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  • 标题:Looking forward: a vision for sport marketing inquiry and scholarship.
  • 作者:Sutton, William A.
  • 期刊名称:Sport Marketing Quarterly
  • 印刷版ISSN:1061-6934
  • 出版年度:2011
  • 期号:December
  • 语种:English
  • 出版社:Fitness Information Technology Inc.
  • 摘要:Looking ahead and attempting to project what will take place in the future is an inexact science, to say the least. To predict what scholars may choose to research, examine, and write about is even more difficult. Yet in this article I will attempt to examine the predicted trends in sport marketing research that may be published in Sport Marketing Quarterly and their possible effect on society and the implications for sport, as well as some of the innovative educational programs in sport business helping to prepare future scholars.
  • 关键词:Marketing;Professional sports;Sports marketing

Looking forward: a vision for sport marketing inquiry and scholarship.


Sutton, William A.


Introduction

Looking ahead and attempting to project what will take place in the future is an inexact science, to say the least. To predict what scholars may choose to research, examine, and write about is even more difficult. Yet in this article I will attempt to examine the predicted trends in sport marketing research that may be published in Sport Marketing Quarterly and their possible effect on society and the implications for sport, as well as some of the innovative educational programs in sport business helping to prepare future scholars.

I recently wrote, "Sometimes it is the breadth of the topic that gives it life, in other cases it may be the timeliness of the issue at hand. In some other cases, like the farmer and the condition of the soil, it may lay with the abilities and investigative skills of the first author, who in an exploratory role, identifies and examines a problem" (Sutton, 2012). In other words there are a variety of factors in determining if any trend or practice is likely to become popular or "trendy." Dr. James Canton, of the Institute for Global Futures in his book, The Extreme Future, has identified the top trends that will reshape the world in the next 20 years.

Many of these thoughts and projections have been written about and even portrayed by Hollywood filmmakers. The list seems logical, although a definite political undertone is present, as Canton has served as an advisor to the three past White House administrations. Table 2 provides a listing of what some of the top trends from the Canton table might look at if applied to sport and also offers a glimpse of the problems sport marketing scholars might wish to examine.

These are certainly fertile areas for scholars to examine, speculate about, test, and observe. They may happen soon or they may never happen, but futurists and trend monitors feel that they are likely to happen in some shape or form.

Perhaps we need not look far into the future when seeking research lines and areas of inquiry. There are a number of research issues still in their infancy that offer very fertile areas for exploration and robust data that is easily collected and managed. Let us examine some of these areas and the possible research questions that could be explored to illuminate some of the issues arising in these areas as they continue to develop and become widespread.

Innovation and Weird Science: The Future of Artificial Intelligence, Customer Profiling, and Social Media

Amazon.com and a number of other databases have for quite some time engaged in developing customer profiles and predictive models as to how past behavior can influence interest and to a certain extent predict future purchasing behavior. The limiting factor thus far has been that every purchase made becomes part of the profile. Thus if I purchase a book for my wife, a special education teacher, on autism, that area is automatically meshed into my profile, and instead of a profile built upon depth it becomes one built on breadth even though the purchase did not directly relate to me. However, according to Todd Defren, "There is a day coming when consumers will be able to turn on/off disclosure preferences from within their social profiles--or even their browsers--to actively change their daily surfing and exploration" (Defren, 2009, p. 1). Say, for example, Stella is interested in some new yoga information. She can activate her profile via keywords like yoga enthusiast and her travels across the web will reveal 'Yogacentric' advertisements and opportunities. But it could also suggest menu items or places to eat the next time she logs on to Yelp--all of the social networking sites would adopt the new profile until that profile is changed to another topic or returned to its original profile.

"Thus when we search and when we surf, beyond the Social Network sites, we're going to be taking our Facebook friends with us and we're taking our known online activities with us. Sites and search engines will re-orient themselves dynamically to match our identities. The entire web experience will re-architect itself on-the-fy based upon where we've been, what device we are using, what we've looked at or purchased in the past, who we are friends with" (Defren, 2009, p. 1), what offers and content our contacts have been sharing and purchasing, how influenced we are by offers and the best offers to provide and so much more.

In terms of sport application, this may work to enable a sport organization to have a 360-degree profile of consumers relating to what they watch and how; what they attend and who they attend with; what other sports they consume and in what manner; what they are likely to read, do, and consume that day prior to arriving; and where they are likely to go after the event is over. That is a staggering amount of behavioral information that can attempt to be influenced by sport organizations and the sponsors and media outlets that support those organizations.

In terms of research agendas that could be developed, the list might include:

* Demographic analyses of consumer behavior related to social media utilization and sporting events

* Peer and group influencers within and outside of the social network and their impact upon sport consumer behavior

* The monetization of social networks and the impact of advertising messages in that medium

* The ethical issues surrounding online monitoring and tracking--the implied obligation of virtual consent

* How Twitter and other forms of social networking can influence consumer switching and buying behavior

* Online influentials (Aaker, 2005) and their role in influencing and directing consumer interest, participation and purchasing decisions

Fueling the Future: Where Will the Money Come From and How Will It Be Generated?

Probably one of the most interesting and misunderstood revenue-generating areas in 2011 is ticket revenue--primarily the ticket revenue derived from variable pricing and dynamic pricing as well as the fees generated from paperless tickets and the reselling of tickets.

Variable ticket pricing (VTP) has been defined by Rascher, McEvoy, Nagel, and Brown (2007) as "changing the price of a ticket to a sporting event based on the expected demand for that event" (p. 4). The different price levels can be determined by time of the year (low interest, weather: spring vs. summer), day of the week (weekends vs. weekdays), holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, etc.), the quality of the opponent, (contender or non-contender on an elite team like the New York Yankees), or a star or marquee player on the opposing team. So, for example, when David Beckham began playing with the LA Galaxy, ticket prices for a Saturday night game increased on account of the player and the day of the week. As a result, the opposing team profited handsomely.

Dynamic pricing, according to Don Muret of the SportsBusiness Journal, adjusts single-game ticket prices as late as the day of the game through computer analysis of team performance, opponent, weather conditions, day of the week, and gate giveaways.

Dynamic pricing is becoming the preferred option for several reasons. Variable pricing is set before the season begins and thus is not subject to changes in the market; purchasers are often upset because while they pay a premium price for a premium game they do not have the option of paying a significantly lower price for a very poor game, and as variable prices are set for the entire season there is no opportunity to capitalize on unexpected success on the field, record breaking opportunities by opponents, and so forth. Thus, the flexibility of dynamic pricing is the key. The recent growth in Internet-based marketing has stimulated widespread experimentation with dynamic pricing-- the practice of varying prices for the same goods over time or across customer classes in an attempt to increase total revenues for the seller (Levin, McGill, & Nediak, 2010). Sporting events are perishable items, meaning there is no inventory once the game is played; it is gone and so is the opportunity to sell it (Mullin, Hardy, & Sutton, 2007), making the product even more appropriate for dynamic pricing.

However, as one can imagine, the average fan or potential purchaser has little understanding of variable or dynamic pricing. To avoid confusing their fans, the Dallas Stars offered this explanation on their website: "Similar to airline pricing, the best prices are often found early. Dynamic pricing will provide fans with great prices starting from the initial on-sale on Sept. 12. The upper level single-game ticket prices can go up or down based on a variety of factors, including league standings, opposing team, star players, day of the week, and real time supply and demand. Dynamic pricing for upper level tickets will continue all season. Fans will be able to check out the current prices at any time at DallasStars.com" (Wyshynski, 2011).

Qcue is the main provider of dynamic pricing and has had a significant impact on the sports world in a very short time. For the past two seasons, the San Francisco Giants have used Qcue's dynamic-pricing engine to emulate the secondary ticket market. Its algorithms set prices for a given game by factoring in the pitching match-up, opposing team, weather, day of the week, if the team's on a winning or losing streak, and sales history (see Figure 1). The Giants' revenue rose 7% last season as Qcue adjusted prices as the team blossomed into World Series champs (Salter, 2011).

A related research agenda could introduce a variety of interesting questions with huge implications for the sport industry:

* If applied to participatory sports with a high entry cost such as golf and tennis, could dynamic pricing impact participation and in fact alter the traditional demographics of the respective sport?

* How does the importance of home team performance impact the utilization of dynamic pricing?

* Does dynamic pricing have a positive or a negative correlation on the retention of season ticket holders?

* Are the principles of dynamic pricing applicable to collegiate sport? To minor league sport?

* Will dynamic pricing be applicable and gain acceptance in sports outside the United States such as the English Premier League?

* If dynamic pricing is more accepted when applied to perishable products, what are some other areas where this can be applied and what would be the potential financial impact?

The Preparation of Future Scholars, Researchers, and Practitioners

In examining these predicted future trends and identifying possible areas of scholarly inquiry, we must also look at the opportunities to produce scholars and how those scholars should be trained. At the master's level, it is apparent that business schools are beginning to emerge as a dominant force. More new programs are being created and developed in business schools than ever before. Resources and their availability along with endowments are responsible for this shift. The Warsaw School at Oregon, The DeVos Sport Business Program at the University of Central Florida, and most recently, The Mark McCormack Sport Management Program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst are evidence of the funding opportunities that are plentiful in business schools and colleges.

What should the curriculum include? Clearly, in business schools the traditional MBA curriculum should include applied coursework in sport marketing, sport law, and so forth. Non-MBA programs should create an affiliation with the business school to offer a block of business courses, especially in the areas of marketing, management, and finance. All programs should include courses in research, statistics, and business analytics, as this is the foundation for preparing students for the jobs of the future as well as creating a sound platform for those students who will elect to pursue a doctorate after completing their master's program. The NBA takes pride in its marketing executives understanding both the art and the science of marketing.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Electives should include coursework in social media, measurement and valuation, business ethics, and multiculturalism and diversity. Finally, there should be either through electives or designed into the applied curriculum some type of capstone course that provides students an opportunity to integrate what they have learned and apply it to a situation or problem facing an industry segment. This is not a practicum or an internship--those come later--but a problem-solving course that utilizes skills and knowledge from the coursework to solve a problem. Then there needs to be an opportunity to present that solution in a real-world format.

A recent issue of Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal featured a number of sport business management programs and their capstone consulting courses. Bill King, the author of the column, stated: "Long at the core of MBA programs at universities across the country, the consulting project--students tackling a business issue for a client much as a professional would--also is a prominent part of the curriculum in many master's level sport administration programs, and particularly those that offer MBAs" (King, 2011, p. 20). The previously mentioned programs at Ohio, Oregon, Massachusetts, and UCF are not alone in recognizing the importance of such real-world applied learning experiences for their students. Memphis, George Washington, Iona, Northwestern, and Georgetown all have unique consulting relationships with clients locally, regionally, nationally, and even internationally.

The common denominator among these schools is the type of projects that they are looking for. According to a consensus of the program directors, the project must provide

* a solid multi-faceted learning experience that is mutually beneficial for the students and the client;

* an opportunity to analyze a problem, and create recommendations and alternatives;

* a chance to prepare a strategic analysis;

* an engaged client willing to provide access;

* an opportunity to apply knowledge from a variety of courses;

* a format giving the students access to present their findings and recommendations to executives and engage in Q&A;

* meaningful evaluation and feedback to the students from the client--possibly including a say in grading; and

* financial support to cover the costs of the project.

Glenn Horine, executive director of the Center for Sports and Entertainment Studies at Iona College, sums up these thoughts by stating, "I think it is very important on the graduate level that it's not just what I call 'eye candy,' where you go and visit the New York Yankees or Madison Square Garden. That's great eye candy. But what does that mean from a practical application standpoint for the student if they're a finance major in the business school? Are they meeting the CFO? Is the CFO giving them a meaningful project?" (King, 2011, p. 20). Table 3 illustrates some of the types of projects and the clients these programs have developed.

Many of the programs and projects mentioned in this chart have made arrangements for the participating organization to pay student costs or even a fee or donation to the program. Fees/contributions have ranged from $1,000 to $6,000. The fee makes the student team more accountable and provides the organization with a tangible investment in the research project and the outcome. But the opportunity to study these business practices first-hand and to analyze and provide solutions will become the rule rather than the exception among top-tier graduate programs throughout North America and eventually the world.

I recently had a discussion with a student in a sales class who questioned the future of telemarketing. When I asked him what he thought could be the alternative he replied some form of social media. While I am not sure I agree, I was excited to have a number of students join in the discussion and begin creating their own alternatives to traditional business practices by using technology and practices that are commonplace in their daily lives and among their generational counterparts.

The reason for bringing up these consulting projects in this article is that not only does it provide some interesting insight and experience for students who go on and pursue a doctoral degree, but it also provides faculty with some relationships and access to investigate some of these future trends, thus creating new, relevant, and meaningful research agendas.

These new areas are very fertile in terms of content and offer faculty and doctoral students a chance to "blaze their own trail." Having access to the industry is essential in an applied field. Research can be targeted to not only develop theory and add to the body of knowledge but to solve industry problems by testing those theories and approaches.

Where Do We Go From Here?

As a budding futurist I am often asked to provide my view of where we might be headed. I have made predictions in the closing chapter of all three editions of my textbook Sport Marketing, so here are my thoughts and predictions about future sport business practices that will involve academics:

1. The global nature of sport as well as our global economy will impact educational degree programs. I feel it will happen in Europe first with a double internship experience--one in Europe and one in the US. As the majority of European graduate programs have an English-speaking component it will be an easier transition for those programs. But if the North American schools wish to participate as equals, language requirements could and should become part of the curriculum.

2. The online degree phenomenon will continue to grow at a rapid pace as cost and convenience will outweigh interaction and experiential elements. This will work very effectively for professionals wanting to earn an advanced degree while not giving up their positions, but might prove more difficult for individuals without work experience to find employment after completion of the degree.

3. The need for more analytical coursework at the master's level will become apparent as more jobs will require the professional to have data interpretation skills as well as be adept at predictive modeling, yield management, and so forth.

4. Given the current weak economy in the US and globally, employment opportunities in sport will become even more competitive. Internships will continue to be auditions, while competition for internships--even unpaid internships--will be intense as the supply of interested candidates far outstrips demand. Consulting projects like those discussed in this article will serve a useful purpose in helping an individual compete for an internship.

5. There has not been a time in my academic career where academicians and their students were more valuable to the sporting industry than now. Research and analytical skills including a variety of forms of data analysis, modeling with logarithms, and so forth are essential to the science of business. This should provide significant opportunities for consulting projects, research projects, papers, and potential funding. There are many problems to be solved as well as alternatives to be identified and considered.

Conclusion

We have entered the much talked-about Brave New World and we must continue to change, adapt, and grow if we are going to be successful navigating that world. Academicians need to look outward rather than just inward and become better integrated with practitioners in the sport industry along with the opportunities and problems that are part of that industry. In 2012 and beyond the world needs problem solvers and leaders. Sport marketing scholars are positioned to take the necessary steps. Here's hoping that they do.

References

Aaker, D. (2005). The future of marketing: A perspective from David Aaaker. Retrieved from http://www.prophet.com

Canton, J. (2007). The extreme future. Penguin Publishing, New York, NY.

Defren, T. (2009). The future of marketing. Retrieved from http://www.prsquared.com/index.php/2009/11/future-of- marketing

King, B. (2011, August 15-21). Consulting 101. SportsBusiness Journal, 2027.

Levin, Y., McGill, J., & Nediak, M. (2010). Optimal dynamic pricing of perishable items by a monopolist facing strategic consumers. Production and Operations Management, 19(1), 1.

Mullin, B. J., Hardy, S., & Sutton, W. A. (2007). Sport marketing (3rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Muret, D. (2010, August 16). NBA clubs adopt dynamic pricing. SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved from http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2010/08/20100816/ This-Weeks-News/NBA-Clubs-Adopt-Dynamic-Pricing.aspx

Rascher, D. A., McEvoy, C. D., Nagel, M. S., & Brown, M. T. (2007). Optimal variable ticket pricing in Major League Baseball. Journal of Sport Management, 21(3), 407-437.

Salter, C. (2011). The 10 most innovative companies in sports. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1738653/the- 10-most-innovative companies-in-sports

Sutton, W. A. (2012). What the future holds for sport marketing researchers and scholars. In N. L. Lough & W. A. Sutton (Eds.), Handbook of sport marketing research (pp. 419-426). Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology.

Wyshynski, G. (2011). Are hockey fans, scalpers ready for 'dynamic' ticket prices? Retrieved from http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Are-hockey-fansscalpers ready-for-dynamic-ti?urn=nhl-189394

William A. Sutton is a professor and associate department head in the DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program. His research interests include sport marketing, sales in professional sport, and forecasting the impact of societal changes on sport.
Table 1.
Top ten trends that will impact the world 2007-2027 (Canton, 2007)

Trend                       Impact

Fueling the Future          Post-oil future, the role of energy
                            alternative fuels and the impact on our
                            daily lives

The Innovation Economy      Convergence of free trade, technology,
                            peace, security, and globalization

The Next Workforce          The impact of multi-cultural and bilingual
                            employees on the traditional workplace and
                            productivity

Longevity Medicine          Longer and healthier lives, and how those
                            lives will be spent

Weird Science               Teleportation, nanobiology, and other
                            life-altering discoveries

Securing the Future         Criminals, terrorists, mind control, and
                            other emerging threats

Globalization: Cultures     Ideological battles looming based upon
in Collision                past values, religion, and culture

Climate Change              Global warming and its potential impacts
                            on life and geographic expectations

Future of the Individual    The threats of technology, government, and
                            ideologies on human rights, liberty, and
                            personal freedom

Future of America and       How these two destinies will shape the
China                       global future

Table 2.
Top Trends that will impact sport business 2012-2032

Trend                       Impact

Fueling the Future          What are the funding sources that will be
                            utilized for new venue construction,
                            hosting mega sporting events such as the
                            World Cup and the Olympics, and running
                            the day-to-day business operations of a
                            sport franchise? Will US college sports
                            exist in an amateur format?

The Innovation Economy      What new innovations will impact the
                            delivery systems for sport? Will these
                            innovations enhance or deter live
                            attendance at sporting events? How will
                            the Web continue to evolve and develop?

The Next Workforce          Will marketing and promotional concepts be
                            developed and executed with a multi-
                            cultural audience as the target market?
                            Will employee recruiting reflect a
                            changing society? How much will technology
                            impact the types of work performed by
                            humans, and how many jobs will be lost due
                            to a more effective and economic
                            technological solution?

Longevity Medicine          As consumers remain more active and live
                            longer, will 18-34 still be the most
                            sought-after demographic by sports
                            advertisers and marketers? What changes
                            and innovations will need to emerge in
                            sport venues to accommodate this older
                            audience? What new forms of sport will be
                            popular for participation among an older
                            population?

Weird Science               In our current age of on-demand and
                            portability, what comes next? Will science
                            provide alternative healing and
                            regenerative products that will prolong
                            the careers of athletes and make
                            recuperation from injuries significantly
                            faster? Is there more than 3D? Will a new
                            form of transportation or teleportation
                            emerge that would make global professional
                            leagues a reality?

Securing the Future         Will the threat of terrorism- both
                            international and domestic--alter the ways
                            that sporting events are played and
                            attended? Will venue designs be altered to
                            reflect the need for more security and
                            safety? Will this extend to commercial
                            recreational facilities, theme parks and
                            other attractions?

Globalization: Cultures     Will soccer/football crack the big four US
in Transition               professional sports (baseball, basketball,
                            football, and hockey)? What other sports
                            will be imported and exported? How will
                            this impact high schools and colleges in
                            terms of their offerings, and how will it
                            impact the development of playing fields
                            and other recreational spaces?

Climate Change              Will the Winter Olympics be restricted to
                            a smaller geographic area because of
                            weather considerations during the schedule
                            of events? Will participation in skiing
                            and other winter activities decline due to
                            climate change? Will the ski industry and
                            other winter sports providers undertake
                            R&D to create new facilities and other
                            activity areas that can be climatically
                            controlled and enhanced?

Future of the Individual    Will individual sports continue to grow at
                            the expense of team sports? Will the
                            individual demand more from a sporting
                            experience rather than solely spectating?

Future of America and       Will the NBA China cooperative league
China                       succeed and be a model for other countries
                            to form partnerships? How will aspiring
                            global enterprises use sport to gain
                            market share internationally? How will
                            engagement marketing and activation change
                            and take on cultural nuances?

Table 3.
Graduate level sport business programs--Sample listing of client
consulting projects

College/University    Client                   Project

Iona                  Major League Lacrosse,   Demographic and
                      Dunkin' Donuts, and      sponsorship analyses,
                      NASCAR                   licensing

George Washington     Brazilian Olympic        Sponsorship
                      Committee, Dominican     activation,
                      baseball                 sustainability,
                                               attendance, player
                                               draft, and transition
                                               issues

Georgetown            D.C. United              Organizational
                                               effectiveness, multi-
                                               cultural market
                                               analyses, and
                                               targeting

Massachusetts         47 Brand, Evoshield,     Strategic analyses,
                      Turfdawgs                brand positioning,
                                               advertising, messaging

Ohio                  Washington Nationals,    Sponsorship studies,
                      National Sports Forum,   sales training
                      IMG College, Major       academy, multi-
                      League Soccer            cultural marketing,

Oregon                Nike, adidas, Portland   Feasibility studies,
                      Trailblazers, Seattle    target market
                      Seahawks                 identification,
                                               consumer profiling,
                                               sponsorship analyses

Central Florida       Madison Square Garden,   Sponsorship
                      VF Sports, Coca-Cola,    activation,
                      Chicago White Sox, GMR   competitive analyses

Memphis               Federal Express, St.     Sponsorship research,
                      Jude Classic, Memphis    ticket sales training,
                      Grizzlies                and development
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