Contents for SMQ Issue 24:2

SMQ whole issue 24:1
Authors: Stacey Allaster, A. Sassenberg, Beth A. Cianfrone, James Zhang, Brenda Pitts, Kevin K. Byon, Masayuki Yoshida, Brian Gordon, Bob Heere, Jeffrey D. James, Ben Larkin, James T. Reese, and Mark A. Dodds
Abstract: Sport Marketing Quarterly, Volume 24, No. 2, June 2015

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View from the Field: Stacey Allaster, pp. 75-77
Authors: Stacey Allaster
Abstract: This article is adapted from Stacey Allaster’s Mark H. McCormack Innovators Lecture delivered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on April 7, 2015.

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Effects of Sport Celebrity Transgressions: An Exploratory Study, pp. 78-90
Authors: A. Sassenberg
Abstract: This paper has developed a conceptual model that has been based on the perceptions of consumers about the impact of different types of sport celebrity transgressions (SCTs) on their sport celebrity brand image. Focus group results have indicated that when SCTs ensue, consumers may have a positive attitude towards the sport-related brand attributes, while at the same time a negative attitude towards the non-sport-related brand attributes. Furthermore, SCTs seemed to impact negatively on consumers’ attitudes towards both the symbolic and experiential brand benefits. Findings showed consumers indicated positive emotional responses to some on-field SCTs. These findings have shown that the type of SCT may influence the impact of an SCT on the sport celebrity brand image.

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Identifying Key Market Demand Factors Associated with High School Basketball Tournaments, pp. 91-104
Authors: Beth A. Cianfrone, James Zhang, Brenda Pitts, and Kevin K. Byon
Abstract: High school sports are popular in the United States and the associated state championships are often publicized, well-attended special events providing an economic impact on host communities. Understanding attendees, particularly those variables affecting market demand for high-profile interscholastic sporting events, would help athletic directors and state associations improve marketing efforts. Through an abridged adoption of the Theory of Reason Action, this study was conducted to develop a consumer profile of high school tournament spectators by understanding their sociodemographic characteristics and market demand variables. Based on a review of literature, we identified four market demand factors to influence attendance (Event Attractiveness, Economic Consideration, Local Attractiveness, and Venue Accessibility) and studied high school regional basketball tournament attendees (N = 647). The factors were tested in a confirmatory factor analysis and t-tests and general linear model found three of the factors influenced attendance, while one influenced economic spending.

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Fan Community Identification: An Empirical Examination of Its Outcomes in Japanese Professional Sport, pp. 105-119
Authors: Masayuki Yoshida, Brian Gordon, Bob Heere, and Jeffrey D. James
Abstract: Understanding why sport fans socially interact with other fans, participate in team-related discussions, recruit new members, and retain membership in sport fan communities is an important issue for sport marketers. In this study, we tested a model of fan community identification that included outcome and moderator variables in the contexts of two major professional sport leagues (soccer and baseball) in Japan. Based on the results, in both settings, fan community identification had positive effects on team brand equity and four fan community-related consequences: fan community engagement, customized product use, member responsibility, and positive word-of-mouth. Furthermore, the impact of team brand equity on positive word-of-mouth was strengthened by consumers’ participation in fan loyalty programs. The theoretical model and results add new insights that advance our understanding of fans’ collective feelings of friendship and camaraderie in sport fan communities.

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An Examination of Fantasy Sport Participation Motives and Substitution versus Attendance Intention, pp. 120-133
Authors: Ben Larkin
Abstract: Fantasy sport users have been shown to exhibit both heightened sport media consumption (Drayer, Shapiro, Dwyer, Morse, & White, 2010, Dwyer, Shapiro, & Drayer, 2011), and a greater propensity to attend live events (Drayer et al., 2010; Shipman, 2001). Therefore, it seems something of a paradox has emerged, whereby fantasy sport participation has been suggested to result in greater substitution through media (e.g., Pritchard & Funk, 2006), and yet it has been suggested that fantasy sport users attend more events. Accordingly, this study applied cognitive evaluation theory to determine whether an individual’s sport consumption patterns differ depending on their motives for fantasy sport participation. Results indicated that those explicitly motivated to participate in fantasy sport showed a significant intention to consume sport events at home, while those who were both implicitly motivated and highly identified with their favorite team were significantly more likely to attend live.

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Let’s Here It for the Home Team: Williams v. National Football League Upholds Geographic Ticket Sales Ban, pp. 134-136
Authors: James T. Reese and Mark A. Dodds
Abstract: In March 2015, a marketing executive for the Atlanta Falcons was fired and the team was penalized by the National Football League (NFL) Commissioner’s office for piping artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome during home games (“Falcons Fined,” 2015). It is just the latest example of the lengths to which professional sports teams will go in seeking to gain a competitive advantage by creating a more hostile environment for visiting teams.

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