SPORT MARKETING: THE BASICS - Elsevierv5.books.elsevier.com/bookscat/samples/9780750684910/9780750684… · TO SPORT MARKETING CHAPTER OUTLINE What ... how the concept of business

ISPORT MARKETING:THE BASICS

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3

11INTRODUCTIONTO SPORT

MARKETING

CHAPTER OUTLINE

What Is Sport Marketing?Sport – Or Is It Sports?Sport and BusinessMarketingThe ConsumerThe CompanyThe CompetitionThe Marketing Plan

Bottom Line – What Is Sport Marketing?Conclusion

CHAPTER OBJECTIVE

The reader will be able to:

■ Provide an overview of sport marketing.■ Define what sport marketing is, how it is connected to the business of sport,

and the relationship to traditional marketing.■ An introduction to the 3 C’s of marketing analysis (consumer, company, and

competition) and STPD (segmentation, targeting, positioning, and delivery).

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WHAT IS SPORT MARKETING?

Prior to describing what sport marketing is, we should take a look at thedefinitions of the two root words: “sport” and “marketing.”

Sport – Or Is It Sports?

First we look at the concepts of sport and sports. Sport is defined as activi-ties, experiences, or business enterprises that center on athletics, health andwellness, recreation, and leisure time opportunities. Some of the common mis-conceptions about sport include (1) there needs to be a competitive situation,(2) the offering must have a standard set of rules, and (3) participants need spe-cialized equipment and facilities. This is true of sports, which simply refers toindividual, dual, and team sports activities such as soccer, baseball, golf, andtennis. Sport is an all-inclusive term covering all aspects that go beyond theplaying field, including all the various operations that make the games happen.

Sport and Business

Now we look at how the concept of business ties into these previous defini-tions. Business is defined as individuals or organizations that seek to make a

4 A DVA N C E D T H E O RY A N D P R AC T I C E I N S P O RT M A R K E T I N G

Fina

nce

Marketing

Cus

tomers

Employees

Competition

Informationtechnology

Legal andregulatory

forces

Social responsibilityand ethics

Economy

Owners

Management

FIGURE 1.1OVERVIEW OF THE BUSINESS WORLD

Source: Ferrell, O.C. and G. Hirt (2003). Business: A Changing World, 4th ed., p. 5. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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profit by providing products and services that satisfy the needs, wants, anddesires of the consumer. The business world, as documented in Figure 1.1,covers a wide variety of aspects. The internal factors include the primary busi-ness activities of management, marketing, and finance, which are centered onbusiness owners, employees, and customers. The external factors include com-petition, the economy, information technology, legal and regulatory forces, andsocial responsibility and ethics.

The definition of business and the internal and external factors in the busi-ness world are mirrored in the profession of sport management and administra-tion. With regard to whether sport administration or sport management ismore appropriate, it seems as though more programs as business utilize theterm management over administration; however, there is no significant differ-ence between the meanings of the two terms when it comes to the field of sport.The only difference tends to be curricular based, and will vary from institutionto institution. Therefore, when looking at this field, the major of sport manage-ment, and in some cases sport administration, is of greater interest to businesseducators. This is defended by the following definition of sport management:the collection of skills related to the planning, organizing, directing, control-ling, budgeting, leading, and evaluation of an organization or departmentwhose primary product or service is related to sport and its related functions.

Marketing

Now that we have a definition of sport, as well as a basis for its relationshipto the business world, what is marketing? There is often confusion on whatmarketing truly is. Marketing is often defined by its components, such as adver-tising, sales, promotions, product management, pricing, publicity, etc. Thesecomponents do not define what marketing is – they act to enhance the applica-tion of marketing elements.

When many people think of marketing, they are really thinking of marketingtactics. People associate marketing with tactics, including the television commer-cials we see while watching sporting events, the between play promotions duringlive sporting events, and the information published in newspapers or broadcaston a newscast. But tactics in marketing are similar to the tactics of sport. Theyare very important, but useless without having a sound basis of knowledge.

While this knowledge is a sound basis for the understanding of marketing,the true definition of marketing is simply the functions involved in the transferof goods and services from the producer to the consumer. The focal point ofthese functions are in three specific areas known as the 3 C’s of marketinganalysis: the consumer, the company itself, and the competition.

The Consumer

Who is the consumer? Is it the shopper who visits stores, either in person orvia an online capability, in search of merchandise or bargains? Is it the buyerwho knows what they want and makes the purchase? How about the customer

I N T R O D U C T I O N TO S P O RT M A R K E T I N G 5

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who repeatedly purchases a commodity or service? It is these three and muchmore. By definition, a consumer is an individual or organization that purchasesor obtains goods and services for direct use or ownership. As marketing profes-sionals, we strive to please all of these consumers to maximize sales of productsand services, and hence maximize profit. But how do we reach these consumers?

SegmentationSegmentation is the concept of dividing a large, diverse group with multiple

attributes into smaller groups with distinctive characteristics. These distinctivegroups have similar needs and desires, and hence will respond to marketingefforts in similar manners. The concept of segmentation is basic to all market-ing efforts, as the goal of segmentation is to identify the market.

One of the biggest challenges for marketing professionals is to determine theappropriate segment to market. Some of the major factors utilized to choose asegment includes:

■ What is the size of the segmented market?■ What is the purchasing power of the segmented market?■ How can the marketer be sure that the product is what the consumer wants?■ Is it worth marketing the product to the chosen segment?■ What tactics should be used to attract the segment to purchase the sport

product?

To answer these questions, marketers utilize the four bases of segmentation:the consumer’s state of being, the consumer’s state of mind, product usage byconsumers, and product benefits as perceived by consumers.

The consumer’s state of being is the concept of belonging to a specified classor group. In marketing, the major states of being include location, age, incomelevel, gender, race and ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Geographic location isutilized to determine the spread of population as related to the distribution andusage of a product. Age helps to differentiate the needs and interests of con-sumers, as they differ throughout the lifespan. Income levels help the marketerdetermine probable standard of living of the demographic, which in turn influ-ences the manner in which a product is marketed. An example of this would bethat a teenage inner-city basketball player who plays at the Rucker from Harlemwill be marketed to differently as compared to the suburban soccer mom, and incomparison to the 10-year-old alternative sports fan who is influenced by any-thing related to skateboarding and BMX bikes. As marketing becoming moreglobal in nature, understanding the intricacies of various race and ethnic mar-kets is integral to marketing success. In addition, marketing based on sexual ori-entation is an emerging market; however, there is still some controversy as towhether this should be viewed as a separate and distinct market.

The consumer’s state of mind deals with the individual cognitive processesinvolved in marketing. Among the most prevalent concerns to marketers areindividual personality traits, lifestyle changes that are evident throughout thelifespan, and the individual preferences and perceptions of consumers, whichare wide and varied.


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Product usage by consumers deals with the consumption rates by the variousmarket segments. Central to this concept is the Pareto Principle, otherwiseknown as the 80/20 rule. The Pareto Principle is generally applied to vendors orcustomers in a retail setting. This rule assumes that 20% of the customers gen-erate 80% of the sales, or that 80% of merchandise comes from 20% of thevendors.

Product benefits as perceived by consumers go beyond the consumer’s state of mind to look specifically at the assessment by the consumer as to theadvantages the products provided to them. The consumer will always ask the question “What is in it for me?” By understanding the consumer’s view-point, it allows marketers to (1) describe the products more efficiently andeffectively in marketing collateral, (2) better prepare salespeople as to how tosell products, and (3) provide evidence as to how to better differentiate products.

TargetingIn the marketing world, we strive or aim for satisfying our desired market

through the concepts of exchange and relationships. The purpose of targetingis to find the best way to get a product’s image into the minds of consumers, andhence entice the consumer to purchase the product. The research and develop-ment processes described earlier are utilized at this stage to enter the productinto the market. This is accomplished through a detailed analysis of the market-ing mix, otherwise known as the 4 P’s of marketing: product, price, place, andpromotion (see Figure 1.2). The product may be tangible (goods) or intangible(services), and decisions are made based on concepts such as branding, func-tionality, and quality. Price is the amount of money or goods asked for in


FIGURE 1.2THE MARKETING MIX

Source: www.netmba.com/marketing/mix.

Targetmarket

Product

Place Promotion

Price

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exchange for something else. Place deals with the methods of distributing theproduct to consumers. Promotion represents how information about the prod-uct is communicated to customers, with a goal of receiving positive responsefrom the consumer, and results in product sales.

Note: Later in this chapter, we will elaborate on this concept, and show howin the realm of sport, the elements of marketing are expanded to the 5 P’s ofsport marketing by moving publicity/public relations out of the category ofpromotion, since it is such a large factor in the marketing of sport.

PositioningPositioning is how a company seeks to influence the perceptions of potential

and current customers about the image of the company and its products and serv-ices. This is accomplished by applying the 4 P’s of marketing with the goal ofstrategically placing the product or service firmly in the mind of the consumer. Weoften talk in society about the concept of “making a good first impression.” Inpositioning, the goal is to get the consumer’s mind to react to the implementationof the marketing mix in a positive manner. By creating this knowledge, consumerswill develop an impression that is often difficult to change. Hence, if the marketercan send a message that is consistent with what the consumer already believes(the consumer’s perceptions); the product will become easier to sell. An examplewould be a Detroit Red Wings advertising campaign concentrating on Detroitbeing known as Hockeytown. Hockey consumers are already aware of this fact,and the marketers can play off of this knowledge.

One of the best ways to position a product in the consumer’s mind is to befirst on the scene. People want who they perceive is first in the market, or thebest in the market. This concept of being number one often can overcome othershortcomings of products.

However, not all products can be first on the market, or number one in themarket. So how do you position these other products so the consumer will buy?This is most often accomplished by claiming a unique position in the market.Through applying the marketing mix, the marketer will strive to carve thisuniqueness into the mind of the consumer, so that they feel they are gettingsomething different and worthwhile for their hard earned money. In general,when there is a clear market leader, it is often extremely difficult to knock offthe king of the mountain. By not challenging the market leader head-on, a com-pany can increase their market share through marketing their uniqueness ascompared to that industry leader. To market their uniqueness, marketers lookto cater to the specific benefits of the product. In order to do this, often theproduct must be sold at a low price, as people when viewing new products willvalue low initial price more than quality.

DeliveringDelivery is the concept of producing or achieving what is desired or expected

by the consumer. Through the concepts of segmentation, targeting, and posi-tioning, a framework is created to allow the industry to utilize marketing todeliver an awareness of products to potential consumers. The previous con-cepts are the development phase and the start of the implementation phase of


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the marketing concept. Delivery is the completion of the implementation phase,and the start of the management aspect, where the creative and process aspectsof the marketing discipline are applied.

The remainder of this book will focus on the delivery of the marketing concept.Understanding the consumer is central to the ability to engage in marketing.Marketers must know how consumers behave, their motivations, their percep-tions and preferences. Marketers must have an awareness of their attitudes, theirknowledge, and their emotions. Also, marketers must have the ability to seg-ment the market, analyze the target market, position the product, and deliver itto consumers.

The Company

What do we need to know about the company itself? The framework for thisis the SWOT analysis, which looks at the internal strengths, internal weaknesses,external opportunities, and external threats of the organization (Figure 1.3).

For starters, the framework of understanding is in the first two parts of aSWOT analysis: internal strengths and internal weaknesses. The strengths of acompany are its resources and capabilities that can be used to develop a com-petitive advantage. A competitive advantage is where a company sustains prof-its above the average for the specific industry. Competitive advantage is usuallylooked at in two ways: cost advantage (when a company can deliver the samebenefits as competitors at a lower cost) and differentiation advantage (when a company can deliver benefits that exceed those of other products in the spe-cific industry). By understanding these concepts, a marketer can gain a betterunderstanding of the company itself. In addition, the marketing professional


FIGURE 1.3THE COMPANY AND SWOT

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can implement a more effective and efficient marketing effort by maintaining orimproving on strengths, while seeking ways to improve on and eliminate weak-nesses. Examples would include having limited time, staff, or funding.

The Competition

Finally, what do we need to know about the competition? The framework ofcompetition is in the last two parts of a SWOT analysis: external opportunitiesand external threats. By evaluating opportunities and threats, a company can eval-uate their current status in the market, and determine which direction the com-pany should be heading. This is most often guided by an organizational mission,through an evaluation of organizational and management options, and outliningthe goods and/or services to be marketed. The opportunities are the marketplaceopenings that exist because others have not entered or capitalized on that part ofthe marketplace. Threats are those environmental factors that can negativelyaffect the marketing of a product if the company does not react to them.

The Marketing Plan

All of the previous information is then compiled into a marketing plan. A mar-keting plan starts with primary and secondary market research. It is very danger-ous to start a marketing plan without appropriate research by assuming what theintended market wants and needs. Primary market research is gathering yourown data through observation, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Secondarymarket research uses published information including industry profiles, tradeperiodicals, and demographic profiles to determine the scope of your market.

The next part of the marketing plan focuses on economics. The key factorswhen identifying the economy of your market includes the following:

■ What is the total size of the market?■ What percent share of the market do you intend to capture?■ What is the current demand within the market?■ What are the current and future trends of the market?■ Is there growth potential within the market?■ What are the barriers to entering the market, and how will the company over-

come those barriers?■ How could changes in industry itself, the economy, technology, and govern-

mental regulations affect your company and force changes in your marketingefforts?

The following section should describe the product(s) and/or service(s) to bemarketed. Three key concepts that should be articulated in the plan for eachproduct or service should be: (1) a description of the most important features ofthe product/service, with particular consideration given to what differentiates itfrom other products/services; (2) a description of the benefits, specifically consid-ering what the product/service will do for the consumer; and (3) a description of


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the post-sale services (warranties, service contracts, delivery options, consumersupport, and refund policies).

Now we need to detail the demographics of our customers. For individuals,we consider such items as age, gender, race/ethnicity, location, income level,social class, occupation, and education. For business consumers we considerthe industry, location, size, and preferences.

Next we detail the competition. It is important to remember in this section tolist all competitors (indirect and direct), and differentiate the level of competi-tiveness – whether they compete across the board, or only in certain productareas. In this section, there must also be a comparison of how your product(s) orservice(s) will compare with the competition. This competitive analysis will helpdetermine your competitive advantages and disadvantages, and provide data tohelp determine the best way to market your products within the industry.

After this information has been compiled, a niche can be defined. A niche isa special area of demand for a product or service. On a large scale, companiessuch as Nike and Reebok design and market athletic shoes for each differentsport, and often with specialized models based on specific athletes. On a moredirect scale, a niche marketing scheme would be offering specialized golf prod-ucts such as customized club, designer balls and tees, and associated golf gadgetto subscribers of Golf Magazine. These niches are then used to develop themarketing strategy. Inclusive of this strategy development are the elements ofthe marketing mix, including:

■ The method for setting prices and associated pricing strategies (price).■ The distribution channels to be utilized to sell products and services (place).■ The method for getting information to potential consumers (promotion).

Now that a description of the products, services, customers, markets, andstrategy has been completed, the final element of the marketing plan is a salesforecast. Usually this is completed in two ways. First, a “best-case scenario,”should provide a realistic expectation of sales. Second, a “worst-case scenario,”should provide the minimum expectation of sales irrespective of what happens.


INTRODUCTION TO ETHICAL DECISION MAKINGIN SPORT MARKETING

Funding for Boys and Girls Club

The local Boys and Girls Club has struggled for years to raise enoughfunds to support its programs and services. Support from public and privatefinancial sources has significantly declined, resulting in a decrease in avail-able budgetary money by 23% over the last 2 years. The local economy isstagnant, especially since many of the major employers have laid off employ-ees during the last 5 years. The General Manager of the Boys and Girls Club

Continued

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INTRODUCTION TO ETHICAL DECISION MAKINGIN SPORT MARKETING – Continued

is a salaried employee of the organization, and has worries that if things donot turn around, that the Boys and Girls Club may have to either reduce pro-gramming or close down.

One day, the General Manager was approached by a new Board memberwith a novel fundraising idea. This Board member is a local attorney in pri-vate practice, and also represents the local sports arena. The Board membersuggested that he could encourage the concessions manager at the arena todonate to the Club part of its proceeds on the sale of beer at six upcomingsports events. Convinced by previous sales figures that the revenues gener-ated would more than cover costs, he thought the Club could pay the conces-sionaire for the arena a fee of $3000 for the first night and $2000 for each of the remaining nights in exchange for the beer service concession.Therefore, for these six evenings, the Club would pay the concessionaire atthe arena a total of $13,000 for the privilege of running the concession stand.The concessionaire would guarantee that the Club would net at least $500each night.

The General Manager discussed the idea with the Chairman of the Club’sBoard of Directors, and at a subsequent Board meeting the idea was approved.One week after the last of the six events, the Club received $16,000 in cash(their $13,000 investment plus $3000 in net profit).

At the next Board meeting, a proposal was presented that encouraged theClub enter into a much more formal relationship with the concessionaire atthe arena. Several clauses of the contract were discussed, including:

■ The Boys and Girls Club will apply for a Class A Liquor License to sellmalted beverages at the arena. The concessionaire will furnish the arena’sbeer services facilities, fixtures, supplies (exclusive of the malted bever-ages), and utilities for $2800. The concessionaire will provide 19 people tooperate the concession stand at the rate of $7.85 per hour per person. Allpersonnel shall be supervised and controlled by the Club, and shall betrained to dispense malted beverages.

■ During each event, the Club shall have on site at least two of its own Boardmembers who will supervise the concession operation.

■ The concessionaire will provide the Club with eight tickets per event for itsexclusive use. This would come out of the concessionaire’s personal allo-cation from the arena.

■ The concessionaire will indemnify and hold the Club harmless for anyclaim or cause of action whatsoever arising out of the Club’s activities pur-suant to this agreement.

■ The concessionaire guarantees that the Club will net at least $500 persporting event.

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INTRODUCTION TO ETHICAL DECISION MAKINGIN SPORT MARKETING – Continued

The Club’s Board was now uniformly enthusiastic about the proposedcontract. As a result, a contract between the concessionaire and the Board ofthe Boys and Girls Club was signed.

Source: Adapted from Dubinsky, J. E. (1997). Practical ethics: a case study. In EthicalIssues in Partnerships Between Businesses and Nonprofit Organizations. Retrieved fromhttp://www.corcom.org/publications.htm.

Suggestion Discussion Topics

1. You are the General Manager of the Boys and Girls Club. Assumephilosophically and ethically that you do not agree with using alcoholproceeds to sponsors the youth organization. Part of your reasoningincludes that you preach in your programming the dangers of under-age drinking. Considering both the organizational and marketing-based issues related to this situation, what would you do in thissituation where your Board has now agreed to use the sales of alcoholbeverages to fund programming for the Club?

2. One of the fastest growing fundraising efforts is based on the popular-ity of Texas Hold’Em, a popular version of poker. Events take place intowns all over the country, and a portion of the proceeds go to the spon-soring charity for the evening. The charity is required to provide thedealers for the evening. If they cannot find enough people, they can signup members of the poker organization as members of the charity, andthen they can deal in the event. The charity also needs to be present atthe end of each evening to write checks to the winners. You are theGeneral Manager of the Boys and Girls Club considering utilizing thisas a fundraising opportunity. What are the pros and cons of sponsoringsuch an event? Is it ethical to use proceeds from gambling for youth pro-gramming? What are the marketing implications for your organization?

BOTTOM LINE – WHAT IS SPORT MARKETING?

In conclusion, marketing is the study of the consumer, the company, and thecompetition, specifically relating those areas to market segmentation, targetmarkets, product positioning, and delivery of the product. Then to engage inmarketing, we use the various tactics of marketing, which will be elaboratedupon throughout the remaining chapters of this text.

OK – then what is sport marketing? Based on the definition of “sport” and“marketing,” it shows how complex both concepts are. Therefore, it is safe toassume that combining the two concepts to get sport marketing is probably

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even more complex. This is very true, because sport marketing is a process ofdeveloping and implementing activities related to the production, pricing, dis-tribution, promotion, and publicizing of a sport product. These sport productsrun the gambit, from sport drinks to sport clothing with team logos, to ticketpackages. The goal of this process is to satisfy the needs and wants of con-sumers, achieve the goals and objectives of the company in relation to their phi-losophy, mission, and vision, and stay ahead of the competition to maximizeyour product’s and company’s potential. With this complexity come certaincharacteristics that make the sport product unique.

CONCLUSION

The purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader with an overview of theevolution of sport marketing. First we investigate what sport marketing is bydefining the root words. Sport is defined as activities, experiences, or businessenterprises that center on athletics, health and wellness, recreation, and leisuretime opportunities. The association of sport with business (individuals ororganizations that seek to make a profit by providing products and services thatsatisfy the needs, wants, and desires of the consumer) helps to develop anunderstanding of the field of sport management as the collection of skillsrelated to the planning, organizing, directing, controlling, budgeting, leading,and evaluation of an organization or department whose primary product orservice is related to sport and its related functions. The marketing aspect ofsport focuses on the functions involved in the transfer of goods and servicesfrom the producer to the consumer.

The focal point of these functions is in three specific areas known as the 3 C’sof marketing analysis: the consumer, the company itself, and the competition.The consumer is an individual or organization that purchases or obtains goodsand services for direct use or ownership. To reach sport consumers, sport mar-keting professional go through a series of processes. Segmentation is the con-cept of dividing a large, diverse group with multiple attributes into smallergroups with distinctive characteristics. Targeting seeks to find the best way toget a product’s image into the minds of consumers, and hence entice the con-sumer to purchase the product. This is accomplished by focusing on the 4 P’s ofmarketing – product, price, place, and promotion – and the evolution of pub-licity as a 5th P. Positioning focuses on how a company seeks to influence theperceptions of potential and current customers about the image of the companyand its products and services. Delivery is the concept of producing or achievingwhat is desired or expected by the consumer.

With regard to the company and competition, the framework is centered on theSWOT analysis. The managerial function of the company itself is most concernedwith internal strengths and weaknesses. The leadership of the company tends tofocus on the external opportunities and external threats posed by competitionand the environment. All this information is then compiled into a marketing plan,and enhanced with primary and secondary research, economic and financial con-sideration, and an evaluation of the products and services to be offered.


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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Frank Supovitz, Senior Vice President, Events

National Football LeagueNew York, New York

In my opinion, I have the best job in the world. Sometimes, it seems like oneof the toughest, but it is certainly the best. In my position as Senior VicePresident of Events for the National Football League, I manage a departmentthat is responsible for the planning and management of the Super Bowl, ProBowl, and the NFL Draft, among many other programs. We work closely withthe host cities, stadiums, hotels, sponsors, broadcasters, and support venuesthat are needed to successfully execute these events, sometimes many years inadvance.

Getting to this point in my career was partially a function of being in theright place at the right time, but also about being open to the many excitingpossibilities a career can take. That did not mean taking any job that came myway. I evaluated every opportunity to determine whether a new job might pro-vide me with new challenges for my experience and expertise, and whether Icould imagine myself happy in a new pursuit not a year later, but 10 years later.

I grew up in Queens, and worked evenings after school as an usher atRadio City Music Hall. That part-time job turned into a 16-year run at theHall, advancing through the ranks through the operations department, thenmarketing, and finally to director of special events. There, I applied my expe-rience in entertainment marketing with the knowledge of staging corporate,sports, and civic events to projects including the halftime show for SuperBowl XXII. From there, I worked on the US Olympic Festival, the GoodwillGames, and other major programs, eventually ending up at the NationalHockey League in 1992. There, I was responsible for NHL All StarWeekend, the Stanley Cup, and the NHL Draft, among many other events.After 13 seasons in hockey, I moved from pucks to pigskin, moving to theNational Football League in 2005.

What does it take to plan a Super Bowl? Start with 3–5 years of workingwith local business and governmental leaders to prepare a city to host150,000 inbound visitors, preparing the stadium for the nation’s mostwatched annual event, managing ticketing for more than 70,000 fans, con-tracting more than 20,000 hotel rooms, hundreds of motor coaches, and tensof thousands of parking spaces. Many elements the public never sees, such assecuring two practice facilities with the same playing surface as the stadium,hotels for the competing teams’ accommodations and offices, and a mediacenter to house more than 100 radio stations and the NFL Network broad-casting live throughout the week, as well as work space for thousands ofaccredited reporters and writers. We design and construct tented or indoorhospitality space for up to 8000 corporate guests, more than 150,000 square

Continued

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE – Continued

feet of space for two major parties, a million square-feet home for the NFLExperience fan festival, and banner and décor programs for city streets, thestadium, hotels, and other event facilities. We are also concerned with thepresentation of the game on the field and scoreboard, create a 300-feet hard-ened security perimeter around the stadium, and manage a program to cre-dential thousands of game day workers. While this list is by no meanscomplete, it provides a tiny snapshot of why it takes hundreds of people anda number of years to prepare for one game on one day.

None of it is possible without the help of our business partners, and it isalso our job to ensure that our sponsors get the best possible value from theirassociation. It is so much more than sponsor signage on site, an ad in the pro-gram, or public address announcements. Each sponsor wants their product,service, and message to rise above the clutter, targeting a specific audience,and encouraging sampling or purchase. The trick is to involve sponsors in ameaningful way so they feel a sense of ownership in our events. Visa, forinstance, offers special and exclusive experiences in which cardholders canwin a chance to tour the Super Bowl field before the game, watch the half-time show from the field, or bring Gatorade to the bench (involving yetanother sponsor). General Motors is featured as a sponsor of the post-gameceremonies during which the Super Bowl MVP wins a Cadillac. Pepsi offersfans and visitors a concert series in the host city. Each of these partners acti-vate their sponsorships with involving and unique experiential marketingprograms that their association with the NFL can offer because we under-stand that our relationship is a true partnership in which both parties canrichly benefit.

The pursuit of success in your sports marketing and management careerwill follow many of the same philosophies as building success on the field.Expand your playbook by staying current with the market and learning allyou can about how this amazing business works. Keep your eyes open forchanging developments and trends that will help you punch through obsta-cles and challenges, and be prepared to respond quickly to opportunities.

Settle for no less than excellence in everything you do. The competition forthe best positions is fierce!

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SPORT MARKETING: THE BASICS - Elsevierv5.books.elsevier.com/bookscat/samples/9780750684910/9780750684… · TO SPORT MARKETING CHAPTER OUTLINE What ... how the concept of business