Loyalty Beyond Reason

As I was watching the Frontline special The Persuaders, I heard and was immediately enthralled by the comment "loyalty beyond reason," which was used to describe consumers' attraction to certain successful brands. At the same time I was still mentally distraught by the loss of my all-time favorite sports team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. These two thoughts merged together to form a single question: Why do I feel such a strong connection between me and the Pittsburgh Steelers?
 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/sports/football/19afc.html?_r=1

The Steelers are a brand and, as much as it pains me to say, have the intent of making enormous profits through advertising, merchandise and marketing techniques targeted at consumers, a.k.a. fans, such as myself. I've bought Steelers hats, jerseys, blankets, towels and even a snuggie, all because I love this football team, and for no other reason. 

Growing up in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are a huge part of everyday life. Black and yellow paraphernalia make up a large portion of Pittsburghers' wardrobes, so it's virtually impossible to escape the positive energy associated with the Steelers. And when football season rolls around, parties and events are thrown all around town, and everyone is somewhere watching or listening to the games. Every school in the city has Steelers spirit days, where every student and faculty member dresses up in preparation for the weekend's football game. 

The Steelers as a brand have done what all brands try to do, which is associate their brand with positive experiences and make people feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. I cannot say what it would be like for a Pittsburgher to not be a Steelers fan, because I simply have never seen it happen. Everyone feels a necessity to be a part of Steeler Nation, and it is non-stop excitement (good or bad) when one is a part of it. 

So I have done my best to describe why I and many others are Steelers fans, but our loyalty still has no reasoning behind it. When you think about it, there is nothing logical about spending countless dollars and hours on a team of men that have no idea that I exist, who play a game that has no greater purpose than pure entertainment. But even after acknowledging my illogical love for the Steelers, I still have no problem being a Steelers fan because everyone around me growing up was a Steelers fan, and being a fan is better than not being a fan. 

This brand has incorporated itself so well into my life that even my own logical thought process can do nothing to falter my unreasonable loyalty. What I see as a fellow Steelers fan is actually advertising for the Steelers brand, which attracts upcoming fans and strengthens the loyalties of old ones. A normal Sunday gathering of friends and family around a TV screen, eating black and yellow chips, is a testament to the successful marketing of the Steelers brand. But none of this analysis can make a Steelers fan, or a fan of any team for that matter, question his/her loyalty to sports teams, because these pro-sporting brands have done such a good job of becoming entertainment, acceptance and a part of normal life for millions of people.

Wow, all this talk about the Steelers has me excited for next season. Go Stillers!