Contents for SMQ Issue 24:1
| SMQ 24:1 Authors: Stephen McKelvey, Matthew J. Bernthal, Todd Koesters, Khalid Ballouli, Matthew T. Brown, T. Christopher Greenwell, Meg Hancock, Jason M. Simmons, Dustin Thorn, Adam Karg, Heath McDonald, Geoff Schoenberg, Shaughan A. Keaton, Nicholas M. Watanabe, Christopher C. Gearhart, Damon Aiken, Ajay Sukhdial, Lynn Kahle, James A. Downing, and John Grady |
| Abstract: Sport Marketing Quarterly, Volume 24, No. 1, March 2015. |
| Industry Insider: John Doleva, pp. 3-5 Authors: Stephen McKelvey |
| Abstract: An interview with John Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Motivations and Fan Engagement Related to Professional Bass Fishing Spectatorship, pp. 6-18 Authors: Matthew J. Bernthal, Todd Koesters, Khalid Ballouli, and Matthew T. Brown |
| Abstract: The current research profiles professional bass fishing fans and examines the factors (motivations and fan engagement) underlying their fandom. Data were collected from fans attending two top-level professional bass fishing tournaments. Results showed that identifying with bass fishing as one’s favorite sport is positively related to spectating, as is to a lesser degree acquisition of knowledge and viewing pro anglers as role models for children. Other motivations such as aesthetics, drama/eustress, and vicarious achievement were found to be less important in their relationship to spectating. Results also indicate that fan engagement variables of fishing organization membership, participation in fantasy fishing sponsored by the tournament organization, having a favorite pro angler in the top-level tournament series, and amount of bass fishing done by fans are positively related to spectating behaviors, and that those fans engaged vs. unengaged in each of these four variables differ with regard to motivations related to spectating. |
| The Effects of Gender and Social Roles on the Marketing of Combat Sport, pp. 19-29 Authors: T. Christopher Greenwell, Meg Hancock, Jason M. Simmons, and Dustin Thorn |
| Abstract: As mixed martial arts (MMA) continues to grow, marketers are challenged with finding acceptable ways to market an inherently violent sport. The inclusion of women as participants further complicates the issue. In order to understand how violent MMA marketing messages may be perceived differently when female competitors are displayed in advertising rather than male competitors, attitude towards the ad was assessed using a series of six advertisements (2 fighter sex x 3 levels of violence) developed for a hypothetical mixed martial arts event. Findings suggest the sex of the fighter displayed in the picture does influence respondents’ attitudes toward the advertisement. Further, those attitudes were influenced by the respondent’s own sex and/or his/her perceptions of gendered social roles. |
| The Immediate Impact of Coach Succession on Season Ticket Holder Attitudes, pp. 30-42 Authors: Adam Karg, Heath McDonald, and Geoff Schoenberg |
| Abstract: This study is the first to examine the immediate impact that succession events (e.g., removal and hiring) involving head coaches have on season ticket holder (STH) attitudes like satisfaction and renewal intentions. Grounded within a customer equity framework, large-scale survey data from cases of two professional sport teams is presented showing STH attitudes directly before and after major succession events. The data shows that appointing a new coach was met with increases in positive attitudes toward almost every aspect of the STH experience, where the case of removing a coach had no meaningful impact on attitudes. The findings of these cases reaffirm the view that coach succession is a multiple-phase process including distinct stages of removal and replacement. While it is the desire for improved on-field performance that often motivates coach succession, our findings suggest the impact of succession activities on fans is more wide ranging, with significant implications for marketers who manage fan relationships. In guiding the management of a team’s fans, coach removal alone should not be relied upon to change attitudes or intentions toward a club. Appointing new leaders completes the cycle, increasing positive STH attitudes and, most importantly, giving an immediate lift to renewal likelihood. |
| A Comparison of College Football and NASCAR Consumer Profiles: Identity Formation and Spectatorship Motivation, pp. 43-55 Authors: Shaughan A. Keaton, Nicholas M. Watanabe, and Christopher C. Gearhart |
| Abstract: This research is a comparison of identification and motivation factors between sports with team as a point of attachment (college football) and sports with an individual athlete as a point of attachment (NASCAR). The results contribute to advancing our understanding of identity formation and spectator motivation. Geography and family were found to be important antecedents of college football team identification, while media influence drove consumer identification with NASCAR drivers. NASCAR sport consumers were prone to watch their sport casually, while college football sport consumers were influenced to watch their sport by the aesthetics of the game, and a relationship to other recreational activities such as tailgating. Findings help us to understand what specific factors play a role in individuals connecting with different types of sport symbols, but also have implications for the management, marketing, communications, and selling of sport and sport-related products. |
| Linking Fan Values and Sponsorship Effectiveness: The Case of Old School Values, pp. 56-66 Authors: Damon Aiken, Ajay Sukhdial, Lynn Kahle, and James A. Downing |
| Abstract: Values have been defined as closely held beliefs that play a major role in guiding behaviors and influencing attitudes. Previous researchers have noted that a key objective of sponsorship-linked marketing is to create strong and lasting values-based connections between fans and sponsors and has called for new research examining such fan-to-sponsor connections. The current work is the first to answer this call by providing a foundational investigation into the relationship between Old School values and varied aspects of sponsorship effectiveness. Two studies were conducted using return-mail exit surveys, one at an NCAA men’s collegiate basketball game and another at a professional hockey match. The authors conclude, based on the findings, that fans do embrace Old School values and that those embracing such values have significantly higher sponsorship recognition rates and predominantly more positive perceptions of sponsors. The work also investigates a proposed positive relationship between Old School values and team identification levels. Lastly, the work uncovers some significant demographic differences. |
| You Agreed to What? Implications of Past Agreements Between Donors and Athletic Support Groups, pp. 67-69 Authors: Todd Koesters, Matthew T. Brown, and John Grady |
| Abstract: There is very little argument today that college athletics as a whole is big business, with the NCAA generating almost $1 billion annually in revenues (Alesia, 2014). More than 80% of this revenue is generated by the men’s championship basketball tournament alone. NCAA Division I-FBS football, which operates under its new playoff system utilizing the current bowl system, generates even more money for the “Power 5” conferences. As a result, the 15 highest grossing athletic departments combined to generate revenues in excess of $1 billion (Morgan, n.d.). These revenues have led to a dramatic rise in new construction projects on college campuses with regard to athletic facilities. |
