Accreditation of the Effective Factors on the Branding of Premier League Football Clubs based on Customer Evaluation

The purpose of the current research was to validate the factors influencing the branding of Premier League football clubs based on customer evaluations. The current descriptive-correlational research was a survey research type, and it was applied research in terms of its purpose that was conducted in the field. The statistical population of the current research was the customers of the Premier League clubs, who are fans and spectators. SPSS Sample Power software was used to determine the sample size in the quantitative stage. Using this method, the sample size was estimated to be 370 people, and 370 questionnaires were distributed and collected among the statistical population. The questions in this section were obtained based on the pattern emerging from the qualitative phase of the research. The type of scoring for this questionnaire was based on a 5-point Likert scale. Also, the questionnaire consisted of 4 main components of the club's capabilities, facilitating factors, development factors and managerial weaknesses. Further, in order to validate the desired pattern of the desired model, the structural equation modeling of the confirmatory factor analysis approach is used. AMOS software was used for this purpose. The results of the first and second order confirmatory factor analysis test showed 85 primary concepts, 17 main categories (club assets, suitable club results, differentiation from other clubs, stability of the club, communication with fans, cultural factors, popularity and the credibility of the club, the performance of public relations of the club, the executive strategies of the club, branding measures, revenue generation of the club, proper performance of managers, legal and legal factors, pressure from upstream organizations, taste decisions, team margins, functional weaknesses were above 0.4. Which indicated that the identified factors have appropriate and standard validity. According to the obtained results, the managers of the league organization and the teams should correct the inhibiting factors by using facilitating factors and solutions.