Strategic sport marketing and the Football Industry

Convenor: Dr Geoff Waters
Assessment: two coursework assignments, A 1000 word literature review (25%) – deadline Friday 17th February 2012 (Absolute Cut-Off deadline – 9th March 2012), A 3000 word marketing report (75%) - deadline Friday March 30th 2012 (Absolute Cut-Off deadline – 20th April 2012)

Aims

The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to theoretical and practical issues associated with sport marketing. It will review the principles of the marketing mix in the context of sport and identify current research in relevant areas of sport marketing. However the lectures will draw heavily on case-study examples to illustrate these principles and concepts in practice. Topics to be covered include segmentation of the sports customer, the role of promotion, advertising and sponsorship in the marketing of sport, and pricing and distribution strategies. Where appropriate the focus is on the unique application of marketing principles and processes to the sport industry with an emphasis on research-based literature.

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, students will be able:

• To understand the need for sport organisations to apply a marketing perspective
• To identify the need for market research
• To critically assess the roles of segmentation, targeting and positioning
• To analyse the role of the marketing mix in sport

Background reading

• Shank, M.D. (2009) Sports Marketing: A Strategic Perspective. New Jersey: Prentice Hall
• Beech, J and Chadwick, S (2007) The Marketing of Sport, London: FT Prentice-Hall
• Shilbury, D , Quick, S and Westerbeek, H (2003) Strategic Sport Marketing (2nd Eds), New South Wales, Allen & Unwin

Students should also consult the main academic journals in the field such as the European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Sport Management, and Sport Marketing Quarterly.