Contents for SMQ Issue 21:1
| A Note from the SMA President, p. 3 Authors: Eric Schwarz |
| Abstract: As I enter the second year as President of the Sport Marketing Association, I am pleased to announce that the organization is continuing to grow and thrive! Our financial status is strong, and will allow for some new initiatives this year that will be beneficial for the membership. A new website is right around the corner. Plans are ongoing for our 10th Anniversary conference in Orlando this October—and plans are already underway for the next two conferences—2013 in Albuquerque and 2014 in Philadelphia. |
| Industry Insider: Ticket Sales and the NBA Lockout, pp. 4-6 Authors: Steve McKelvey |
| Abstract: An interview with Jeff Ianello, VP of sales of the Phoenix Suns, and Drew Cloud, VP of Sales/Service/Retention of Madison Square Garden Sport |
| Sport Participant Attitudes Toward Ambush Marketing: An Exploratory Study of ING New York City Marathon Runners, pp. 7-18 Authors: Steve McKelvey, Dennis Sandler, and Kevin Snyder |
| Abstract: Prior academic research studies have examined the practice of ambush marketing from the perspective of sporting event non-participants (e.g., spectators, viewers and general sport consumers).This exploratory study furthers the line of research into ambush marketing by assessing the attitudes of participants in a major sporting event toward the practice of ambush marketing. Specifically, the researchers surveyed a random sampling of runners who participated in the 2005 and the 2008 ING New York City Marathons. In contrast to the findings in prior studies of sporting event non-participants, this study found that survey respondents reported substantially more negative attitudes toward the practice of ambush marketing. This paper contributes to the sponsorship literature by providing implications for managers of participatory-based sporting events seeking to understand the impact and ramifications of ambush marketing. |
| Consumers from Emerging Markets: Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Global Sporting Brands, pp. 19-31 Authors: Chiyoung Kim and Bob Heere |
| Abstract: While consumers within emerging markets are the largest growth market for global sport apparel brands, relatively little is known about how they perceive these brands. These emerging markets have recently become consumer markets for Western brands, yet they initially served as producing nations. This study examined how this transition affected consumer perceptions on global sport apparel brands. Consumer behavior theories, such as the brand as “Western status symbol,” ethnocentrism, the country of origin effect, and the country of manufacturing effect were all incorporated within this exploration. Fifteen interviews were held with young adult consumers from both India and China. In contrast to previous studies, we suggest that these respondents view Western sport apparel brands favorably because they are seen as an instrument to express a global citizenship. Additionally, the international labor practices did not seem to directly harm the global brands, but they did diminish some of the utilitarian advantages the Western brands possessed. |
| Understanding the League Sport Participation Experience Utilizing the Critical Incident Technique, pp. 32-42 Authors: Brody J. Ruihley and T. Christopher Greenwell |
| Abstract: The aim of this paper is to identify service quality attributes of the sport participation experience that may be most influential to sport participants’ satisfaction (satisfiers) and dissatisfaction (dissatisfiers). Further, this study examined how these attributes may be different relative to the activity versus the service provider. Complaints and compliments relative to both the activity and the service provider were solicited and analyzed in order to gain a more thorough knowledge of the recreational customer’s service experience. A total of 1,010 complaints and compliments were collected from a sample of 396 league bowling participants through the use of an open-ended questionnaire. Compliments were often related to interpersonal or social factors, while complaints were most often related to structural or organizational issues. Convenience was cited much more often in relationship to the service provider than to the activity. |
| The Role of Mega-Sports Event Interest in Sponsorship and Ambush Marketing Attitudes, pp. 43-52 Authors: Eric MacIntosh, John Nadeau, Benoit Seguin, Norm O’Reilly, Cheri L. Bradish, and David Legg |
| Abstract: Sponsorship of mega-sports events continues to be one of the most popular forms of marketing. The international appeal and reach of the Olympic Games, in particular, is amongst the top advertising and sponsorship opportunities in the world for international branding. In turn, the marketing value provided by the Olympic Games has attracted the interest of multiple sponsors in various categories, leading to competitive hosting bids and ambush marketing. This study examined mega-sports event interest as a determinant of sponsorship and ambush marketing attitudes, as well as the purchase intention of affiliated properties during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. In total, 619 consumer surveys were collected from four different Canadian cities. Results showed that overall consumer interest was high, and that their purchase intention was strongly influenced by level of interest. |
| Time Out! Federal Court Decision Clarifies Ownership of Broadcast Rights in High School Sports Events, pp. 53-55 Authors: Barbara Osborne and Paul J. Batista |
| Abstract: Can the local newspaper simply show up at a post-season high school football game, set up a video camera and live stream the entire game on its website … all under the banner of the First Amendment? That was the crux of the issue in a federal court case decided this past summer (WIAA v. Gannett Co., 2011). At stake was the ability of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), the governing body for middle and high school athletics in the state of Wisconsin, to exclusively sell the video rights to its post-season tournament games. |
| Creating a Sonic Identity for the University of Houston, p. 56-63 Authors: Khalid Ballouli and Gregg Bennett |
| Abstract: On the red-eye flight from Ann Arbor to Houston, Noelle found she was the only passenger not sleeping soundly. The electric buzz from the previous day’s studio recording was still rippling through her body. Noelle had spent weeks in Ann Arbor consulting with the University of Michigan regarding a music strategy to help market Wolverine athletics. Last night, she witnessed the culmination of her project, as Michigan rock band Pop Evil recorded a final version of their song titled “Big House,” a tribute to the famed Michigan Stadium. In the studio, Noelle and her colleagues glossed over details regarding the launch of the song on iTunes and Amazon in the coming weeks. She also provided a detailed timeline of events where Pop Evil was scheduled to perform live at Wolverine events. During these final stages, Noelle is always reminded of the question posed by clients at the outset of each project: “We know what our brand is supposed to look like; we have a logo design. But what is our brand supposed to sound like?” Now, just hours from landing in Houston, Noelle began the process of answering this question for her next client, the University of Houston (UH) and Cougar athletics. |
