Zwischen Inszenierung und Echtheit: Digitale Markenwahrnehmung von OKTAGON MMA Deutschland in der Social-Media-Kommunikation

Abstract

Social media has fundamentally changed how brands communicate and are perceived by consumers, increasing the importance of authenticity and credibility in brand communication. This study examines how social media campaigns by OKTAGON MMA Germany are associated with perceived authenticity, credibility, and brand perception, and whether differences exist between MMA fans and individuals with a general interest in sports. A quantitative online survey with 181 participants was conducted and analyzed using statistical methods. The results show that perceived authenticity has a strong positive association with both credibility and overall brand perception. Contrary to common assumptions, perceived advertising does not negatively affect authenticity or credibility but shows a weak positive relationship with brand evaluation. Furthermore, no significant differences between the analyzed content formats were found regarding perceived authenticity. The group comparison reveals that MMA fans evaluate the content significantly more positively across all examined dimensions than individuals with a general interest in sports. The findings contribute to a better understanding of authenticity, credibility, and brand perception in the context of professional sports social media communication and highlight the importance of integrating commercial elements in a credible and context-appropriate way. For practitioners, the results emphasize the need to balance strategic communication with perceived authenticity in order to strengthen brand perception in digital sports environments.