Sport Marketing 8
Sport Marketing 1
How Sports Marketing Has Changed Due to Modern Technology and the Popularity of Social Networking Sites
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Introduction
As modern technology and popular networking sites continue to evolve, sports marketing is also changing; thus creating new ways of interacting with sports fans, clubs, governing bodies and promoting products/services. With the evolution of popular networking sites, consumers are unable to escape the benefits and challenges that come along with the new technologies. Today, sports marketing has become part of life, and it plays critical roles in the promotion of global team players, sports events and development of games along with other products. Hence, sports have become now a service that inherently promotes a physical product or build a brand name for a particular product. Sports marketing has two main attributes, which includes the use of universal advertising activities to promote product and services or boost the perception of the customer towards a specific economic value of a given brand. Just like any other type of selling, sports promotion aims at fulfilling the needs and requirements of customers. It attains this by offering games services and sport-associated goods to clients. News media or modern technology is an electronic or digital media with an association to the Internet, computers, as well as different types of mobile communications. The transfer of data can be flawlessly from one modern technology to another and from the one-digit arrangement to another. Besides, social networking sites make it easy for data to be available for consumers in time. Therefore, modern technology is particularly imperative in sports marketing since it allows fans to interact with their teams, sports clubs and others also promote complementary products.
Literature Review
How Sports Marketing Changed Due to Modern Technology
Initially, traditional sport marketing channels were: bulletins, flyers, brochures, broadcasting, and newsprint. However traditional marketing channel is gradually being replaced by modern technology; this is because conventional marketing fails to address the target audience in the sports industry compared to current technology. The popularity and frequency of contemporary technology offer sport traders with ground-breaking ways of conversing with customers. A number of these current technology methods are more responsive and interactive in comparison to other marketing tactics. Not only are the modern technology platforms quick and straight but are also reasonably priced in comparison to the traditional techniques of sports marketing. Advanced technology makes it possible for sport marketing organizations to create messages that are custom-made to primary target audiences. Barrand (2005) argues that sports sponsorship marketing events offer consumers with interaction opportunities that can lead them to forge close ties with corporations (Barrand, 2005). Fullerton (2007) similarly agrees that it is not only modern technology transforming the delivery of sports, but also signifies essential information that can help an organization to attain their anticipated goals (Fullerton, 2007). Barrand (2005) and Fullerton (2007) both argue that the sponsorship marketing event has a significant impact on consumers. However, Crompton (2014) explains that sports marketing promotes dangerous products that are harmful to consumers’ health such as alcoholic drinks, tobacco, and gambling (Crompton 2014).
Sport and modern technologies have relied on each other even though they are different entities. FeJt (2003) states that sport offers content, and advanced technology delivers it. Thus, new expertise is the focal point of their association (FeJt, 2003). Gillis (2005) similarly states that technology has completely transformed the way people plan their outfit and apparatus including, shoes, uniforms, belts, helmets, and game equipment. The familiarity of attending a sporting event is very diverse. Scoreboards are currently high-definition, followers have entrance to wireless internet, and leisure devices such as striking cages and striking equipment have become more common. Groups can scrutinize and examine videos of themselves and discover how they can advance performance and appearance. Such technologies help athletes and trainers in watching the games; hence creating great markets for the companies (Gillis, 2005). FeJt (2003) and Gillis (2005) similarly agree that sports activities rely on modern technology to develop.
Gladden and Sutton (2005) also argue that people use modern technology to watch the way the rival group is playing. Hence, this has helped marketers design and improve their products qualities. For instance, enhancements in sporting tech are smart helmets technology helped by providing antenna and crowd-puller tech built in that is capable of sensing and disbanding power. It leads to a reduction of chances to head injury. Therefore, with modern technologies, producers are using sports for marketing their new products. In the past, it was not easy to obtain tickets, as it was an expensive and time-consuming process. However, sports fans are currently in a position to buy tickets in a short time. All is because of modern technologies, which have made things easy for both sports fans and the sellers. For instance, online platforms including Eventbrite, a U.S based ticketing website makes it suitable to verify, promote, and organize the whole ticketing procedure that attracts more individuals to attend sporting actions (Gladden and Sutton, 2005).
Moreover, other organizations such as Barry`s Tickets consider providing affordable tickets at the final minute, entirely transforming the approach of purchasing tickets outside stadiums. As a result, there has been significant growth crosswise electronic commerce, with sites such as “Facebook and Craigslist providing fans the opportunity to buy and sell tickets without having to pilot through ticketing sites.” Through modern technology, some apps offer customers a chance to purchase tickets making it easy for sports fans to make a last minute choice to attend the sports games. Therefore, modern technology has significant effects on the way sport marketing functions in the present world. Thus, any person in the field of marketing and sporting can feel the changes.
How Sports Marketing Changed Due to Social Marketing Sites
Mangold and Faulds, (2009) suggest that the primary objective of sports contract is to have active follower support. Therefore, it has become critical for specialized teams to accept social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, as well as Instagram to intensify and expand their associations with fans. Thus, sports marketing has changed in several ways because of social marketing sites. For instance, social marketing sites create new platforms for the interaction of teams and fans. Such sites have succeeded in assisting game providers in marketing themselves to the broader public. In most cases, social media helps in narrating the tale of a runner up, distribute victory information when players are performing well, as well as intensify the competitors with specific groups. Even though television has always been great about showcasing particular natural competitors, social media tends to add extra fresh dimension through being in a position to text real follower tales and then display them too much bigger viewers in a manner that feels genuine (Mangold and Faulds, 2009).
Manoli and Antonopoulos, (2015) agree that the most significant change in sports marketing business is the capability to create very direct associations with tent sportsperson by the use of their social media accounts. Followers will sign in to a Facebook Live transmit with their preferred sportsmen or view what their preferred troupe is sharing on Instagram. Currently, each key sportsperson possesses Twitter feed, and there is a significant amount of give-and-take amongst sportspersons and their followers. However, previously, it may have been challenging to tie together all that zeal and delight. As new hashtags become common, they can be circulated very fast all over the social media platforms (Manoli and Antonopoulos, 2015). Therefore, the authors, Mangold and Faulds, (2009), Manoli and Antonopoulos, (2015) suggests that sports marketing create various associations through social media platforms.
Furthermore, it is possible to use the new nature of social media sites like Twitter to establish new forms of interactive encounters. Social media sites also make an essential part in brand development, such as commitment, closeness, as well as the community. For instance, engagement and communication may help in establishing mind-set of devotion to a company among fans. Sports groups are also in a better position to influence brand development aspects. Manoli and Antonopoulos, (2015) further argue that substantial brand identity can boost an organization`s visibility and reputation on a countrywide level. Therefore, with the rise of social media sites, sports departments all the country or world as a whole are increasingly encountering openings in association to offering information to followers and the media, refining associations with stakeholders, as well as established brands.
Consequently, (PWC 2011) agrees that social media sites have led to substantial changes in sports marketing. The author notes that the business continues to transform and develop while continually finding fresh ways to make use of media to broaden and intensify associations with followers. Thus, social media sites make it much easier for sports marketers to attain their goals.
Significantly impacted Features of Sports Marketing
The main features of sports marketing are the sports product, which are the goods or services or any combination of the two that is created to offer benefits to a sports follower, team player or sponsor. Dart (2014) in his book (Dart, 2014) states that new media technologies are changing production, delivery, and consumption of professional sports (p. 528). Impacts on sports product by modern technology and social media sites are significant, particularly in the way they produce their products and sell or market them. Shank, (2005) similarly agrees that advanced technology makes it possible to produce sports uniform, shoes, as well as improved helmets that are well protected and safe. An organization can establish and build its reputation by creating product brands that are appealing to the sports followers and the target audience as well. Thus, by sharing from one social media platform to another, a company may find itself reaching many product consumers faster than expected (Shank, 2005). Consequently, Dart (2014)and Shank, (2005) agree that new media technology are changing consumer behavior through marketing and selling of products in social media.
Another influenced significant feature is the consumers or followers of the sporting events. Ozsoy, (2011) in his survey to determine the use of Facebook and Twitter in sports marketing suggests that about 97% of participants use these social networking sites to get informed about sport-related activities (Ozsoy, 2011). Smith and Stewart, (2014) also agree that communication and sharing of information are currently easy and fast because of the availability of modern technology and social media sites. Consumers and spectators of sporting events watch, share and learn about the game from any place they may be without attending the event in person. All these have been possible because of social networking sites including Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Consequently, teams can also reach their fans through these sites. Therefore, it is easy for them to know what is trending, where and when just at the click of a button on their Smartphone (Smith and Stewart, 2014). Similarly, both Ozsoy, (2011) and Smith and Stewart, (2014) suggest that great impact of the occurrence of modern technologies and social media sites is on sports products, consumers, and the sports marketing industry as a whole.
Features of Sports marketing that are Still Doing Well under Traditional Methods
Some of the sport marketing features that are doing well under traditional methods comprise of sports products and sporting events. In some cases, people still use traditional methods such as television and radio in airing sports events. Williams and Chinn, (2010) discovered in their study that many people use smartphones. The authors argue that not every person will be able to use modern technologies and social media sites to follow up on a game. Such groups of people still depend on traditional methods such as radio, prints (newspapers, magazines), and television to know what is taking place in the field of sports (Williams and Chinn, 2010).
Consequently, Zhang and Pitts, (2017) argue that organizations providing sporting products and services are also still doing well. Others use traditional methods such as television to advertise and promote their products to the groups of consumers who cannot access social media sites (Zhang and Pitts, 2017). The authors conclude that despite the entrance of modern technologies and the popularity of social media sites, traditional methods are still imperative in society.
Besides, the overall effect positive because of the various benefits that bring in the sports marketing industry. For instance, the accomplishment of activities that used to take a long period in establishing currents takes a day. Publishing of information that took many days to spread to fans of the sport can reach people very fast as long as the information is on social media sites. Sharing of information and ideas among sports followers is very easy currently, and fans can make a follow-up of their preferred teams at the comfort of their homes. Zhang and Pitts (2017) also argue that modern technologies can bring followers together and improve the connections they have with the teams they support. Consequently, Zhang and Pitts (2017) and Williams and Chinn, (2010) suggest that Modern technology is vital because it draws a personal link that traditional media lacked; hence, offering a remarkable amount of differentiation. In most cases, viewers always want a sense of exclusivity or current information, and this is what social media sites fulfill.
Does the Marketing Campaign Influence the Customer Purchasing Decision in Social Media?
Social media marketing puts consumers as the focus of the business sphere and offers marketers a fresh set of tools to interrelate with customers and to incorporate them into the brands through inventive ways. Quesenberry, (2018) argues that it is imperative for business people to understand the way social media influence the purchasing behavior of consumers. Presently, social media marketing is the modern form of marketing as it focuses on creating fresh perspectives for marketers to advance their products and services compared to traditional media. Social media marketing campaigns tend to influence the buying decision of consumers (Quesenberry, 2018). The main reason is that social media has a way of generating reliance, strengthening the brand message, motivates a two-way communication, and eventually impacts the bottom line of the consumer. Therefore, it is essential that marketers take this opportunity and establish a marketing strategy that in turn could assist them to attain more customers. The social media setting is straightforward to apply and to reach target consumers.
Additionally, Simonson and Rosen (2014) argue that social media helps to establish brand outlooks that influence buying behavior. The excellent image of the brand or the brand can make the customer decide on their purchases. For instance, when a customer`s colleague on social media shares or recommends services or goods on their platforms, it influences brand attitude and affects their buying decision. Therefore, Quesenberry, (2018) and Simonson and Rosen (2014) agree that sports marketing has two main characteristics, including the use of general marketing undertakings to sport-associated commodities, and the advertising of other consumer and industrial goods through entertaining activities (Simonson and Rosen, 2014). Özsoy (2011) similarly agrees that modern technology and the popularity of social media sites have led to many changes in sports marketing. The author found that sharing of information enhance communication; thus following a sports team is very easy and less costly compared to the traditional forms of marketing. Furthermore, social media sites have positive impacts on sports marketing because of the many advantages that come with them. Therefore, it is also vital to realize that social media advertising campaigns affect the buying behavior of consumers significantly, as the brand image affects the buying attitude of a consumer regarding a particular product or service (Özsoy, 2011)
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