & Conclusion: With regards to building the brand through the use of social media, findings showed that transparency, the history of the club and their image play a vital role in building a distinctive brand. With regards to building their relationship through the use of social media, findings showed that although efforts were made by the hockey clubs to interact and engage fans with various strategies, there was a lack of consistency in order to build their relationship with their fans. Thus, the findings of the study revealed that sport organisations have been able to build their brand as well as maintain their relationship with their fans during the global pandemic through the use of social media. Contribution of the Study: The study has both theoretical contributions and practical contributions. With regards to the theoretical contribution, the study introduces a framework that focuses on what factors influences the effectiveness of social media (SM) use for sports organizations to build their brand and relationship with their fans. Also, to the practical contribution, consistency in interacting and engaging with customers on SM should be a top priority for sport organisations’ relationship managers to build their relationship with fans on SM. Reflections on the Study and Suggestions for Future Research: As the study has been limited to three hockey clubs from Swedish Hockey League, the scope of the study could be broadened in future research. Also, conducting a quantitative method is recommended for future research to determine the link between interaction and engagement. Key Words: Relationship Building, Brand Building, Interaction, Engagement, Social Media, Sports Organisation