advanced theory and practice in sport marketing - Marshalls University

that will be attractive to the market and meaningful to the sport consumer. This
includes choosing those elements of the physical setting that the target market
will be able to relate to. To enhance the message, the delivery also will include
specific sensory elements to ensure the message is received and remembered.
A perfect example of this process can be seen in Gatorade’s commercials.
Their latest commercial depicts professional basketball player Minnesota’s
Kevin Garnett bursting out of a basketball at center court of a fenced in blacktop
basketball court, just like millions of recreational courts across America.
With sweat dripping off him, the first thing that he does is drink Gatorade.
Now, no one in the world is bursting out of a basketball, however, the notion
that arguably the best player in the game today attributes his success to drinking
Gatorade all his life is plausible, and will result in fans around the globe
purchasing Gatorade.
Sport Promotion Strategies
The purpose of a sport promotional strategy is to build brand loyalty and product
credibility, develop image, and position the brand. A promotional strategy is
similar to a marketing strategy, but the promotional strategy seeks short-term
objectives, both direct and indirect. Promotional objectives usually include
increased sales, stimulate impulse buying, raise customer traffic, and present and
reinforce image. It also provides information about products and services, publicizes
new stores or websites, and creates and enhances customer satisfaction.
A sport marketing professional must understand the various parts of promotional
integration, which is usually viewed as one of the final stages of the entire
sport marketing process. Promotional integration is the actual creation and
delivery of the promotional message that involves defining how the message is
to reach the consumer, ensuring that the promotional message will be received
and understood, and that the promotional message will lead to the purchase of
a product or service. This process starts with building awareness, which is the
measurement of the percent of the target market that knows about the organization’s
products and/or services, including customer recall as related to brand
recognition, brand features, or brand positioning.
This is followed by a series of integrations that will lead to the overall strategic
promotional implementation. Image integration is the relationship of the opinion
of consumers and the sport product, service, and/or organization affects how it is
promoted. Functional integration is how the design or operations of the product,
service, and/or organization can be utilized to effectively promote it. Coordinated
integration is how all operational aspects of the organization work together to
promote the products, services, and/or the organization itself. Consumer-based
integration is the involvement of the buyers and users of product and services as an
integral part of the promotional process. Stakeholder-based integration is how the
ownership and employees of the organization have a vested interest in the efficient
promotion of the product, service, and/or organization. Relationship management
integration is how all aspects discussed above work cooperatively with each other
to effectively and efficiently promote the product, service, or organization.
214 ADVANCED THEORY AND PRACTICE IN SPORT MARKETING