Title: The impact of rewarded social media engagement on customer satisfaction, commitment, loyalty and loyalty programmes in the sports industry

Authors: Muniba Rauf; Heikki Karjaluoto; Matti Leppäniemi

Addresses: University of Jyväskylä, School of Business and Economics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Finland ' Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Finland ' University of Jyväskylä, School of Business and Economics, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Finland

Abstract: There has been much research on customer engagement, loyalty, and loyalty programmes, but there has been no specific investigation of the impact of rewarded customer engagement on loyalty programme members in the sports sector. This study aimed to contribute to the sports marketing literature by exploring the impact of rewarded social media engagement on customer satisfaction, commitment, loyalty programmes, and loyalty to a sports brand. The study sought to address the existing research gaps by conducting a quantitative survey among both members and non-members of a loyalty programme. The findings reveal distinct characteristics of rewarded customer engagement, indicating its significant impact on customer satisfaction, commitment, and loyalty to both the programme and brand among members of the sports brand. This research is vital for both marketing scholars and practitioners, as it deepens their understanding of the topic by exploring how rewarded social media engagement influences customer loyalty and loyalty programmes in the sports industry, potentially enabling them to develop more efficient loyalty programmes.

Keywords: rewarded customer engagement; RCE; loyalty programmes; LPs; customer loyalty; social media; customer satisfaction; customer commitment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2024.138988

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2024 Vol.24 No.3/4, pp.262 - 289

Received: 27 Feb 2023
Accepted: 16 Nov 2023
Published online: 06 Jun 2024 *

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