Sport Marketing Strategy - Report Example

Sport Marketing Sport Marketing The ultimate phase of the sport marketing agenda characterizes the execution and control of the sport-marketing plan. Implementing a sport marketing agenda is enforcing the laid out strategies into practice. Most sport marketing entities find out that it is more difficult to implement a marketing stratagem than it seems. However, there are pertinent actions that sports marketers can accomplish in order to aid them implement a marketing stratagem more meritoriously. These actions include the utilization of implementation stratagems and the use of control processes. Notably, a sport marketing strategy is most in the offing to be effectual if there exists a vibrant frontrunner or set of frontrunners who can assume full accountability for its final execution. Moreover, it is pertinent for all players of the sport marketing team to possess a clear comprehension of the marketing idea and where probable; make a sufficient contribution in accordance with their knowledge, abilities and unique skills (Mullin et al. 2009). The process, therefore, demands for a team comprising a blend of volunteers and staff who possess the proper mix of attitudes, experience, know-how and skills in the foremost step (Shilbury et al. 2004). Whether the execution of the sport marketing initiative shall be affluent relies on the personal and group effort of the involved volunteers and professional staff. The eventual part of the implementation stage of the marketing plan is to revisit, analyze and evaluate the aftermaths on a regular basis. It is highly pertinent to monitor how successfully the strategy is doing and to give way for variations in the current state of affairs are not progressing as intended from the initiation of the strategies. An ideal control process offers the structure to the incoming feedback (Shilbury et al. 2004). The entire sport marketing control initiative comprises of five major steps. The foremost step includes initiating performance measures. Such measures ought to be already in practice according to the second phase of the sport marketing initiative. The subsequent part of the framework is putting the performance measures into practice, through evaluating performance prior to and after the marketing initiative is under complete implementation (Hoye 2009). Succeeding the second level is the third stage whereby, a top down comparison of the results to identify gaps, loopholes, drawbacks and performance success occurs. Control in the sport marketing strategy involves the process of setting various standards, specifying and sourcing for feedback data, analyzing and evaluating all the information acquired and eventually taking the proper actions. The control process inculcates all organizational levels and is continuous in nature. An evaluation of the entire strategic marketing activity occurs in four distinct levels. Foremost, control of the annual plan is important to ensure that the sport entity achieves the goals that appear within the annual plan for sales and profits among others. The major tools for the annual control plan include an analysis of the market stake and financial analysis. In the sports arena, entities set attendance, participation, financial and field success measures. If a discrepancy exists between the output objectives, the sport organization examine the real proceeds and causes in corrective actions with an aim to blur the lines between the output and the objectives (Mullin et al. 2009). The corrective actions may result into the modification of the marketing goals and stratagems. Moreover, strategic control concentrates on the periodical reassessment of the organization and its strategic conception of the marketplace. Control of efficiency focuses on the process of finding means of augmenting the efficiency of the components of the 4Ps of the marketing mix that include the product, price, place and promotion such as distribution, sponsorship, publicity, use of the television, licensing, merchandising and ensuring service quality. Profitability control is also a major control initiative that ensures that measurement of the profitability of various services and products that the sport entity provides, market segments, trade channels and customer groups undergoes critical examination and analysis. If the entity pinpoints discrepancies from the objectives and goals, it initiates the correct actions (Mullin et al. 2009). With such variations in place, the fourth most important step is to determine if the variance is favorable or unfavorable and whether some intervention is necessary. The eventual step in the entire marketing process is to instill remedial alterations to the marketing strategy and mix them in order to put back in line with the available marketing goals. While the execution of a marketing blueprint in the sports arena ought to comply with a sports entity’s goals, it ought to fit within the wider boundaries of ethical behavior (Hoye 2009). Ethics in the world of sports marketing sector normally refers to if the traditional 4 Ps of the marketing blend comply with a professional and a moral code. Commonly, such inculcate matters related to unsecure and or substandard products, predatory or false pricing, dishonest or disingenuous promotional events and collusive or extortionate distributions. In the sporting arena, other key moral concerns are apprehensive of spreading of the private livelihoods of sportsmen/women, manipulating the fervent fanatics of sports, exploiting children who idolize prominent sport celebrities via athlete commendations of profitable merchandise and the use of locations with unsafe amenities (Shilbury et al. 2004). It also includes making unrealistic promises to stakeholders through false promotion of products and services relating to fitness, health and weight loss products, use of performance enhancing drugs and pricing high-level matches and special sport shows in extortionate ways. Concisely, the independent, autonomous consumer decisions that on whose ground are the truthful representation of the merchandise/services and their prices are at the center of accountable, professional and ethical sport marketing. Port marketing revolves around the promise of fulfilling and satisfying the inherent needs of sport consumers. In doing so, it cultivates and nurtures an enduring relationship with them that result into a firm brand loyalty. Sport marketing lies at the core of the strategy, whereby, sport entities concentrate on what they are best at, and current market opportunities where sport consumers receive what they cherish (Hoye 2009). The best way of getting to such an intersection is by using a systematic approach outlined in the sport-marketing plan. To ensure that all steps of the sport marketing strategies are successful in the entire race, there is a necessity for sport organization to follow every step with critical focus by supporting the key players in the project and investing in the key resources necessary for the success of the entire process. Though there exists minimal realistic evidence that demonstrates the connection between marketing organization and corporate success, there has been a pressing need for recognition of the usefulness of strategic marketing planning in the contemporary sports arena. Sport managers should observe the entire process systematically in order to handle and transcend complicates business environments in which the sports entity operates. Managers should adapt effectively to the strategies and eventually deliver high economic benefits. References Hoye, R. (2009). Sport Management: Principles and Applications. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Shilbury, D., Quick, S., & Westerbeek, H. (2004). Strategic Sport Marketing. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. Mullin, B. J., Hardy, S., & Sutton, W. A. (2007). Sport Marketing. Chicago, IL: Human Kinetics. Read More