Fan Engagement in 15 Seconds: Athletes' Relationship Marketing During a Pandemic via TikTok

Abstract

With nearly all sport across the world paused due to the coronavirus, athletes have demonstrated their creativity during quarantine by experimenting with new training routines, at-home entertainment options, and new social media platforms to connect with fans. The absence of original sport-related content due to constraints on social gatherings has posed challenges for athletes to maintain fan relationships. Against this background, TikTok has gained prominence as the latest digital apparatus for fan engagement. Athlete-generated TikTok videos have been widely reported on by news outlets. Examples include Lebron James’ choreographed dances with his family and numerous Women's National Basketball Association players joining the #DontRushChallenge (Women’s National Basketball Association, 2020). While scholars have assessed athletes’ use of established social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and, more recently, Snapchat, little is known about the utility of TikTok as a strategic communication tool. In light of the increasing popularity TikTok has gained amid COVID-19, the present commentary explores athletes’ use of TikTok as a communication platform during this pandemic with the intention of reflecting the changing nature of sport communication and branding in this challenging time.