Understanding Sport Product Collaborations Through the Lens of Limited Editions

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of self-image congruence (SIC), need for uniqueness (NFU), and limited edition characteristics on sport consumer's attitude toward collaboration in limited edition product settings. The two-factor (product type: limited edition products vs. regular ongoing release products × SIC: actual vs. ideal) between-subjects experimental design was utilized using three experiments with different stimuli (i.e., Nike × Virgil Abloh, Adidas × Alexander Wang, and Puma × Ye). The results indicated that each variable had a strong relationship in separate conditions (i.e., limited edition product, regular ongoing release product). For the theoretical implications, this study extends the sport marketing literature by examining SIC as a binary concept in the sport product collaboration settings. In addition, the current study emphasizes the importance of using collaboration strategy when targeting sport consumers who are familiar with collaboration regardless of the scarcity of products.