Sport Marketing Research Articles

Swipe, view, engage: the interplay of athlete social media content and viewer attitudes on sports perception and interest

PurposeInfluencers in physical activity and sports have gained significant prominence in promoting health and well-being via digital social networks. This research investigates the impact of athlete influencers on sports perceptions, with a focus on korfball. Using korfball as a representative sport minimizes biases, allowing a nuanced exploration of athlete-generated content’s direct influence on viewer attitudes.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey with 319 respondents explores variables like athlete attitude, attractive appearance, social media profile attitude, emotional engagement toward korfball, korfball perception, korfball interest and general sports attitude. Structural equation modeling analysis examines relationships among these variables.FindingsThe study delves into the complex interplay among athlete attitude, social media attitude and emotional engagement toward sports, emphasizing the pivotal role of authenticity in fostering deeper connections. Contrary to expectations, athlete attractiveness did not significantly influence viewer priorities, signaling a notable shift towards valuing authenticity and performance. Furthermore, the research explores how general sports attitudes moderate relationships between sports perceptions and interest, offering critical insights for sports sociology and marketing.Originality/valueThis study innovates by focusing on korfball, emphasizing authenticity over attractiveness and providing insights into the evolving dynamics of sports marketing and consumer behavior in the digital age. This research evidences the profound impact of the digital age on sports engagement, laying a foundation for future studies and practical applications in sports sociology, marketing and consumer behavior.

Analyzing the Impact of Social Media on Sports Marketing

The study's findings demonstrate the substantial social media's effects on sports marketing strategies. First of all, by enabling direct and instantaneous communication between sports teams and their fan base, social media networks have entirely transformed fan involvement. Sports marketers may use tools like live streaming, fan forums, and social media campaigns to foster a sense of community, encourage fan participation, and create unique experiences that boost fan loyalty are now powerful instruments for brand-building in sports marketing. Sports companies may showcase their principles, improve their brand messaging, and create interesting material that appeals to their target audience by utilising Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Moneyball Theory in Professional Sports: An Analysis of the Football Industry and Market Failure

Abstract: Nowadays, the transfer price of athletes in the sports market is getting higher and higher. Moneyball is a theory that allows professional sports teams to spend a small amount of money but bring a huge boost. Moneyball applies the economic theory of market failure, mainly using two market failures, Information Failure and Monopsony. This article will analyze two professional sports teams that use Moneyball and market failure in football and baseball and describe the advantages and disadvantages of Moneyball and the future use of Moneyball. This paper finds that Moneyball can help many teams buy cost-effective players in today's sports player market. Moneyball can also help teams refine their recruiting analysts, and there are cases where Moneyball can be used in football. To buy the most suitable players with the guarantee that the team will not break the rules. Moneyball needs more teams to apply to determine this theory in the football world.

Strategic philanthropy of athletes after transgression: examining the congruence effect of pre-transgression and transgression issues

PurposeThis study comprehensively explains how sports consumers evaluate athletes’ post-transgression philanthropic activities. We specifically focus on the congruence effect between the pre-transgression philanthropic endeavors and the transgression issue, shedding light on the effectiveness of these strategies in reinstating the positive image of athletes and associated entities.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a rigorous research design, replicating two studies using sports-related (n = 409) and non-sports-related (n = 404) transgression cases. Data were collected by the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. A series of experimental studies aimed to investigate the congruence mechanism underlying athletes’ post-transgression philanthropic efforts.FindingsWhen the post-transgression philanthropic initiative is related to the transgression, sport consumers are less likely to view it skeptically and are more inclined to positively evaluate the brand attitude and purchase intention, especially when the transgression is unrelated to the pre-transgression philanthropic efforts.Research limitations/implicationsAs is the case with most research, this study has a limitation. This study used a fictitious athlete name to prevent any prior biases or preconceived notions about the athletes and to avoid any unforeseen influences of personal attitudes toward the athlete. However, designing this study around a fictitious athlete may pose construct validity issues because it may not reflect real-life interactions with the athletes. To increase the validity of findings, future research should aim to replicate the current findings using the names of actual athletes.Originality/valueThis unique approach provides valuable insights and equips sports marketers and brand managers with effective strategies to restore the positive image of athletes and associated entities after a transgression has been made public, empowering them to make informed decisions in challenging situations.

Факторы, определяющие необходимость совершенствования системы подготовки спортивных менеджеров в Тульской области

The article presents the main factors determining the need to improve the system of training sports managers. The determining factors we noted were: multi-departmental management structure of the sphere of physical culture and sports, features of management of commercial and budgetary sports organizations, business sphere and marketing, types and methods of providing services, personnel training system, sports industry, construction and operation of physical education, recreation and sports facilities. The active development of the sphere of physical culture and sports in the Tula region requires the rapid provision of this sphere with highly qualified personnel; we have put forward an assumption about solving this problem. In our opinion, the creation of a student-run sports organization on the basis of a university will increase the efficiency of mastering the competencies of a sports manager.

Optimizing Data Ingestion and Manipulation for Sports Marketing Analytics

In the dynamic landscape of sports marketing, the ability to effectively ingest and manipulate data is critical for driving decision-making and enhancing competitive advantage. This paper explores strategies for optimizing data ingestion and manipulation processes tailored to sports marketing analytics. We begin by analyzing the complexities of data sources, including social media, ticket sales, fan engagement metrics, and market trends. The diverse nature of these data streams necessitates robust ingestion frameworks that can accommodate real-time processing and historical data analysis. We propose a hybrid approach that leverages modern data engineering techniques, such as ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, data warehousing, and cloud-based solutions. This approach enables seamless integration of structured and unstructured data, ensuring that marketers can access comprehensive insights into consumer behavior and campaign effectiveness. Furthermore, we discuss the application of advanced analytics and machine learning models to refine data manipulation techniques, enabling organizations to derive actionable insights that drive marketing strategies. By implementing these optimized processes, sports marketing professionals can enhance their understanding of audience preferences, optimize resource allocation, and ultimately improve return on investment (ROI) for marketing initiatives. This paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing a framework for optimizing data ingestion and manipulation in sports marketing analytics, thus empowering organizations to make data-driven decisions that resonate with fans and stakeholders alike.

Prospective Analysis and Innovative Path Research on Silver Sports Economy in the Context of Aging Society

This study focuses on the prospects and innovative pathways for the development of the silver-haired sports economy in the context of an ageing society. The proportion of the global population over 65 years old is expected to increase from 9% in 2019 to 16% in 2050, highlighting the huge potential of the silver-hair economy. This paper adopts a mixed research methodology, combining spatial econometric modelling and rootedness theory, to explore in depth the current development status, trend forecasts and innovation paths of the silver-haired sports economy. The study constructs a silver-hair sports economy assessment system containing 22 indicators, and uses panel data to analyse the development level of 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China from 2010 to 2023, and the results show that the average annual growth rate of silver-hair sports economy reaches 15.7%, but the gap between Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangdong and the central and western regions reaches 1.8 times. Analyses based on the Spatial Durbin Model show that every 1 percentage point increase in silver-haired sports consumption can drive 0.3 percentage points of GDP growth in neighbouring regions. Through a Delphi method research of 150 industry experts, it is predicted that the size of China's silver-haired sports market will exceed RMB 3 trillion in 2030, increasing its share of GDP to 2%. The qualitative study reveals three innovative paths: intelligent transformation, ecosystem construction, and cross-border integration, and proposes specific strategies such as "integration of sports and medicine" and "social platform for silver sports". The results of the study provide data support and theoretical basis for the formulation of policies for the development of the silver sports economy, and provide important insights into the industrial transformation of an aging society.

How Sports Involvement and Brand Fit Influence the Effectiveness of Sports Sponsorship from the Perspective of Predictive Coding Theory: An Event-Related Potential (ERP)-Based Study.

Background/Objectives: With the rapid expansion of the global sports market, the significance of sports sponsorship has attracted growing attention. However, during the golden age of the sports industry's development in China, international sports brand giants such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour have rapidly captured a substantial share of the Chinese sports consumer market through their distinctive product designs and varied marketing strategies. This has resulted in a highly competitive environment for China's sports goods industry. Therefore, fostering the improved development of domestic sports brands has become a crucial issue deserving of thorough scholarly investigation. This study examines how consumers' differing levels of sports involvement and the degree of fit between the sponsoring brand and the sponsored event affect their cognitive and emotional responses to sports sponsorships. Methods: By employing Predictive Coding Theory and ERP (event-related potential) brainwave technology, this study delves into the psychological and neurobiological levels to analyze the impact of consumer sports involvement on the processing of sponsorship information. Results: The results indicate significant differences in cognitive and emotional responses between high-involvement and low-involvement consumers. Additionally, the fit between the sponsoring brand and the sponsored event also significantly affects consumers' cognitive and emotional responses. These differences stem from consumers' complex and sophisticated predictive coding models. Conclusions: This study not only provides scientific evidence for sports brands in selecting and executing sponsorship activities, but also offers new perspectives for evaluating and optimizing sponsorship effectiveness.

Competitive Marketing Vigilance and its Relationship to Social Persuasion Among a Sample of Sports Equipment Sales Representatives in Iraq

The rapid transformations that are taking place today and due to multiple factors, including modern technological development and intense competition between sports institutions at the local and global levels with the aim of controlling the sports market and achieving superiority, have put marketing representatives in difficult situations, and increasing pressure due to the demand of administrative officials in the field of sales to increase their sales and profits on the one hand, and on the other hand, the demand of sports consumers to satisfy their multiple and different needs and desires, in addition to the presence of competitors for the sports institution produced locally and globally. With high quality standards, the sports marketing job will face great and difficult challenges. The research aimed to identify the relationship between competitive marketing and social persuasion among a sample of sales representatives of sports teams in Iraq, whose number of representatives was (60) delegates randomly selected from the total community. The descriptive approach was used in the relational method of the relationship. Competitive marketing and social persuasion measures were distributed to the sample with the need to confirm the answer as an alternative, and once the answer was completed, the questionnaires were collected, audited and processed statistically using appropriate statistical means. The researcher found that: sales representatives are characterized by competitive marketing and have the ability to convince the social consumer of sports, the possession of representatives to a degree of competitive vigilance in marketing has a positive ethical relationship with their ability to convince the sports consumer socially. Therefore, the researcher recommends when choosing sales representatives the need to distinguish competitive marketing due to their role in convincing the consumer to buy.

Gender differences in the effects of nostalgia on conspicuous consumption and impulsive buying

PurposeThe current study investigated the relationship between nostalgia, conspicuous consumption, and impulse buying and compared gender differences in the effects of nostalgia on conspicuous consumption and impulse buying.Design/methodology/approachA total of 307 college students in western Singapore were recruited. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the scales and estimate model path coefficients. A multi-group analysis was conducted to test if the path coefficients in the research model varied across genders.FindingsThis study found that nostalgia had a positive influence on consumers’ conspicuous consumption, which in turn had a positive impact on their impulse buying of sport products. The results of the multi-group analysis also revealed significant differences across gender groups in that the impacts of nostalgia on conspicuous consumption and impulse buying were stronger for male consumers.Originality/valueThis study forges new ground by investigating the intricate dynamics among nostalgia, conspicuous consumption, and impulse buying in the context of sport. By delving into the relationships between them and exploring gender disparities in their effects, this study enhances our understanding of the pivotal role nostalgia plays in shaping consumer behavior in sport. In addition, the identification of gender-specific patterns underscores the significance of tailored marketing approaches for effectively engaging both male and female consumers. Overall, this study presents fresh perspectives that can inform the development of targeted marketing strategies for sport marketers and retailers aiming to optimize their offerings and promotional endeavors.

Study on the Trend of Sports Marketing Focusing on the Study of Watching Sports in Korea

Study on the Trend of Sports Marketing Focusing on the Study of Watching Sports in Korea

Content Promotion and Community Experience: Marketing Mechanisms and Paths for Outdoor Sports Products--The Case of Arc'teryx

In the post epidemic period, outdoor sports have become a new trend in sports, and the demand for outdoor sports products has also increased. Among the many outdoor sports brands, Arc'teryx stands out and becomes the new favourite of people who love outdoor sports. So how did Arc'teryx become a big hit in the highly competitive outdoor sports market, with sales rising year after year? Currently, there are few detailed analyses of the brand's marketing mechanism and path. Therefore, the theme of this paper is the marketing mechanism and path of outdoor sports products--Taking Arc'teryx as an example. The research method is mainly case study method, mainly focusing on content marketing, analysing how the brand attracts audiences and builds communities through content marketing. The study found that Arc'teryx content marketing helped its own positioning and accurately attracted target customers, and the community experience also strengthened the brand's connection with customers. However, there are also shortcomings: the brand has fewer offline shops nationwide than other outdoor brands, and not all of them have a unique environment like the first shop in Shanghai to attract customers to buy. Arc'teryx still needs to revise its marketing strategy when the outdoor trend goes out of fashion to ensure that sales continue to grow, attract more people to participate in outdoor activities, and also maintain the vitality of the community and its appeal to the outside world. However, there's no denying that other outdoor sports brands can learn from Arc'teryxs marketing.

Examining the Role of Sports Betting Marketing in Youth Problem Gambling.

Sports betting is becoming increasingly common among young people in the UK and Australia. There is a need to understand how the marketing of sports betting may influence risky and pathological gambling to inform policies aimed at reducing harm. This study examines whether sports betting advertising may predict problem gambling scores among young people, while accounting for non-marketing variables. We recruited 567 participants (53.1% male) aged 18-24 years from an online research panel. Participants were eligible if they had an active betting account and regularly bet on sports. We conducted a hierarchical regression analysis to examine whether four marketing-related measures (exposure to advertising, ad-driven betting decisions, use of betting inducements, and perceived susceptibility to betting inducements) could predict PGSI scores. We controlled for several demographic, psychological, and behavioural variables, including gender, gambling participation, spend per session, participation in in-play betting, normative beliefs about sports betting, and impulsivity. The study revealed that sports betting marketing was positively associated with PGSI scores after controlling for non-marketing variables. Significant marketing predictors included ad-driven betting decisions and perceived influence from betting inducements. Other significant predictors included participation in non-sports betting gambling activities, spend per session, involvement in in-play betting, and the impulsivity trait of negative urgency. Sports betting marketing appears to be implicated in young people's gambling problems. Specifically, young people who have gambling problems may be more likely to bet in response to advertising, and betting incentives may contribute to an intensification of their gambling behaviour. This study supports the implementation of regulations and restrictions on advertising as a measure to protect young problem gamblers.

Coping within the interstices of the neoliberal sports market: Using de Certeau to analyse the migration of African mixed martial arts fighters in South Africa

This paper focuses on African migrant mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters enrolled in the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), a leading MMA organization established in 2009 in South Africa. It highlights their precarious work and living conditions, which are counterbalanced by the promise of real but rare career possibilities. Drawing from Michel de Certeau’s conceptual framework – notably his concepts of strategies, tactics and lieu propre (proper place) – we analyse what it is to struggle, cope and sometimes thrive, as a migrant fighter in South Africa. We rely on 61 semi-structured interviews with 35 professional EFC fighters from four Sub-Saharan countries who migrated to South Africa. Our results highlight the various tactics – which rely on social networks, their bodily stature, fighting skills and EFC media presence – that fighters mobilize to cope with the hardships of migratory status and unstable work conditions. We thus reveal the dialectic power relations that tie fighters to promoters and contribute to understanding migrants’ work conditions in the neoliberal sports market. Our research highlights the need to move away from migrant athletes’ caricatured representations as silent and passive victims unaware of the mechanisms of oppression to a more dynamic understanding of power relations that takes coping mechanisms and career trajectories into account.

The Role of Digital Marketing in Promoting Sports Marketing：Taking the Changes in NBA Marketing Methods as An Example

The Role of Digital Marketing in Promoting Sports Marketing：Taking the Changes in NBA Marketing Methods as An Example

Effect of baseball stadium food service quality on outcome variables with emphasis on the moderating role of stadium atmosphere

PurposeWhile existing research has predominantly focused on the positive relationships between service quality and outcome variables, there has been limited investigation into the influence of food service quality on these variables or the moderating role of stadium atmosphere in the realm of sports marketing. This study aims to fill these gaps by examining the structural relationships between baseball stadium food quality, timeliness, satisfaction, and behavioral intention with an emphasis on the moderating effect of stadium atmosphere.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from spectators attending baseball games. This study established the validity of the measurement scale through confirmatory factor analysis, factor loadings, average variance extracted, and construct reliability using Cronbach’s alpha. In addition, this study employed structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation to examine positive relationships and mediating effects and used Jamovi statistical software to conduct moderation analysis.FindingsThe findings demonstrate the significant impacts of food quality on satisfaction and behavioral intention, the positive effects of timeliness on satisfaction and behavioral intention, and the notable influence of satisfaction on behavioral intention. Additionally, this study found that satisfaction partially mediates the aforementioned relationships and that stadium atmosphere moderates these pathways.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by addressing the impact of food service quality on outcome variables within sports marketing, an area that has received limited attention. Specifically, it examines how food quality and timeliness influence consumer satisfaction and behavioral intention. Furthermore, the study highlights the moderating role of stadium atmosphere, demonstrating its potential to enhance the relationship between food quality and consumer outcomes. These findings expand our understanding of consumer behavior in sports settings, offering practical strategies for team officials to enhance fan experiences. By diversifying menu options, optimizing concession operations, and collaborating with local vendors, team officials can significantly improve food service quality and create a more engaging stadium atmosphere.

Data-driven message optimization in dynamic sports media: an artificial intelligence approach to predict consumer response

ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data have the potential to promote advancement across various industries. Sport management and marketing have also significantly transformed due to rapid technological advances such as those in AI and big data analytics. Especially sports companies, however, are still underutilizing the potential of AI. At the same time, considering the existing sport marketing research, the effectiveness and optimization of dynamic marketing stimuli in dynamic sport media settings remains unclear. This study aims to assess the differences between two AI models’ predictive capabilities with and without access to consumers’ biometric data when forecasting the influence of game features on consumers’ responses. Academic theoretical models indicate that individual biometric features have a considerable influence on consumers’ responses; nevertheless, it remains impractical for companies to access these data concerning message effectiveness and ROI evaluation. Therefore, the study attempts to enhance the feasibility of message optimization for companies by trialing a real-time prediction derived from game features alone, exemplifying how much predictive capability is lost by non-available consumer data. Two supervised machine learning models (one initial, primarily theoretical based model; one adapted model due to available data) were trained to reanalyze large-scale eye tracking and game-related data, resulting in high predictive accuracy and appropriate applicability of the models. Both models were able to predict consumers’ responses with over 90% accuracy (initial model: 96%; adapted model: 94%). This study exemplifies AI usage in sport marketing and management, enabling companies to implement more effective marketing messages and strategies for their sponsorship based on real-time evaluation.

Sports Participants' Intentions to Use Digital Technology for Sports Participation: A Behavioral Reasoning Theory Perspective

The use of digital technology in sport is an inevitable trend, but the behavioral decision-making process of sport participants using digital technology for sport participation is unclear. This study used behavioral reasoning theory to develop and validate a theoretical model that analyses participants’ behavioral cognitive decision-making by considering both reasons for adoption and against adoption and in doing so, explains sport participants’ behavioral decision-making in using digital technology for sport participation, which is a theoretical extension of existing innovation frameworks in sport management and marketing. The study found that respondents’ reasons against adoption the use of digital technology for sport participation had a greater influence on their attitudes and behavioral intentions, with perceived hedonism and barriers to use being the dominant factors in the reason for adoption and against adoption, respectively, and participants’ values significantly influencing the reasons for adoption and against adoption the use of digital technology for sport participation. This study provides unique insights for developers and related marketing promoters of digital technology applications in sport, and in expanding the impacts associated with the use of digital technology in sport, it is necessary to clarify the reasons for adoption and against adoption, and to consider the values of the participants, so that the combination of digital technology and sport can better meet the actual needs of the participants.

The Relationship between Sports Events and Branding; A Symbiosis of Sports and Brand Marketing

Sports events are witnessed with number of sponsors. The sponsorship of sporting events results in the promotion of a certain brand in exchange. Various sports events attract masses of crowd not only in ground but also on various media. It gives marketers the option to target such large masses of people and turn them into patrons who are devoted to their brand. This study focuses on the relationship between sports event and sponsoring brands. Sponsorship of sports is a great way for a company to become more visible. The brand is exposed to a large audience on athletic stages and in the media by associating with a sporting event or team. Making the most of distribution channels, including press appearances, social media, television broadcasts, and stadium advertising, is crucial to maximizing this visibility. The study is of qualitative nature using in depth interviews. Findings of the study suggest that there exists a mutually beneficial relationship “symbiosis” between sports and sponsoring brands. In the conclusion, this study highlights the dynamic relationship between sports and brand marketing, highlighting the continued significance of sporting events as crucial platforms for consumer interaction and brand promotion in modern international marketplaces.

Document analysis of adaptive sport opportunities at Division-1 universities in the United States

BackgroundIndividuals with disabilities are less likely to participate in physical activity, with the greatest decline in participation during college years. Despite known health benefits, there are significant barriers that limit sport and exercise participation for students with disabilities, including adaptive access. To our knowledge, there has been no comprehensive review conducted to examine the number of adaptive sport offerings on a collegiate level. ObjectiveAssess the availability of adaptive sport opportunities for students at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division-1 Universities to better understand university-affiliated adaptive sport opportunity for students. MethodsWebsite document analysis was conducted by systematically querying the general homepage, athletics page, and campus recreation websites of each NCAA Division-1 University in the United States (US). Institutional and sport-related characteristics were recorded. ResultsOf the 358 NCAA Division-1 Universities, 20.4 % (73/358) marketed adaptive sport opportunities (recreational, club, and/or intercollegiate), with 3.9 % (11/358) acknowledging intercollegiate adaptive sport programs on their websites. Five percent (6/121) of private institutions, and 28.3 % (67/237) of public institutions reported adaptive sport opportunities. The Northeast region had the fewest number of institutions reporting adaptive sport offerings (4/67, 6.0 %). The most commonly offered sport was adaptive recreation (36/358, 10.2 %), followed by wheelchair basketball (26/358, 7.4 %). ConclusionOver three-quarters of Division-1 Universities in the US lack an online description of adaptive sport opportunity, highlighting the need for expanded resourcing and marketing of adaptive sport at the university level. Future studies are necessary to identify appropriate strategies to effectively promote sport, maximize participation and improve social inclusion.