Underdog Consumption: An Exploration into Meanings and Motives

Marketers frequently position business concerns – whether brands, teams, or stores – as the non market-dominant entity (or the “underdog”). This article examines the motives for underdog support through in-depth interviews and a focus group. Findings suggest that underdog consumers support underdogs out of empathy, as a way to ensure the maintenance of equal opportunity in competition, and as a way to provide personal inspiration. Some motives for underdog support can be interpreted to be anti-consumption (or, at least, anti-corporate) in nature. On the other hand, many underdog consumers support and identify with underdogs not necessarily as a way to keep the top dog down, but as a means to keep the little guy competing. Rather than solely “vote-against” behavior, “vote-for” behavior is very evident as well.

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	Gentry, James W Graduate Chair Expertise: Consumer Behavior Cross-Cultural Issues Family Decision Making International Consumerism International - Asia Marketing CBA 322 P.O. Box 880492 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-0492, USA Phone: (402) 472-3278 Fax: (402) 472-9777 jgentry@unl.edu	Gentry, James W	Marketing