en مديريت ورزشی و شاخه‌های وابسته بدان Sport Management and its related branches مقاله اصیل Original Article <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Background. </strong>Through years of spectator interaction, historical moments, heroic performances, and the creation of traditions or rituals, these established teams are excellent examples of brand communities. For newly introduced teams, these elements are likely to be in short supply and many of them struggle to build a community around their sport team. </span></span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Objectives.</strong> This study explored brand community markers in the context of newly established sport teams. </span></span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Methods. </strong>We examined whether managers of new sports teams Utilize group experience, organizational history, ritual/traditions and physical facility in their branding strategies. A case study approach was used; featuring both interviews with managers of three newly established Iran professional sports teams and direct observations of games. </span></span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Results. </strong>The findings revealed managers generally considered group experience, history and heritage, ritual/traditions and physical facility to be important, but they failed to implement and apply these mechanisms to an overall marketing strategy. Evidence of the four mechanisms was only apparent on an infrequent and fragmented basis. Promotion of these antecedents was largely absent from the team&rsquo;s branding strategies. </span></span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><strong>Conclusion. </strong>This is the first study to extend the study of brand communities from successful and established brands to new organizations and explored how the different mechanisms relate to this.</span></span></p> Brand Community, Sport, Group Experience, History and Heritage, Ritual/Traditions, Physical Facility 105 115 http://aassjournal.com/browse.php?a_code=A-11-530-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Amin Rayat rayatamin@yahoo.com 10031947532846003918 10031947532846003918 Yes Young Researchers Club, Dariun Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dariun, Iran‎ Mehdi Rayat sportmanshp@gmail.com 10031947532846003919 10031947532846003919 No Young Researchers Club, Dariun Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dariun, Iran‎ Layla Rayat sportmanshp@gmail.com 10031947532846003920 10031947532846003920 No Young Researchers Club, Dariun Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dariun, Iran‎