Athlete social media visual communication messages and their role on inspiration, attributions and consumer engagement levels among sport consumers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the differential impacts of community- vs sponsorship-oriented athlete Instagram posts on consumer responses, controlling for athlete identification. Specifically, it explores how message type influences inspiration, attributions and consumer engagement while accounting for identification with athletes. Given the increasing role of social media in athlete branding, this research provides insights into how different types of athlete-generated content shape audience perceptions and interactions. Design/methodology/approach This study employs an experimental design, presenting participants with AI-generated and authentic Instagram posts featuring a professional basketball player, categorized into contrasting themes. Data were collected from 205 participants via an online survey, measuring key variables including athlete identification, inspiration, attributions and consumer engagement behaviors. The analysis utilized exploratory factor analysis and multivariate analysis of covariance to assess the relationships among these constructs. Findings The results indicate that compared with sponsorship content, community-oriented posts generally foster stronger positive consumer responses, including higher inspiration and more favorable perceptions of the athlete's involvement in social causes. Inspiration emerged for both message types but tended to remain moderate and did not consistently translate into more effortful engagement. Overall, participants reported greater intentions to like and share posts than to comment on them, with community-oriented posts typically producing higher engagement intentions on these low-effort behaviors. Athlete identification was strongly associated with inspiration and engagement intentions, yet audiences still perceived elements of self-interest in both community-oriented and sponsorship messages, suggesting that fan loyalty does not fully override critical evaluation of promotional content. Originality/value This study examines inspiration, attributions and consumer engagement concurrently, providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of athlete-generated social media content in fostering engagement. While highlighting their interconnected influence on consumer behavior, the findings underscore the importance of authenticity in branding, revealing that cause-driven messaging resonates more deeply but does not necessarily drive behavioral change or reshape long-term brand perceptions. Additionally, the study challenges assumptions that strong fan identification shields athletes from scrutiny, demonstrating that even highly identified fans critically evaluate promotional intent. These insights contribute to sport management literature and offer practical implications for athletes and marketers seeking to optimize digital communication strategies for meaningful audience engagement and sustained brand loyalty.