Marketing the sport product presents several challenges for sport marketers due in large part to the uniqueness of sports. When marketing the sport product, sports marketers are illustrating several key points of the product: competition between teams, the product on the field (the team brand), and the consumption of the brand through merchandise and TV contracts. The on-field product is an element of the sport product that the marketing has no control; however, the fan experience and the entertainment aspects are completely in the marketer’s control. As a sport marketer, understanding why consumers chooses to purchase a sport product to satisfy their wants and needs over other products is key to developing a successful sports marketing plan.
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In a more traditional product life cycle, products are not consumed when they are produced or distributed. Since sports are produced and consumed at the same time, the sport product is inconsistent and unpredictable. Several factors can change the sport product such as weather, facility offerings and team performance. As the product changes so does the consumer’s perception. Since sports consistently changes over time, the sport consumer’s perception also changes and marketers have to adapt to the changing environment. For example, if the team is performing badly on the field, marketers have to customize their advertising strategies and messaging to appeal to a sport consumer to get them to purchase tickets. When the Memphis Basketball Team lost multiple home games this season to non-ranked opponents, fans stop attending the games. In order to fill seats, the marketing department used the success of the football team to entice fans to attend the game by offering pictures with the football trophies. The Memphis marketing department had to quickly adapt to the changing fans perception by changing their messaging strategy. Over the course of a season, marketers will have changed their messaging and advertising several times in order to keep up with the changing product. The unpredictability of the industry makes the marketers job complex and requires marketers to quickly adapt to the changes. Another …show more content…
First, sport organizations compete and cooperate simultaneously. This means that professional, and college sports require other sporting entities in order to have successful competition that appeals to the consumer. Unlike traditional industries where a company tries to monopolize the industry in order to determine the market, sporting organizations need each other in order to produce the sporting competition. Without the competition between sporting organizations, the sport product would lose its appeal and most of its value. For example, the Chicago Bears professional football team relies heavily on its competition with the Green Bay Packers ever year. Each year, the rivalry between the Bears and the Packers brings in thousands of football fans to Soldier Field and Lambeau Field. The competition between the two teams creates millions in revenue and generates values for both teams. Second, the demand for sporting events fluctuates considerably. The sport life cycle is a lot different than most other industries. Most industries have a relatively consistent industry that changes slightly over time. However, the sport market changes based on weather, injuries and weak competition. Each sport form tends to have an annual life cycle (Mullin and Hardy, 2007) and changes in the season can affect ticket sales and merchandising revenue. At the
In a more traditional product life cycle, products are not consumed when they are produced or distributed. Since sports are produced and consumed at the same time, the sport product is inconsistent and unpredictable. Several factors can change the sport product such as weather, facility offerings and team performance. As the product changes so does the consumer’s perception. Since sports consistently changes over time, the sport consumer’s perception also changes and marketers have to adapt to the changing environment. For example, if the team is performing badly on the field, marketers have to customize their advertising strategies and messaging to appeal to a sport consumer to get them to purchase tickets. When the Memphis Basketball Team lost multiple home games this season to non-ranked opponents, fans stop attending the games. In order to fill seats, the marketing department used the success of the football team to entice fans to attend the game by offering pictures with the football trophies. The Memphis marketing department had to quickly adapt to the changing fans perception by changing their messaging strategy. Over the course of a season, marketers will have changed their messaging and advertising several times in order to keep up with the changing product. The unpredictability of the industry makes the marketers job complex and requires marketers to quickly adapt to the changes. Another …show more content…
First, sport organizations compete and cooperate simultaneously. This means that professional, and college sports require other sporting entities in order to have successful competition that appeals to the consumer. Unlike traditional industries where a company tries to monopolize the industry in order to determine the market, sporting organizations need each other in order to produce the sporting competition. Without the competition between sporting organizations, the sport product would lose its appeal and most of its value. For example, the Chicago Bears professional football team relies heavily on its competition with the Green Bay Packers ever year. Each year, the rivalry between the Bears and the Packers brings in thousands of football fans to Soldier Field and Lambeau Field. The competition between the two teams creates millions in revenue and generates values for both teams. Second, the demand for sporting events fluctuates considerably. The sport life cycle is a lot different than most other industries. Most industries have a relatively consistent industry that changes slightly over time. However, the sport market changes based on weather, injuries and weak competition. Each sport form tends to have an annual life cycle (Mullin and Hardy, 2007) and changes in the season can affect ticket sales and merchandising revenue. At the