From sound to resonance: Club anthem attractiveness and fan–brand relationships

Abstract

Abstract

Auditory branding plays an increasingly important role in sensory service experiences; however, limited research has examined how recurring auditory brand cues relate to consumer–brand relationship outcomes. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework as an organizing logic, this study examines associations among club anthem attractiveness (CAA), positive emotion (PE), post-exposure brand cognition (BC), and fan–brand resonance (FBR) in sports leisure services. Data were collected from a screened nonprobability online sample of 468 respondents in China. Participants listened to one of three standardized 90-s club anthem excerpts before evaluating CAA, PE, BC, and FBR. CAA was positively associated with both PE and BC, and these responses were positively associated with FBR. The two prespecified coefficient products were positive, whereas the residual direct CAA–FBR association was not significant. A separate balanced validation study (N = 450) supported CAA's empirical distinction from simple anthem liking, PE, BC, FBR, and prior brand attitude. CAA explained additional variance in PE and BC beyond simple liking and pre-exposure controls, while its incremental association with FBR was small. The findings indicate that evaluations of recurring auditory brand cues covary with consumer–brand relationship outcomes alongside affective and cognitive responses. This study extends auditory branding and sensory service literature by conceptualizing recurring branded sound as a service-embedded cue and examining theoretically ordered affective and cognitive associations. Because CAA was measured and the focal constructs were self-reported within one session, the findings support an association-based interpretation and do not establish temporal mediation or causality.