Spring/Summer 2008 Volume 4, Issue 2 - The SMART Journal

The SMART Journal Spring/Summer 2008
Page 68
from a 1.6 rating in 2000. The Winter X Games VI held in 2002 was the most-watched Winter X Games ever
telecast on ESPN (Raymond, 2002). Most recently, King (2007b) reported results from the ESPN Deportes Poll
on Hispanic sport indicating that 45% of sports fans in Spanish-language-dominant households follow action
sports, along with 54% in bilingual and English-dominant homes (compared with 45% of sports fans in the
general U.S. population) (p. 19).
Understanding why these demographic groups are increasingly attracted to participation in action sports could
help sport providers more effectively reach individuals from these populations. However, understanding how
salient subcultures within these populations (e.g., more or less culturally assimilated Hispanics) vary with
regard to consumer preferences for marketing and promotion strategies and for different action sport offerings
would make such efforts even more effective. The practical implications include the potential for more
successful target marketing for action sports providers and the achievement of the moral objective of extending
action sports opportunities to a broader audience of participants and spectators.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this paper has sought to demonstrate the importance for sport marketers and sport providers of
supplementing the use of demographics with linked deep-level culturally relevant information when targeting
marketing and promotional efforts to diverse groups of sports participant consumers. In particular, we proposed
that the cultural diversity approach to managing diversity in sport organizations described by Doherty and
Chelladurai (1999) be adopted when conducting consumer behavior research on diverse market segments of
sports participant consumers. We used the example of diversity in action sports participants to illustrate how
linking a cultural diversity perspective with the use of demographic information might be especially effective in
that sport industry niche. The cultural diversity approach facilitates more nuanced (hence more accurate)
analyses of consumer behavior. The resulting information can assist sport providers and marketers in more
effectively attracting diverse groups of people to participate as primary consumers of sport, thereby achieving
greater social justice while at the same time doing good business.
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American Sports Data, Inc. (2004a). Lifestyle segmentation report. Hartsdale, NY: American Sports Data, Inc.
American Sports Data, Inc. (2004b). Sector analysis. Hartsdale, NY: American Sports Data, Inc.
Armstrong, K.L. (1998). Ten strategies to employ when marketing sport to black consumers. Sport Marketing
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Armstrong, K.L., & Stratta, T.M.P. (2004). Market analyses of race and sport consumption. Sport Marketing
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Bennett, G., & Henson, R.K. (2003). Perceived status of the action sports segment among college students.
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Bennett, G., Henson, R., & Zhang, J. (2002). Action sports sponsorship recognition. Sport Marketing Quarterly,
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Volume 4, Issue 2