Contents for SMQ Issue 21:4
| SMQ21-4 entire Authors: Gregg Bennett, Nancy Lough, Steve McKelvey, Andrea N. Eagleman, Brian D. Krohn, Mya Pronschinske, Mark D. Groza, Matthew Walker, Patrick Walsh, Seungbum Lee, Blaine T. Uhlman, Galen T. Trail, Jonathan Goins, Denise Linda Parris, Joris Drayer, Stephen L. Shapiro |
| Abstract: This is the entire issue in PDF format that you can download. |
| A Note from the SMA President, p. 203 Authors: Gregg Bennett |
| Abstract: It was good to see everyone in Orlando. It seems like the Sport Marketing Association (SMA) has come a long way over the past decade. It also appears that our organization is very healthy. Of course, Dr. Eric Schwarz should be credited with working so hard to make the organization viable and healthy across the past three years. Eric cares very deeply about SMA, our mission, and philosophy and he has worked with dogged determination to make sure that the organization continues to grow and thrive. He has pushed, sometimes even shoved, all of us to work hard to make SMA a successful organization. Like all of us, I am very thankful for his service and commitment to SMA. |
| Editor’s Note, pp. 204-205 Authors: Nancy Lough |
| Abstract: This final issue of 2012 marks a time for change. Perhaps it is fitting to focus on impending transitions for Sport Marketing Quarterly (SMQ), in view of the monumental transformations that have occurred in sport this year. Given my personal area of scholarly interest is women’s sport, I find it suitable to reflect on the following key events. |
| Industry Insider: Action Sports Execs, pp. 206-209 Authors: Steve McKelvey |
| Abstract: Over the past decade, few individuals have had a greater impact and influence on the action sports industry than Wade Martin and Bill Carter. |
| Sponsorship Awareness, Attitudes, and Purchase Intentions of Road Race Series Participants, pp. 210-220 Authors: Andrea N. Eagleman and Brian D. Krohn |
| Abstract: In light of the economic recession, the sport of running has remained strong in the United States, experiencing growth in participation, number of races, and apparel sales (Running USA, 2010). Because this sport grew during a period of otherwise economic decline, and because sponsors are often vital to the existence of road races, the researchers sought to examine sponsor recognition, attitudes toward sponsors, and purchase intentions of road race series participants and to examine differences in these variables based on demographics, level of identification with the series, and usage of the series website and/or Facebook page. No significant differences existed between respondents based on demographics, but several significant differences were found based on level of identification with the series, indicating that those more highly identified were able to correctly identify more sponsors, had a more positive attitude toward sponsors, and indicated a greater intent to purchase from sponsors. |
| Attracting Facebook “Fans”: The Importance of Authenticity and Engagement as a Social Networking Strategy for Professional Sport Teams, pp. 221-231 Authors: Mya Pronschinske, Mark D. Groza, and Matthew Walker |
| Abstract: Given the availability and usage of social network sites (SNS), professional sport teams are drawn to this medium as a way to reach new and foster existing fan relationships. Despite the ubiquity of social media, however, little empirical research is available on how Facebook page attributes, and other SNS strategies, influence user participation. Grounded in the relationship marketing framework, the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the page attributes found on team Facebook pages and user (i.e., fan) participation. An econometric model is developed and tested to determine the impact of page attributes on the number of Facebook ‘fans’ from a census sample of 114 professional sport teams. Results indicate that page attributes signaling authenticity and user engagement have the greatest impact on attracting and maintaining a Facebook fan base. |
| Development of a Brand Extension Decision-Making Model for Professional Sport Teams, pp. 232-242 Authors: Patrick Walsh and Seungbum Lee |
| Abstract: The introduction and management of brand extensions continues to represent a popular strategy for professional sport teams as they provide an additional touch point between the fans and the team, and have the ability to have a positive impact on revenue. While the introduction of extensions could lead to positive results for teams, if they fail they could potentially damage overall team brand equity. As such, it is important for sport managers to have a process that fills in the gaps from conceptualization to launch to ensure brand extension success and limit potential dilution to team brand equity. Utilizing previous theoretical and applied research on brand extensions the Team Brand Extension Decision- Making Model (TBEDMM) is proposed. |
| An Analysis of the Motivators of Seattle Sounders FC Season Ticket Holders: A Case Study, pp. 243-252 Authors: Blaine T. Uhlman and Galen T. Trail |
| Abstract: The Seattle Sounders FC took Major League Soccer by storm in its inaugural season of 2009. The club led the league in attendance, won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy, and clinched a playoff berth. The team’s success was attributed in part to its rabid fan base, which routinely sold out its 30,000-seat venue and nearly doubled the league attendance average. How was it that an expansion franchise was able to garner such immediate, fervent support, while original franchises with well-established fan bases struggled? This case study sought to supplement the limited current literature regarding the motivating factors of American soccer fans. Through a survey of first- and second- year season ticket purchasers and the use of SEM analysis, the relationships among sport attachment, attachment to community, the need for vicarious achievement, team identification, and fan superiority were examined. Results indicated that although similar across most relationships, sport attachment predicted team identification in those individuals who bought season tickets for the first time in the second year of the team’s existence, whereas there was no significant relationship between those two variables in those fans who bought during the first year. |
| Jordan v. Jewel Food Stores, Inc.: Do the Shoes Make the Man?, p. 253-255 Authors: Jonathan Goins |
| Abstract: Michael Jeffrey Jordan. MJ. Air Jordan. No. 23. Six-time NBA Champion. Six-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Five-time NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year. Ten-time NBA scoring champion. Naismith College Player of the Year. Two-time Olympic gold medalist. NBA Hall of Famer. Who would not want to pay homage to arguably the greatest player in NBA history? In tribute to Jordan’s induction into the Hall of Fame, a grocery store’s advertisement tried to do just that. |
| Developing a Pricing Strategy for the Los Angeles Dodgers, p. 256-264 Authors: Denise Linda Parris, Joris Drayer, and Stephen L. Shapiro |
| Abstract: Blame it on the weather? Or the economy? Even if these factors play a role in game day attendance, Larry knew there was a much bigger story behind the empty seats at Dodger Stadium. In 2011, the Los Angeles Dodgers averaged 36,236 fans per game, dropping from 43,979 in 2010 and 46,440 in 2009, an overall loss of about 10,000 fans per game in just two years (Baseball-Reference.com, 2012). In 2011, The Dodgers’ attendance ranking fell from first to eleventh in Major League Baseball (MLB), which amounted to a loss of over 800,000 tickets sold per year, as well as the resulting revenue from concessions and parking. These numbers, in addition to being surpassed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in attendance for the first time in history, put Larry in quite a predicament. As Marketing Director of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Larry wondered how he could bring fans back to the ball park. |
