Designing the branding model of the Iranian Football Premier League based on the data approach of the foundation

The purpose of this study was to design a branding model of the Iranian Football Premier League using the foundation data theory. The research method was analytical and qualitative methodology was used for this purpose. The research strategy was to use data theory. Participants in the study were 16 people, including professors in the field of sports marketing, club and league officials, and sampling strategy in the targeted quality section with maximum diversity or heterogeneity. Content analysis of the interviews and coding were used to analyze the data. The research tool was open interview and the results were analyzed based on three stages of open, axial and selective coding. The findings showed that the promotion of the Premier League brand position, stable brand identity, customer relationship management, and financial benefits were the causal factors. The central phenomenon consists of factors that improve brand equity, performance evaluation, brand credibility of the league brand. Underlying factors included league brand positioning, social factors, establishing a competitive balance in the league, and national league brand infrastructure. Also, intervening factors included factors of change and development of related technologies, club factors, regulatory weaknesses, human resources weakness, accountability, and customer characteristics. Legal solutions, proper management strategies, establishing proper communication and interactions, holding matches according to current world standards, strengthening the facilitators, brand fit and logo with the league formed the branding strategies of the Iranian Football Premier League. Finally, the premise of the Premier League brand, the establishment of the league brand position, t