Sonic branding in sport: A model for communicating brand identity through musical fit

The psychological and sociological dynamics of sport participation and sport spectatorship are presaged by and captured in the production and consumption of music. Yet, despite its ubiquity in organized sport, as well as its widely acknowledged significance in our contemporary social realities, few studies in sport marketing have examined the formative role of music in affecting sport consumer behaviour. As such, the field seemingly lacks theoretical and methodological direction in dealing with music as a means of effective marketing communication. Research is needed to inform academics and practitioners about the appropriate use and potential outcomes of music in sport marketing contexts. In this paper, the authors review current literature concerning the role of music in marketing and propose a conceptual framework for analyzing music in various sport marketing contexts using classical and modern theoretical approaches.     

Examining the antecedents of sport team brand equity: A dual-identification perspective

Although the practice of building brand equity in the context of professional sport teams is popular, the formation of sport team brand equity in the sport marketing literature is still relatively unknown and incompletely understood. In this study, the authors propose a dual-identification model to examine the formation of sport team brand equity in an Asia-based professional team sport setting. Baseball fans (N = 548) of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan participated in the self-administered survey. A Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model analysis revealed that marketplace characteristics (including group experience, salient experience, team history, and fan rituals) and brand-identified-related factors (including self-congruity and team brand prestige) were significantly related to identification with sport team and identification with sport team brand, respectively. In turn, both identification with sport team and identification with sport team brand were significant predictors of sport team brand equity. These findings highlight the importance of studying a dual-identification model in order to understand how sport team brand equity forms and suggest implications for sport team managers.     

大型体育赛事提升城市品牌的路径研究

基于城市外部顾客的视角,分析了大型体育赛事提升城市品牌的路径.认为大型体育赛事申办阶段可以通过城市特色资源展示、申办口号选择和举办各类民众活动等方式提升城市品牌的知名度;在赛事推广阶段可以通过以赛事宣传为主,以城市宣传为辅,实现体育赛事与城市的完美结合,并通过各类赛事巡展活动扩大城市品牌认知度;在赛事举办阶段可以通过城市品牌软、硬环境体验和赛事观赏的间接体验等方式塑造城市品牌的美誉度;在赛事收尾阶段可以通过口碑效应提高城市品牌的忠诚度.     

Effects of the Big Five personality dimensions on appraisal coping,and coping effectiveness in sport

Abstract

In this study, we examined the influence of the Big Five personality dimensions (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience) on the appraisal (intensity, control) of a self-selected stressor, coping, and perceived coping effectiveness. Participants were 482 athletes (305 males, 177 females) who played a variety of sports. Results indicate that the Big Five dimensions influenced coping selection, coping effectiveness, stress intensity, and perceived control of the stressors, but not the type of self-selected stressor. In particular, Neuroticism predicted higher stressor intensity and Agreeableness lower stressor intensity. Neuroticism predicted lower perceived stressor control and Conscientiousness higher perceived stressor control. Higher levels of Neuroticism were directly and indirectly associated with more emotion and avoidance coping strategies and less problem-focused coping strategies. The other four personality dimensions were also associated with the selection of coping strategies that were perceived to be effective. This study provides support for the notion that the Big Five personality dimensions directly influence appraisal, coping, and coping effectiveness among the sample. Coping was also influenced indirectly by personality through the appraisal process. The Neuroticism dimension was found to be associated with the selection of less adaptive coping strategies and lower levels of reported coping effectiveness. The other four personality dimensions were associated with more adaptive coping strategies that were rated as effective.     

Strategic alliances in sport tourism: National sport organisations and sport tour operators

This qualitative case study provides a sport-oriented perspective of sport tourism. It examines a strategic alliance between an Australian national sport organisation (NSO), the Australian Rugby Union (ARU), and a sport tour operator (STO), FanFirm. The study contributes insights into how NSOs can facilitate and develop sport tourism for major events through alliances with STOs. Findings indicate that by collaborating with the STO, the ARU accrued a range of intangible and financial benefits, which in turn provided an impetus for ongoing maintenance of the strategic alliance. In addition, the alliance was perceived to deliver advantages beyond the NSO–STO nexus, with rugby fans and host governments of rugby events also benefiting. The study demonstrates that sport organisations can play a role in maximising the tourism outcomes of major events and also suggests that smaller-scale, ‘bottom-up’ cross-sector alliances can contribute to maximising tourism outcomes of major sport events.     

Creating fans from scratch: A qualitative analysis of child consumer brand perceptions of a new sport team

When a new sport team enters an existing league, branding becomes an important tool the team uses to establish itself and gain a following within the community. Previous research on new sport teams has focused on adult attachment and formation of fan communities, but few researchers have focused on children learning to value brands and branding techniques. Through this study, the authors examine the aspects of branding efforts, specifically branded imagery and associations, that children find important, relevant, and representative of a new sport team. A drawing contest for children ages 5–14 enrolled in public schools executed in conjunction with a local single-A baseball team after their inaugural season revealed many brand associations traditionally tied to adult fans of both new and established sport teams were irrelevant to the child participants included in this study. Branded imagery was also not used by any participants before the age of 7, extending current research on branding and child development to highlight the lack of effectiveness of branding on children younger than 7. Further findings are also discussed.     

Exploring sport brand development strategies to strengthen consumer involvement with the product – The case of the Australian A-League

The branding of sport leagues represents an emergent area of scholarship. The current research capitalised on an opportunity to explore the strategies sport leagues can implement to develop their brand and consequently better satisfy their consumers. The Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) was used to guide the examination of sport brand development strategies recommended by consumers of a sport league. Mixed method data were collected from football consumers in Australia (N = 230). Seven themes were uncovered through qualitative content analysis representing three brand development strategies – market penetration, market development and product development. The study contributes to sport management literature by (1) identifying strategies that can be used to position sport brands; (2) indicating how these strategies may be used to influence consumers’ brand associations; (3) demonstrating the close brand relationship between leagues and their clubs and (4) enhancing market research sampling knowledge. The study also provides sport managers with strategic brand management directions.     

Old and exciting? Sport sponsorship effects on brand age and brand personality

Brand managers often use sport sponsorship to position a brand in terms of human-like personality traits (e.g., exciting or sophisticated) and demographic characteristics (e.g., young or masculine). Yet, little is known why, how, and under which conditions such associations transfer from a sport property to a sponsor brand. The present study introduces spontaneous trait transference as a mechanism and explicates that its properties can account for such associative transfer effects in typical sport sponsorship contexts with unintentional exposure and limited control. Two experiments show that, consistent with spontaneous trait transference predictions, (a) sport sponsorship transfers only the sponsored sports’ focal traits (but no general evaluative halo) to the sponsors, (b) spontaneous trait transfer occurs for both sport personality and age traits largely independent from each other, and (c) transfer effects occur for unfamiliar brands, but also (to a lesser extent) for familiar brands. Practical implications of these findings for the selection of sponsorship properties, the design of sponsorship communication, and for targeting specific consumer segments with appropriate sponsorships are discussed.     

论城市体育品牌塑造

体育运动与城市发展有着密不可分的联系,城市体育品牌塑造是经营城市理念的延伸,是提高城市竞争力的有效途径。本文以品牌塑造理论为基础,从城市体育品牌及其塑造的涵义、过程和策略三个方面论述了城市体育品牌塑造。研究表明:城市体育品牌塑造包括内外部环境考察、城市体育品牌的定位、设计、营销和管理五个环节,可采取优化城市体育品牌塑造环境,成立城市体育品牌塑造管理机构,培养城市体育品牌管理专业人才,推广和传播城市体育文化四个方面的塑造策略。     

Mind games: The inclusion of trivia as a sport in the Pan Pacific Masters Games

This case follows Shane Walters, who was successful in his proposal to have trivia included as a sport in the Pan Pacific Masters Games. Shane is now tasked with planning, programming, and delivering a sport programme, as well as marketing the programme to potential participants. The case is particularly relevant for courses that cover event planning, event marketing, and event tourism. The case is applicable to both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.     

An investigation of the five-factor model of personality and coping behaviour in sport

Abstract

Coping strategies are important for performance in sport and individual differences may contribute to the coping strategies adopted by athletes. In this study, we explored the main and interactive effects of the big five personality dimensions on sport-related coping and compared personality profiles of discrete groups of athletes. Altogether, 253 athletes (mean age 21.1 years, s = 3.7) completed the NEO-FFI (Costa & McCrae, 1992 Costa, P. T. and McCrae, R. R. 1992. Revised NEO personality inventory and NEO five-factor inventory: Professional manual, Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.  [Google Scholar]), and the Coping Function Questionnaire for Sport (Kowalski & Crocker, 2001 Kowalski, K. C. and Crocker, P. R. E. 2001. Development and validation of the Coping Function Questionnaire for adolescents in sport. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 23: 136–155. [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Results showed that extraverted athletes, who were also emotionally stable and open to new experiences (a three-way interaction effect), reported a greater use of problem-focused coping strategies. Conscientious athletes (main effect), and athletes displaying high levels of extraversion, openness, and agreeableness (a three-way interaction effect), reported a greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies, and athletes with low levels of openness, or high levels of neuroticism (main effects), reported a greater use of avoidance coping strategies. Different personality characteristics were observed between higher-level and lower-level athletes, between men and women athletes, and between individual and team sport athletes. These findings suggest that the five-factor model of personality can help distinguish various levels of athletic involvement and can help identify the coping strategies athletes are likely to adopt during participation.     

Introducing branded communities in sport for building strong brand relations in social media

Brand communities have become an important aspect for brand management in social media. However, many brands have failed to establish a successful online brand community. In this study, we introduce branded communities as an alternative concept to brand communities. In contrast to brand communities, a branded community does not revolve around a specific (sport) brand, but around any interest or need. However, a specific brand makes use of the community for marketing purposes by sponsoring or operating the community. We emphasize the suitability of sport as an interest around which branded communities can be built as well as links of branded communities to sport sponsorship. We empirically studied the factors which influence the success of this phenomenon and the effects of operating or sponsoring such a community for a brand by using an online survey (N = 501) of members of a branded online community relating to football. The results demonstrate the relevance of topic interest (i.e., identification and involvement with football) and the quality of the community as determinants of interest in and loyalty towards a branded community. The brand owner benefits from an increase in brand loyalty for those community members who are aware of the brand as the operator of the community, whereby awareness of this sponsorship does not decrease loyalty towards the community. Our research contributes to previous knowledge by proving that branded communities are both an effective means for companies to deploy sponsorship and branding strategies in social media and provide a promising opportunity for sport managers to generate value.     

Market reactions to sport sponsorship announcements: Comparison between sponsors and their rivals

In this study, the authors investigate the impact of sport sponsorship announcements on the stock prices of sponsors and their rivals in Japan. The event study analyses show that while market reactions for Japanese sponsors are significantly positive, those for rivals are significantly negative. Thus, in Japan, sponsorships might help sponsors build a competitive advantage over their rivals. During 2010–2014, market reactions for sponsors are significantly more negative but less so when the sponsored party is Japanese.     

Volunteerism and volunteer management in sport

This article reflects on existing research examining volunteerism and volunteer management in sport from individual, institutional, multi-level, and policy perspectives. The overview reveals that a substantial body of knowledge has been generated, particularly on the individual perspective and, to a lesser extent, on the institutional perspective. Existing studies from the individual perspective have mainly examined antecedents and experiences of volunteers in sport organizations and at sport events, focusing on topics such as motivation, commitment, and satisfaction, while consequences of volunteerism have attracted less research. On the institutional perspective, research efforts have focused on topics such as recruitment and retention of volunteers and performance management. Studies taking a multi-level perspective give indications about how the institutional or community context affects volunteerism and volunteer management. From a policy perspective, research has mainly looked at challenges for volunteerism resulting from policy implementation and the monetary value of voluntary work. The overview also reveals that many studies have examined the mass of volunteers in general or volunteers in leading positions, while other groups of volunteers, such as voluntary coaches and referees, have attracted less research. After reflecting on topics examined and key findings, the article provides suggestions for future research within each perspective, ensuring that all perspectives and groups of volunteers are attended to.     

Explaining attendance through the brand community triad: Integrating network theory and team identification

In this study, the authors empirically test a model of sport behaviour that integrates both team identification and a network theory approach to understand attendance at intercollegiate ice hockey games. Grounded within the brand community triad, ego network data were collected among attendees to measure the fan-to-fan connections that constitute the horizontal relationships of brand community participants. Additionally, a multidimensional team identification measure was used to illustrate the vertical relationship between individual and team. Both measures were included in a structural equation model to test how both fan-to-fan and fan-team relationships explain attendance. The results from the model support the salience of both dimensions of the brand community triad, suggesting that understanding sport fan behaviour necessitates including both psychological and structural elements of behaviour. Future suggestions for extending the study of sport fans through structural networks are discussed.     

2014年青奥会对南京城市品牌营销提升研究

采用文献资料法、访谈法等,结合2014年南京青奥会对南京城市品牌营销问题进行探讨。结果表明:南京青奥会有利于提高南京城市国际影响力,增进国际化文化交流,提升南京城市文明,有利于拉动消费,促进南京城市经济发展;有利于南京城市现代化服务水平的提升,提高南京城市的美誉度;有利于提升南京城市在国内外的知名度,增强其城市间的竞争力。     

Consumer experience quality: A review and extension of the sport management literature

Over the last two decades, the number of studies examining the roles of the core sport product, ancillary services, social interactions among consumers, and relationship marketing programs in the sport context has grown. However, it is also true that these topics have been advanced in many independent research endeavors depending on the touch points (e.g., sport, service, social, and communication encounters) being assessed. To integrate this body of research with sport consumer behavior, the purpose of this conceptual paper, which represents a contribution to the 20th anniversary of Sport Management Review (SMR), is to introduce the construct of consumer experience quality as consisting of four important dimensions – core product, service, social network, and relationship investment quality – into the sport management literature. In order to explain the utility of the proposed construct in the sport context, this article presents an integrative conceptual framework that draws on multiple theories and bodies of literature. A series of propositions are offered to not only understand the role of consumer experience quality in sport consumer decision-making, but also to specify the conditions under which sport consumers are more likely to be satisfied with the core sport product and ancillary services, feel and behave in response to brand-related stimuli, and engage in both transactional and non-transactional behaviors. The paper concludes that future research should be directed at testing the propositions offered in the conceptual framework.     

The effect of familiarity on associated sponsor and event brand attitudes following negative celebrity endorser publicity

This research examined how familiarity with a brand influences how negative publicity related to a celebrity endorser is perceived. Specifically, the current research determined if familiarity with event and sponsor brands may temper any negative consequences of being linked with negative celebrity endorser publicity. Two studies were conducted to investigate this aim. Study 1 (n = 136) used unfamiliar brands and indicated attitudes towards the selected sponsor and the event brands were significantly reduced after negative publicity surrounding an associated celebrity endorser emerged. In contrast, individuals not exposed to negative publicity did not report reduced attitude scores. Study 2 (n = 272) used unfamiliar and familiar brands and found that negative publicity surrounding celebrity endorsers has the capacity to weaken attitudes towards associated event and sponsor brands. However, any negative impact was tempered by an individual's familiarity with the respective brand, indicating brand familiarity has a moderating effect on brand attitudes within the sports marketplace. This research furthers understandings related to sport sponsorship theory by assessing the role of brand familiarity in tempering information transference. Additionally, the paper provides insights to the events category which has not been researched previously. Brand managers can use this information to develop proactive and reactive strategies to employ to protect their brands when celebrity endorsers attract negative publicity.     

The role of sport in community capacity building: An examination of sport for development research and practice

Population health promotion and preventing disease remain important global policy goals. Because of the complex nature of health, and the recognition of the limits of individual-oriented health promotion strategies, recent decades have seen increased interest by public health researchers and practitioners in community-level approaches to health promotion. Increasingly, community-level approaches have been based upon the theoretical concept of community capacity. Community capacity is seen as a critical mechanism for supporting and promoting community-level health and through the sport for development (SFD) model, there is evidence of sport being an important practice for community development. However, little is known about the potential role of sport as a mechanism for building community capacity. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine the efficacy of sport to contribute to the process of community capacity building. Using seven established dimensions of community capacity, there is evidence that many SFD practices can effectively facilitate dimensions of community capacity when conducted in intentional, culturally relevant ways. Specifically, sport has demonstrated efficacy in building local skills, knowledge, and resources, increasing social cohesion, facilitating structures and mechanisms for community dialog, leadership development, and encouraging civic participation. More research is needed to understand sport's ability to promote capacity building through collective action, developing value systems that support democracy and inclusion, and encouraging critical reflection. To increase the usefulness of sport to support community health development, SFD principles should be included as part of sport management university curricula. Additionally, practitioners need grounding in community and human development research to support non-sport components of programs. Finally, participatory action research techniques should be used by researchers and practitioners. Sport-based development often generates high interest from residents, funders, and policy makers. By applying principles of community capacity building, sport may be uniquely positioned to enhance sustainable community health development initiatives.     

Leader prototypicality in sport: The implicit leadership theories of women and men entering sport management careers

Implicit leadership theories (ILTs) matter because they are used as the benchmark against which people determine who is a leader and who is not. This assessment informs their behavioral responses. People are thought to have a superordinate-level ILT representing their prototypical mental model of leadership and a series of basic-level ILTs. Each of these represents how people conceptualize leadership in particular domains (e.g., sport, politics, and popular culture). In this study, the authors generate the structures of basic-level sport management ILTs for women and men who are about to enter this industry. These form the baseline from which socialization to work, organizational cultures, and the sport management industry begins. The ILTs of women entering sport management careers have a 35-item, 6-factor structure (Sensitivity, Knowledgeable, Physical Attractiveness, Inspirational, Dedication, and Focused), whereas men entering the industry have a 32-item, 7-factor structure (Sensitivity, Dedication, Physical Attractiveness, Focused, Creativity, Inspirational, Courageous). The resulting sport management ILT profiles differ from superordinate ones by emphasizing physical and vitality attributes, incorporating emotional elements, and by eschewing antiprototypical elements. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications for leadership research in sport management.