Sports Marketing Discussion-please contribute to this forthcoming paper

I would welcome any informed opinion or views to add to my research and forthcoming academic paper AND enquiry on the question relating to the role of  sports marketing and sports marketers

Please add your comments or forward views, evidence or any relevant material.
Many thanks
Alan J Seymour



The case for sports marketing


Are sports marketers an emerging cohort to be admired as a force in marketing or simply adding to the belief that they are merely accomplices to mediocrity in new marketing approaches?

Abstract:



Consumers and Publics alike today are insatiable and as a consequence Sport has become the elixir of new and modern marketing trends. Shank, M (2005) suggests sports marketing is “the specific application of marketing principles and processes to sports products and to the marketing of nonsports products through associations with sport”. As a consequence one can infer sport has become not only big business, but a stand alone entertainment industry worthy perhaps of a mantra label for all things ‘generation lifestyle’. Clearly this has led to fierce debate and ongoing dialogue, discussion and argument as to the validity and perspectives offered for the case for sports marketers to be taken seriously?

This paper seeks to add to the debate by clarifying the current position of sports marketing within academia as well as engaging with sports students, practitioners and the industry as a whole in establishing benchmarks for sports marketing to join the mainstream school of marketing excellence in both theory and practice.

The study and research will focus on case studies and action research methods, with support from academic enquiry on current marketing research and programmes of higher educational provision in the sports marketing arena.

Key words: sport, marketing, consumer, participation, publicity, sponsorship, promotion, globalisation


Alan J Seymour
October 2009