The study examines the influence of online marketing on customer relationships in the sports industry.
The primary aim was to investigate how customers perceive the use of online marketing and which factors and tools are most important for them. The enormous macroeconomic importance and the growing commercialization of the sports industry in general, have resulted in the emergence of a highly competitive market in which the building and maintaining of strong customer relationships is a key success factor for sports organizations. The study aims to identify the importance of the most common e-business tools today and to learn how consumers perceive future trends of e-business, like e.g. user interactivity or mobile commerce. All these factors were analyzed according to customer satisfaction and perception, and to their influence on improving customer relationships.
A combined methodological approach of quantitative and qualitative research was used in form of a questionnaire. This questionnaire was clearly divided into a quantitative section, which was built of 21 multiple choice questions, and a qualitative section, which was mainly designed to learn more about personal experiences from the customers. This methodological approach was designed to contrast individual perceptions from the customers to general trends.
The literature review indicated that the most commonly used Internet applications in the sports industry can roughly be divided into information applications, e-commerce applications and interactive applications. The results of the study discovered that the majority of customers prefer to make use of the club’s website for informative purposes. General trends, like user interactivity are acknowledged as less important, even in comparison to e-business tools like ticketing. In fact, customers have accepted the Internet as a helpful and trustful information and communication source, which has improved significantly the integration of customers to the happenings in and around the club itself.
This study is very helpful to sports marketers, as it reveals the factors of online marketing which are most efficient regarding customer satisfaction and customer loyalty and provides them with a number of recommendations how to most effectively make use of online marketing.
Table of Contents
I. INTRODUCTION
I.I INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
I.II THE NEED OF MARKETING OF SPORT ORGANIZATIONS
I.III AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH
I.IV RESEARCH QUESTIONS
I.V METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
I.VI STRUCTURE
I.VII SUMMARY
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
II.I INTRODUCTION
II.II CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN SPORTS
II.III RELATIONSHIP MARKETING IN SPORTS
II.III.I PRINCIPLES OF RELATIONSHIP MARKETING
II.III.II THE FAN PERSPECTIVE
II.IV ONLINE MARKETING IN SPORTS
II.IV.I THE IMPORTANCE OF ONLINE MARKETING
II.IV.II COMMON INTERNET APPLICATIONS USED IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY
II.V CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL E-BUSINESS IN THE SPORTS INDUSTRY
II.VI SUMMARY
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
III.I INTRODUCTION
III.II RESEARCH DESIGN
III.II.I RESEARCH DATA ACQUISITION
III.II.II RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
III.II.III INTERVIEW DESIGN
III.II.IV SURVEY DESIGN
III.III VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE RESEARCH
III.IV ETHICS AND CONFIDENTIALITY
III.V SUMMARY
IV. RESULTS, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS
IV.I INTRODUCTION
IV.II RESULTS
IV.I.I SUMMARY OF THE QUANTITATIVE SURVEY RESULTS
IV.I.II SUMMARY OF THE QUALITATIVE SURVEY RESULTS
IV.II DISCUSSION OF THE RESEARCH FINDINGS
IV.II.I CONSUMER PREFERENCES WHEN MAKING USE OF E-BUSINESS
IV.II.II CONSUMER SATISFACTION AND PERCEPTION OF E-BUSINESS QUALITY
IV.II.III INFLUENCE OF E-BUSINESS ON CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS AND LOYALTY
IV.II.IV ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS FROM THE FAN’S PERSPECTIVE
IV.III SUMMARY
V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
V.I. INTRODUCTION
V.II KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
V.III RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SPORTS MARKETERS
V.IV LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH
V.V RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
Objectives and Key Themes
This study aims to investigate how the use of e-business can help sports organizations improve their relationships with customers by analyzing consumer awareness, perceptions, and the efficiency of existing e-business tools.
- Analysis of consumer behavior in the professional sports industry
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of common e-business tools for fan engagement
- Investigation of the relationship between digital presence and customer loyalty
- Assessment of future trends such as mobile commerce and user interactivity
- Provision of strategic recommendations for sports marketers to optimize their online presence
Excerpt from the Book
II.II Consumer Behavior in Sports
“Organized sport activities always involve four groups of people: athletes, spectators, sponsors and commentators” (Baker, 1982 cited in Trenberth, Garland, 2007, p.84).
This paper limits its focus to the group of spectators, so the word consumer will be used synonymously for describing spectators, respectively the sports fan. However, independent of whether consumer behavior is watching or participating, the essence of sport consumer behavior is about the experience (Funk, 2008, p.4). In this context, Funk (2007, p.4) formulated a phrase, which perfectly reflects this characteristic.
“Sport consumer behavior is about the journey not the destination.”
Furthermore, Funk (2007, p.6) established the following definition of sport and event consumer behavior:
“Sport and Event Consumer Behavior is the process involved when individuals select, purchase, use, and dispose of sport and sport event related products and services to satisfy needs and receive benefits.”
Summary of Chapters
I. INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of the rising commercialization in sports and defines the necessity of e-business for managing customer relationships.
II. LITERATURE REVIEW: Examines academic concepts of consumer behavior, relationship marketing, and online marketing within the unique context of the sports industry.
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Details the case study approach focusing on VfL Bochum, utilizing a mix of quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews for data collection.
IV. RESULTS, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS: Presents and interprets the survey data, contrasting customer perceptions of e-business tools with existing industry theory.
V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Synthesizes the key research findings and offers actionable advice for sports marketers to improve digital engagement and loyalty.
Keywords
E-Business, Sports Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, Consumer Behavior, VfL Bochum, Online Marketing, Fan Loyalty, User Interactivity, Digital Communication, Mobile Commerce, Web Presence, Spectator Experience, Sport Management, Marketing Strategy, Customer Satisfaction
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
This research focuses on examining how e-business tools influence customer relationships within the sports industry, specifically using VfL Bochum as a case study.
What are the primary themes addressed in the work?
The work addresses consumer behavior in sports, relationship marketing strategies, the role of online marketing, and the effectiveness of digital tools like websites and mobile applications.
What is the main objective of this study?
The primary objective is to investigate consumer awareness and perceptions of e-business and identify which digital tools are most effective for building customer loyalty and improving engagement.
Which methodology was chosen for this research?
The researcher utilized a combined approach of quantitative and qualitative research, conducting a survey and interviews with 20 spectators at a VfL Bochum match.
What topics are covered in the main section of the book?
The main sections cover a comprehensive literature review, the research methodology, detailed analysis of quantitative and qualitative survey results, and a discussion on how these findings compare to academic theories.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
Key terms include Sports Marketing, E-Business, Customer Relationship Management, Fan Loyalty, and Consumer Behavior.
What did the results reveal about user interactivity?
The results indicated that while user interactivity is theoretically important for customer engagement, many fans in the study were less familiar with or less focused on these specific tools, preferring informative website content instead.
How does the author evaluate the importance of mobile applications?
The author suggests that mobile commerce is currently in its early stages but identifies a growing recognition among fans that mobile applications will become significantly more important in the future.
- Quote paper
- Philipp Sauer (Author), 2011, Improving Customer Relationships in the Sports Industry through the Use of E-Business, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/301365
