Every industry has its version of a hometown hero, the element that transforms users into passionate fans. Whether you are leading an NHL franchise or building a national brand, knowing what people care about most unlocks loyalty, engagement, and growth.
From Hockey Research to Business Insights
Before joining Lux Insights, I spent time in academia where I combined my love of research and sports to study what drives fan loyalty. My work Homegrown Heroes: The Impact of Locally Born Hockey Players on Attendance and Revenue in the NHL, published in the Journal of Sports Economics (2025), explored how the presence of locally born players influences fan engagement and team performance.
The analysis also identified several important patterns that provide deeper insight into how local connection influences engagement and performance:
- The “hometown hero effect” appeared in both traditional hockey markets such as Toronto and Montreal and in newer markets such as Nashville and Dallas, showing that pride in local identity extends across geographies.
- The positive effect was consistent after accounting for team performance, player quality, and market size, confirming that the outcome was not driven solely by on-ice success.
- NHL teams rely heavily on local revenue sources such as ticket sales, concessions, and parking, which makes local engagement directly tied to financial results.
- Teams with lower average attendance experienced the greatest gains, indicating that locally born players may be especially valuable for struggling markets.
- The results remained robust under alternative definitions of “local player,” supporting the reliability of the analysis.
These results demonstrate how community identity can translate into tangible outcomes. Teams that included players with local ties attracted stronger fan support and generated measurable financial gains.
Understanding What People Care About
This principle extends far beyond the ice. In business, as in hockey, success comes from understanding what matters to the people you serve. When people feel seen, understood, and represented they engage more deeply. Brand teams can then design experiences and products that truly resonate.
Too often, teams rely on assumptions. Many NHL franchises believed fans cared only about wins or star players, overlooking the deeper emotional connection of hometown pride. The same happens in business: brand owners may focus on surface-level metrics rather than uncovering the real reasons customers choose them or move on.
From Insight to Impact: What Businesses Can Learn from Hockey
Like in hockey, where success depends on reading the game and responding to what happens on the ice, businesses succeed when they listen closely to their customers and act on what they learn. It is about transforming insights into strategy and using what people truly value and care about to shape better decisions and long-term success.
We combine quantitative market research with qualitative insights to reveal what customers care about most: why they buy, how they feel, and what builds trust. Our consultants use surveys, analytics, qualitative tools, and collaborative workshops to help clients translate information into understanding and understanding into action.
Whether we are guiding a company new to market research or guiding a well-established brand through a deeper marketing research strategy, our goal remains the same: to turn insight into impact. Like a coach studying game data to refine a playbook, businesses can use market research and reports to fine-tune their approach, strengthen relationships, and create experiences that score big with their customers.
When organizations take the time to understand their customers, the results speak for themselves. They build loyalty, inspire advocacy, and drive sustainable growth—on and off the ice.
Curious how customer insight can shift your strategy? Reach out to me at edouard@luxinsights.com or contact us through our website.