Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Bahram Rezaeian ¹
• seyed ehsan amirhosseini ¹
• Sardar Mohammadi ²
• Vali Nowzari ³

¹ Department of Physical Education and sport sciences, Yas. C., Islamic Azad University, Yasuj, Iran.

² Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Kurdistan, Iran

³ Department of Physical Education and sport sciences, Ars. C., Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan, Iran.

Abstract

Responsive marketing under crisis conditions is of particular importance for Iranian Premier League football clubs, as it directly affects financial continuity, the preservation of fans’ social capital, and the sustainability of club performance. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the development of responsive marketing under crisis conditions in Premier League football clubs. In terms of purpose, the research was applied–developmental and was conducted using an inductive, mixed-method approach. The qualitative phase was exploratory in strategy, and the quantitative phase was carried out using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). The statistical population comprised experts in the field of management. Ultimately, 18 participants were selected through purposive sampling using the snowball technique, with theoretical saturation as the selection criterion. Data collection instruments included interviews and a pairwise comparison questionnaire. Data were analyzed using grounded theory and the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process. To answer the research question, after reviewing the conducted interviews and incorporating follow-up feedback from interviewees, 11 main factors were identified as responsive marketing factors under crisis conditions in Premier League football clubs. These factors included: reducing exchange costs, enhancing credibility, being a source of impact (effectiveness), creating social capital, social acceptance, communication requirements, developmental requirements, vision, enhancing customers’ affective commitment, technological requirements, and service requirements. In the prioritization phase, the results indicated that enhancing credibility ranked first, being a source of impact ranked second, creating social capital ranked third, social acceptance ranked fourth, vision ranked fifth, reducing exchange costs ranked sixth, enhancing customers’ affective commitment ranked seventh, technological requirements ranked eighth, communication requirements ranked ninth, developmental requirements ranked tenth, and service requirements ranked eleventh.

Keywords

• Responsive Marketing
• Crisis Management
• Financial Resilience
• Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP)
• Football Industry

Main Subjects

• Sports management, marketing