How often after doing your online research of a product and then buying it, do you get bombarded with advertisements and promotions for that product you just purchased? No doubt you see offers for the product much cheaper than you what you paid – and sometimes even from the company you just bought from.

Have you ever watched on incredulously as prospective new customers or members are offered massive incentives to sign up to an organisation that you have been a long-time “loyal” customer of, while you get offered nothing to renew your relationship?

Consumer behaviours are more or less a bunch of habits that we follow. We think we are in control of what we do and when we do it, but most of the day we’re just following a schedule of habits that are responses to triggers.

There is nothing like sport to galvanise a people together to a common cause. Nor is there anything like sport to divide normally likeminded people of similar backgrounds into passionate warring tribes.

Fans and customers engage differently with a brand, and this can be identified in their behaviours and attributes. Let’s review what is a fan and what is a customer.