Sports marketing strategies in professional sports organizations

¶ … sports management.

I learned about sports purely from a spectator's perspective. Although I also love to play a variety of sports, I found myself increasingly drawn towards the business aspects of games whether that be NHL hockey or MLB baseball. Sports management also appeals to me because it allows me to combine by business acumen with my greatest passion in life.

The importance of sports marketing to the overall success of a professional sports organization as well as to athletic excellence.

Key Points

Merchandising

Although the economic recession has adversely impacted the willingness of some sports organizations to take risks and invest in new merchandising opportunities, merchandising remains an important aspect of the marketing mix. Sports merchandising can be viewed within the overall context of advertising and promotions, given that team and league products create brand awareness and encourage team spirit. Merchandising is a major part of an organization's marketing portfolio, as it allows sports organizations to renew their image and have control over branding. Moreover, this aspect of sports management blends with careers in the retail sector.

Reference: Schlossberg, Howard. Sports Marketing. Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. This book provides a good reference point for understanding how merchandising fits into a sports organization's overall business model.

3. Advertising and promotions

Sports is like any other business advertising and promotions are crucial to its success. Teams should use a variety of advertising venues and methods. Those methods range from new media (team and league Web sites); traditional media (newspaper, magazine, and television advertisements); and creative media (public art, celebrity endorsements). Promoting sports is a full-time job, requiring general expertise in marketing.

Reference: Shimp, Terence a. Advertising Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications. 8th Edition. Cengage Publishing.

4. Public relations

Sports scandals can break careers and sully team spirit. On the other hand, skillful public relations can spell long-term success for sports organizations. A sports organization that hires a skillful public relations manager can count on a solid relationship with the media, which in turn leads to greater opportunities for corporate sponsorship. thus, public relations can be one of the most important aspects of sports management.

Beech, John G. And Chadwick, Simon. The Marketing of Sport. 2007.

Visual Aids

This image shows how teams can create advertising bonds with local companies to the benefit of both parties.

This image shows how sports organizations like the NFL can use video games as a creative marketing means. This creates brand awareness, and can also be viewed as a form of merchandising.

This image shows how sports arenas should be viewed as advertising venues in themselves. Renting out ad space in a hockey arena, for example, is one way to generate added revenue for a team, increase sponsorship funds, and create more opportunities for fund raising.