Contents for SMQ Issue 27:1
| SMQ 27:1 Authors: Mark Nagel, Jami Lobpries, Gregg Bennett, Natasha Brison, Nicholas Burton, Kevin Snyder, and Steve McKelvey, Samuel H. Schmidt, Megan B. Shreffler, Marion E. Hambrick, and Brian S. Gordon, Joris Drayer, Stephen L. Shapiro, and Brendan Dwyer |
| Abstract: Sport Marketing Quarterly, Volume 27, No. 1, March 2018. |
| Industry Insider: Tim Clark Authors: Mark Nagel |
| Abstract: An interview with Tim Clark. Managing Director, Digital Platform at NASCAR |
| How I Perform is Not Enough: Exploring Branding Barriers Faced by Elite Female Athletes Authors: Jami Lobpries, Gregg Bennett, Natasha Brison |
| Abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the perceived barriers elite female athletes face attempting to create a personal brand. Utilizing a criterion purposive sample of elite female athletes and agents who represent elite female athletes, the authors employed a qualitative analysis to obtain a rich understanding of the barriers elite female athletes grapple with regarding branding initiatives. Two central categories, with five broad themes, emerged from the literature review, theoretical underpinning, subsequent research questions, and data analysis on perceived barriers in the brand building process for these elite female athletes and their agents. These themes were identified as being bold and assertive, assumption attractiveness matters, performance and something else, invisible and lacking, and proper brand management. These findings add to the extant literature by identifying specific barriers that arise when seeking to build and manage the female athlete brand. |
| The Evolution of Media Reporting of Ambush Marketing Authors: Nicholas Burton, Kevin Snyder, and Steve McKelvey |
| Abstract: This study examines the representation of ambush marketing in news media in an eff ort to determine how ambush marketing discourse has evolved as practices have grown in sophistication, strategy, and acceptance. Historically, much of the discussion and debate surrounding ambushing has been led by commercial rights holders who have engendered a fundamentally parasitic, pejorative view of ambushing–a bias that has informed and influenced both practitioner and academic perspectives of ambush marketing. The findings of this study shed new light on a progressive evolution in ambush marketing discourse and coverage across news and trade publications. A defined shift in the tone and perspective of ambush marketing media representation is apparent, suggesting a greater acceptance of ambushing in the popular and industry presses, and diminished influence on the part of commercial rights holders. |
| An Experimental Examination of Activist Type and Effort on Brand Image and Purchase Intentions Authors: Samuel H. Schmidt, Megan B. Shreffler, Marion E. Hambrick and Brian S. Gordon |
| Abstract: In 2016, several prominent athletes kneeled or sat during the national anthem of their games to protest social injustice in America. For their activism, these athletes inconsistently experienced both positive and negative consequences from their sponsors and fans. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate this phenomenon more closely by examining the effect of activism type and activism eff ort on a sponsor’s brand image and purchase intention of a product the athlete endorses, when controlling for brand familiarity. Participants (N = 384) were randomly assigned into groups in a 2 (activism type: safe, risky) x 2 (activism eff ort: low, high) experimental study. Results indicated brand image and purchase intention were negatively impacted by risky activism compared to safe activism, but activism eff ort had no effect on the two variables. Further implications and future research are expanded upon in the discussion. |
| Worth the Price of Admission? The Mediating Effect of Perceived Value on Ticket Purchase Intention Authors: Joris Drayer, Stephen L. Shapiro and Brendan Dwyer |
| Abstract: Despite the high levels of team identification associated with many sport fans, previous research has established that even these consumers must be enticed with offers that are perceived to be good values before making a purchase. The current study examined three key areas related to perceived value in a spectator sport setting. First, we tested and confirmed the mediating effect of perceived value on the relationship between team identification and purchase intention in the context of sport event tickets. Second, we examined search intention as a behavioral outcome in an environment (i.e., the Internet) where searching for alternative products is commonplace as online search costs are especially low. Finally, in an effort to further understand the concept of perceived value, we examined the use of the contingent valuation method as a means to measure consumers’ perceived value. |
| Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Half-Baked Sponsorship Yields Valuable Lessons Authors: Jonathan A. Jensen and Barbara Osborne |
| Abstract: Nature’s Bakery (NB), a company that had never invested in sport sponsorship before, signed a three-year, $45.63 million sponsorship agreement with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2015. Despite initial optimism between the new partners, by June 2016, the relationship began to erode. In January 2017, NB sent a letter of termination to SHR for violating the agreement. SHR responded by filing a lawsuit against NB for breach of contract, and NB fought back with counterclaims of their own. After airing their differences in the press and in court documents, the parties eventually settled the case in late May, 2017. While the settlement does not establish legal precedent, the public records generated through the dispute between SHR and sponsor Nature’s Bakery provide a rare insight into the closely-guarded inner workings of a failed major sport sponsorship. |
