Sports Management Commons^™

Effects Of Humorous Language In Social Media And Fandom Levels On Sport Consumers’ Merchandise Value Perceptions, Conner Martin

Honors College Theses

Licensed sports merchandise is a sports business sector that is projected to surpass $39.8 billion by 2027. This study examines the influence of humor in social media posts on consumers’ perceived valuations of licensed sport merchandise—specifically, apparel—with consideration to their team fandom. Guiding by Cue Utilization Theory (CUT), the research model assessed the extrinsic cues of team fandom and humor in shaping consumer perceptions, while controlling for product type (high-cost, low-cost), humorous caption (version 1, version 2), generation (Zoomers, Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers), and gender (male, female, non-binary). Fans of South Georgia Tormenta FC, a professional soccer club, served …

Online Fan Communities: Welcoming Behavior, Brand Community Markers, And Multiple Identities In Sports Fandom, Blaine R. Huber

Doctoral Dissertations

Online fan communities have revolutionized the way sport consumers engage with fellow fans and the sports product. The traditional regional boundaries that once characterized sports fandom have been mitigated by the emergence of new media, social media platforms, and online fan communities. This dissertation explores the non-geographically bound nature of contemporary sports fan communities, examining the evolving dynamics of fan behavior in the digital age. In Study 1, an interactional perspective is employed to explore online fan socialization. The focus is on how new fans' self-presentation influences acceptance within NFL team-specific Reddit communities. Utilizing data mining, textual analysis, and qualitative …

“Together We Go Far”: Exploring The Motivational Dispositions Within Connected Fitness, Melissa Davies, Thomas Aicher, Brianna Newland, Eric Hungenberg

Journal of Applied Sport Management

This study examined the motivational profiles of connected fitness users to better position brands as they compete with the reopening of physical gyms and in-person classes. Using survey responses from 663 Peloton users, a K-cluster analysis was performed to identify three clusters of Peloton users (Wellness, Physique, and Social Performance), based on their motives for using the brand’s app. Findings suggest that connected fitness brands should leverage their ability to create social engagement and challenging opportunities to better their own past performance to differentiate themselves and retain users in a very cluttered and competitive marketplace.

Student Perceptions And Preferences Of University-Affiliated Athletic Merchandise And Logos, Robin Hardin, Michelle L. Childs, Kirby D. Simpson

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

College sports are certainly ingrained in the fabric of American society, and a significant aspect of this phenomena is the pageantry associated with college sports. This pageantry includes team logos and official team colors, and both are important aspects of fandom and team identification. Utilizing social identify theory as the theoretical framework for this research, the purpose of this study was to examine students’ university-affiliated athletic merchandise and logo preferences and related behaviors. Two focus groups were conducted with results showing three major themes, where students demonstrated polarizing views and opinions. These themes were (a) fashion and function, (b) orientation …

The Crusading Days Of Jackie Stewart: Evaluating The Development Of Safety In Motor Racing During The 1960s., Alex Twitchen

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

This article critically evaluates the contribution of Jackie Stewart in making motor racing a safer sport for competitors. It challenges the validity of the popular assumption that Jackie Stewart by himself developed a ‘culture of safety’ that transformed the sport. Instead, the role of other individuals are identified alongside the importance of three social processes. These processes are identified as the changing balance of power between different masculine identities, the development of commercial sponsorship and a growth in the coverage of the sport on television.

The development of motor racing from the 1960s onwards as a safer sport in which …

Book Review- Racing With Rich Energy: How A Rogue Sponsor Took Formula One For A Ride., James Miller

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

Book Review: I Was A Nascar Redneck: Recollections Of The Transformation Of A Yankee Farm Boy To A Southern Redneck In The Golden Era Of Nascar And Beyond., Quinn Beekwilder, Daniel Dean

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

Sports Marketing And Branding Among Gen Z And Their Digital Associations, Jordan C. Basso

Student Publications

This study addresses the intersection between sports marketing and branding among Generation Z, investigating the challenges, opportunities, and evolving dynamics in the digital realm. The problem at hand revolves around the intricate web of issues faced by athletes and stakeholders, including the implementation of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules, ethical considerations, and the transformative impact of social media. Background information was gathered from peer-reviewed literature. Using a qualitative research method, five participants from diverse sporting backgrounds provided insights through interviews. The participants were asked questions in a semi-formal setting about their personal experiences, background and understanding, education on these …

Revisiting The Impact Of Divisional Affiliation On Secondary Market Ticket Prices In The National Football League, Yohan Lee, Moonsup Hyun, Stephen Shapiro, Alan Morse

Journal of Applied Sport Management

With the emergence of demand-based ticket pricing, professional sport organizations and marketers will benefit from a thorough understanding of pricing in the demand-driven secondary market. Ticket pricing studies often take divisional affiliation as a control variable; little research has focused on and examined the importance of divisional affiliation for secondary market ticket prices. Different from work indicating consumers’ preference for divisional games, this study revealed that higher ticket prices (i.e., consumer demand) accompanied non-divisional games. Additionally, the number of years between the away team’s visit to the home team’s stadium and the away team’s current winning percentage each played a …

Exploring The Effects Of Gamblification On Esports Betting, Cecilia Diaz Dr, Violet Justine Mtonga Dr

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract:

There is a growing trend of gambling/betting organisations attempting to secure a position in the fast-growing and profitable sector of Esports by becoming an inherent part of the sports culture and its community of fans. This alignment is raising concerns due to the community lifestyle and consumption of experience intrinsic in sports/Esports (Gordon, Gurrieri, & Chapman, 2015).

Diffusion of gambling in society is triggered by digital/technological disruption on gambling and changing consumer behaviour and cultural trends. This environment offers innovative opportunities to experience gambling and “gambling-like” experiences online (King et al., 2010) with the extra incentive of ease of …

Just Be Happy?: Investigating The Role Of Joy In Influencer Marketing Campaigns Within The Fitness Industry, Grace Gill

Marketing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Influencer marketing has become exceedingly relevant with the rise of the digital age, difficulties of the attention economy, and successes of social media marketing. Clearly, influencer marketing can be advantageous for brands, however research is limited, and best practices are generalized. This particular research focuses on influencer marketing in the fitness industry and best practices for brands implementing fitness influencers. This paper specifically analyzes the emotion breakdown of fitness influencers’ content and the value of portraying joy through branded content to the success of these influencer marketing campaigns. Through comparing quantitative data collected from third-party platforms with data gathered through …

Consumer Decision-Making On Golf Equipment: Impact Of Emerging Strategic Organizational Goals And Supply Chain Intricacies, Faith A. Hopkins, Ismet Anitsal, Melek Meral Anitsal

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2023

The game of golf is incredibly historic and enjoyed by many people from numerous different age groups across many parts of the world. The research involving the game of golf is often limited to the topics of golf club engineering and injury prevention within the game. The consumer decision-making process for golf equipment has been primarily under-researched. This study explores the consumer decision-making process involving golf equipment and provides propositions to achieve strategic organizational goals. Propositions are made concerning supply chain intricacies containing the inclusion of personalization and customization and including women's equipment displayed in marketing activities. There is room …

Analysis Of Collegiate Athlete Social Media Engagement On Instagram, Noelle Magann

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2023

Since its founding in 2010, Instagram has developed into one of the world's largest social media platforms. In 2022, $33.3 billion was spent on instagram advertising by companies, firms, etc. Additionally, almost $5 billion was spent on Influencer marketing in 2022, a 27.8% increase from 2021 and a 34.7% increase from 2019. These statistics show the vast importance influencers have on marketing in today's business world and society as a whole. For this project, I looked into the engagement rates of SunBelt Football athletes. I used at least 2 athletes from each university that had over 1,000 followers on instagram, …

Ace! How The Waste Management Phoenix Open Rose From The Ash Heap To Become A Sponsorship Exemplar, Lee P. Mcginnis, Keevan Statz

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Waste Management leverages the PGA TOUR’s so-called “People’s Open” in a manner that is unparalleled in the sport industry. The Waste Management Phoenix Open (WMPO) is not only a zero-waste event but also utilizes activation tactics that maximize this value proposition for consumers through sponsored activities that engage fans of all ages, backgrounds, and motivations. After an extensive analysis of the event and what makes it distinct, we propose a framework that we term ACE (Activation optimization, Cohesive value propositions, and Experientially focused programs), which can serve as a three-pronged test that event/property owners and sponsors alike can use to …

A Content Analysis Examining The Nfl's Social Media Communications In A Global Market, Lauren Cavanaugh

Honors Theses

To better connect with the potential fan base in the United Kingdom, the NFL created another Instagram account, separate from their main “NFL” account, with the username “NFLUK”. In this thesis, I conducted a content analysis comparing a selection of posts made during the 2021 NFL season for each account, “NFL” and “NFLUK” to examine how the NFL modified their posts and communication for their new target audience. The posts were examined through the perspective of two different communication theories: The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion and the Adaptation versus Standardization Model of International Marketing. The goal was to determine …

Causes Of Burnout And Job Dissatisfaction Among Marketing And Communications Intercollegiate Athletics Employees, Ricky L. Ray

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to better understand the role burnout plays in turnover intention and job dissatisfaction among marketing and communications employees in intercollegiate athletics. A secondary aim was to identify to what extent were job requirements, compensation, and expectations of administrators and coaches driving burnout in these employees. Study participants came from those currently working in marketing and/or communications at various levels of intercollegiate competition. The study used the Oldenberg Burnout Inventory, as well as specific questions related to the profession to uncover major causes of burnout in this particular occupation. Findings from this study supported the …

Examining Retro Merchandise Consumers In Sport: Who Prefers Throwback Merchandise And Why?, Zach Scola, Brian Gordon, Brendan Dwyer

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Retro marketing in sport has been relied upon for years. Sport fans see more teams and leagues implement retro marketing and merchandise into marketing plans. Despite this, we have little understanding behind the success of retro marketing in sport. Therefore, this paper sought to gain a better understanding of the demographic characteristics of retro merchandise consumers and to examine the impact of two psychographic factors. Surveys collected from fans of various professional sport teams in the United States (N = 1,509), demonstrated novel findings. In this study retro merchandise was preferred overall, younger fans were more likely to prefer retro …

Monetizing Attention And Branding Strategy: Assessing The Effects Of Personal Branding On Amateur Athletic Compensation, Abby Christiansen

University Honors Theses

What role does branding play in the compensation issues faced by amateur athletes? How has the rise of influential online social personas legally impacted their case? This thesis explores the long-standing compensation issues that many amateur athletes have faced while under the control of the NCAA. It connects the social impact of online personal branding to some of the legal victories won by student athletes as they gain more freedom over their NIL (name, image, likeness) by detailing the importance of branding and its evolution into personal branding in a 21^st century economy. Many of the rules and regulations …

The Future Of Name, Image, And Likeness In Advertising, Olivia E. Nuss

LSU Master's Theses

This study explores the unique intersection of the law and the theories of communication related to a student athlete’s ability to receive compensation based off their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The purpose of this study is to understand the future of NIL legislation application as it relates to emerging media and student-athletes’ privacy interests in order to better understand influencer marketing and the impact new legislation will have on student-athlete brand deals. Through a series of semi-structured, in-depth interviews, I explored industry trends in NIL as it relates to brand partnerships and advertising, focusing on key players, methods, and …

Relationship Between A Reflective-Formative Model Of Team Brand Associations And Behavioral Intentions: The Mediating Effect Of Fan Identification, Ho Yeol Yu, Neal Ternes, Claudia B. Ambs, Sanghoon Kim

Journal of Applied Sport Management

Understanding fans’ perceived associations with their favorite teams is crucial for the successful management of sport teams. In the current study, team brand associations are measured as a reflective-formative construct to examine the role of the fan identification on the relationship between team brand associations and behavioral intentions. Data from professional soccer spectators (n = 101) were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicated that the reflective-formative construct of team brand associations and fan identification influence behavioral intention, whilst fan identification was found to mediate the relationship between team brand associations and behavioral intentions. Managerial implications include strategic marketing how …

Gamification Usage And Platform Loyalty In Esports Livestreams: An Analysis Of Unobserved Heterogeneity With Fimix-Pls And Ipma, Yizhou Qian, Jeam Martinez, Robbie Matz

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2022

Although gamification as a marketing strategy has been implemented by various domains, there is still a dearth of research on the use of gamification in social livestreams. In this study, we examined the relationships between technology acceptance model (TAM) variables, gamification usage, and loyalty toward a social livestreaming platform, where gamification was adopted to enhance the viewing of an esports event. Data from 396 viewers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS), and importance performance map analysis (IPMA). To this end, our study underpinned the application and extension of TAM in …

Money, Medals, And Championships: Politically Driven Conspiracy Of Silence, Model Development; Implications To Diversity And Inclusion., Ania Izabela Rynerzewska

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2022

Athletic organizational image and reputation management often require careful consideration of values shared and enacted to create a flawless image with which many fans identify and often admire. However, under the cover of perfect brand image covered with medals, championship and glory, there is often a hidden world of abuse and active participation in silencing the victims to protect the image. This paper analyzes relatively recent cases of two sex scandals in sports: Jerry Sandusky case and Larry Nassar case. Both individuals held higher positions within their organizations’ network of supporters who participated in a conspiracy of silence. This paper …

A Uniquely Jesuit Approach To Engagement Through Social Media, Karl F. Kozlowski, Shawn M. O'Rourke

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Social media is a relevant and powerful instrument of communication in higher education, especially in the college age population. The use of social media in and out of the classroom on the college campus allows faculty to meet students where they are. Content shared by faculty on social media is a means to continue to educate our students and alumni outside of the classroom and build relationships regardless of geographic boundaries. Through the use of social media platforms, we can also continue to relay and demonstrate our Jesuit ideals. This engagement can help build a relationship between faculty and students …

Finding The Formula: The Convoluted Chronicle Of The Creation Of The 1938 Formule Internationale, Richard Armstrong

Journal of Motorsport Culture & History

No abstract provided.

Sport And Event Marketing Pac Minutes 2021, Meghan Jennings

PAC Minutes

No abstract provided.

Collegiate Athletic Fans Perception Of The Use Of Social Media In Marketing, Anna K. Gdovka, Steve Chen

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Social media has become the dominant tool for sports fans to receive news and messages. Many sports fans turns to the four main social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, to receive marketing information, highlights, updates, and statistics while consuming sports content. Past studies indicated the greatest advantages for all levels of sports organizations using social media to promote the events and engage their fans. To fully understand the utilization of social media and its effectiveness for marketing intercollegiate athletic events, this study examined 203 athletic spectators’ (62% males and 38% females) preferable methods for obtaining athletic information and …

Multiple Identities In Sport Fandom: Balance, Conflict, & Negotiation, Aaron Mansfield

Doctoral Dissertations

Simultaneous to the sport industry’s ascent, obesity has become an issue of growing societal concern. Scholars have explored the role of social-psychological identification in both fandom and physical health, but have not yet explored the intersection of the two. Throughout life, individuals must negotiate all of their identities, including their attachment to sport teams, yet understanding of role identity within sport management is limited. Likewise, scholars have noted the need for greater illumination of the relationship between fandom and physical well-being. I address these gaps through three studies. In Study One, I completed semi-structured interviews with individuals who consider both …

An Examination Of Sustainable Marketing And Fan Engagment Within The Sports Industry, Caroline Meizen

Honors Projects in Marketing

The goal of this research-based thesis was to uncover the prominent methods of connecting with fans and recognizing preferences of marketing messages to see if sustainable marketing will increase engagement on game-day or have a neutral impact. Research was conducted through an analysis of case studies from the perspective of teams, athletes, and venues. A survey was distributed to analyze fan behaviors related to the importance of sustainability, engagement preferences with marketing messages and overall impact of the sports space as a platform for sustainable messages. Survey results of sports fans showed that the connection with their favorite teams and …

Student Retention In Higher Education: Effect Of The Campus Fitness Center On Women, Leslie Marie Gordon

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Of the 3.5 million first-time in college, full time students who began college in fall 2017, 74% returned for fall 2018, with 61.7% retained at their starting institution. Covid-19 has negatively impacted retention; in addition to normal attrition, one of every five students did not return to campus in fall 2020. Researchers have gauged both academic and social factors that positively influence retention and note the use of the campus fitness center (CFC) as one social factor; however, women are less likely to use the CFC, are one third as likely to exercise, and experience more numerous fitness obstacles and …

Relationship Marketing And Intercollegiate Sport Promotion, Alison Fridley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The first article, a case study on a NCAA Division I Power Five university in the southeastern United States, employed a case study framework, explored target markets and exposure techniques through both the planned behavior theory and social identity theory theoretical lenses. This study aimed to better understand how university students and booster club members identify as a social group. The data emerged into four distinct themes, including communication, social interaction, connection, and hospitality. The findings suggested booster club members are primary fans and help the team generate fan interest. The importance of sociability was clear and the implications for …