Professional basketball fans stewed through the summer and early fall, wondering if a labor dispute between team owners and their players would cancel the 2011-12 season.
In the end, the teams and players reached agreement. A shortened season will begin Christmas Day, with preseason games starting Dec. 16.
But team owners now must be prepared to ensure that fan loyalty will outweigh disgruntlement over the infighting, says Richard Feinberg, a Purdue University professor of consumer science and retailing.
Feinberg, who studies consumer psychology, says anger among basketball fans will be short-lived.
"The brand strength of basketball is strong. And that can compensate for anger and disappointment over the owner-player fight."
He says basketball and other sports teams are so embedded in the community's identity that they are considered "sacred consumer products." Consumers become so attached to a team, they wear the brand on their clothing. The most ardent fans will even tattoo it on their skin.
That doesn't mean team owners can be complacent, Feinberg says.
"Research on how to react to brand damage indicates that marketers should plan a strong effort to promote the positive value of the brand," he says.
He suggests owners have special promotions and positive advertising ready to go at the beginning of the shortened season. Owners should reach out, especially to long-term season ticket holders.
As the season gets under way, teams should continue to plan events and promotions that involve the players with the community.
"Basketball is so strongly branded and ingrained in the American psyche that the fans will come back," Feinberg says. "Research from consumer behavior labs and experience with baseball and football strikes indicate that basketball is a special product. Consumers will forgive and forget."