Marketing development in the leisure services sector: an empirical analysis

Abstract

Most studies of market development have concentrated on the private sector. This paper, in contrast, focuses on the not-for-profit sector by analysing market development in British local authorities' leisure services departments. This article firstly presents a summary of the nature and extent of marketing development in the leisure services sector. The paper continues by addressing the issue of why some local authorities undertake a high level of marketing activity, whilst others do very little. A wide range of potential influences on the degree of marketing activity, both at the macro and micro level, were empirically analysed. This study concludes that the level of marketing activity is primarily dependent on the range of services offered by the local authority. More specifically it has been found that those authorities offering a wide range of services are most likely to undertake a high level of marketing activity, whilst those providing a narrow range of services are least likely. The implications o...