The NFL is building brand loyalty by offering consumers experiences aside from the usual televised games. Steve Olenski of Forbes goes into detail about the inventive way the NFL keeps fans invested in the NFL through experiences at Times Square, New York. "NFL Experience Times Square opened in December 2017 and offers fans an opportunity to become a player via a state of the art 4D theater that contains motion seats, weather elements and recognizable football game scents (Olenski 2018). All 32 teams are represented through this experience so fans can truly feel invested in their teams. Through this unique experience, the NFL is making fans feel a part of something bigger than themselves. It is not just the NFL apart from the fan, but the NFL and the fans are a part of one another, interwoven into each other's lives.
NFL teams each have their own ways to build brand loyalty. Some teams may not have to try as hard as others given the amount of time the franchise has been in existence. Others may need overwhelming success if they have been in the league a shorter amount of time. The Carolina Panthers are one example of a team that relies on playoff success as a way to build brand loyalty. In an interview with the Charlotte Business Journal, team executives said that "back to back playoff appearances bring national attention while strengthening the bonds between fans and team sponsors." (Spanberg 2015). For the Carolina Panthers to continue building brand loyalty, they will need to continue to provide an experience that makes fans believe they are apart of something bigger than themselves. Winning more games and ultimately a super bowl will also play a big role in building more brand loyalty.
References
https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/queen_city_agenda/2015/01/panthers-playoffs-building-brand-loyalty.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2018/07/24/this-brand-is-tackling-customer-experience-literally/
