Sports management, marketing
Hossein Abdolmaleki; Bahareh Khalili; Fatemeh Zarsineh; Maryam Sadeghi; Zahra Fathi
Abstract
Abstract
A special type of advertising and customer communication is called endorsement, which is done by using famous people. In this advertising method, famous people often introduce the company's products and services to customers by appearing in the company's advertisements and allowing them to ...
Read More
Abstract
A special type of advertising and customer communication is called endorsement, which is done by using famous people. In this advertising method, famous people often introduce the company's products and services to customers by appearing in the company's advertisements and allowing them to use their name and image (Fink et al., 2004). In recent years, the use of famous athletes in advertisements has become more common; Because, due to the popularity of athletes and the media's attention to them, their influence on consumer behavior is very high (Gupta et al., 2022). Famous athletes are able to give special meaning and concept to products and services and associate them with their success and sports performance. Therefore, the use of athletes in advertisements is an effective marketing strategy for companies that are trying to increase the reputation and popularity of their brand and strengthen their sales (Farahani et al., 2020). But the presence of men in advertising and endorsements has been more prominent and the opportunities for the presence of female athletes in such issues have been less (Fink, 2008). Fink et al (2004) noted that female athletes likely earn less through endorsements because they are less likely to be selected as endorsers than their male counterparts. In fact, sport is known as a male domain that reinforces traditional gender norms (Larkin et al., 2021). Although in Iran some male athletes, especially in the field of football, are used to a certain extent for approval, but prominent female athletes are not used publicly and apparently there is no clear mechanism for the presence of women in this area; This is while in developed countries, companies use female sports stars like men for endorsement according to the type of their product. Therefore, the main problem of this research is, what are the most important obstacles to the presence of Iranian women athletes in sports advertisements as endorsers? The current research is a description of the survey type and the mixed research method is a combination of qualitative and quantitative parts. In the qualitative section, semi-structured qualitative interviews were used. The implementation steps of this research can be described in the form of 2 general studies. In the first study, based on the fuzzy Delphi method, the most important obstacles to the presence of Iranian female athletes in sports advertisements as validators were identified from the experts' point of view. In the second study, the factors obtained from the first study were distributed among the members of the statistical sample in the form of a questionnaire suitable for the fuzzy hierarchical analysis process, in order to rank the obtained factors using appropriate statistical methods. . The statistical population of this research included female athletes with the following conditions: 1- history of being a member of the national team for at least 5 years; 2- History of winning medals in international competitions; 3- At least a bachelor's degree in the field of sports science or fields related to the subject of research (management, social sciences, law and media). With the follow-up and contact with the athletes who had the conditions to enter the research, 24 people formed the members of the society's Delphi panel. 17 of them cooperated with the researcher as a research sample. according to Delphi panel, Inequality in the media coverage of women's sports, inadequacy with some products, traditional attitudes towards women, the male-dominated cultural structure of the country's sports, the lack of awareness of one's own abilities in female athletes, religious prejudices, the limitation of women's coverage in advertisements and the greater popularity of male athletes. Obstacles to the presence of Iranian female athletes in sports advertisements were identified for validation. In order to rank the obtained factors, the fuzzy AHP method was used; According to this method, religious prejudices are the most important obstacle to the presence of Iranian sportswomen in sports advertisements as endorsers, and after that, according to the male-dominated cultural structure of the country's sports, the traditional attitude towards women and inequality in the media coverage of women's sports are ranked second to fourth. Hallmann et al (2022) stated that, based on social gender stereotypes, sport is considered masculine; This perception makes women less visible, less welcome, and less supported in male-dominated sports advertising. According to this finding, it is suggested to the authorities of the country's radio and television to improve the television coverage of women's sports and broadcast more matches live so that female athletes are recognized in the society as well as men. This is despite the fact that the physical and gender difference and ignoring women compared to men in the field of sports is more of a social and cultural issue than it is related to their nature. This issue is more acute in developing countries such as Iran, as Farahani et al (2020) stated, in Iran, women's sports in some disciplines or their presence in sports fields are opposed, which is a form of gender discrimination in Iran. The importance of female athletes is also very evident. In recent years, Iranian female athletes have shown potential in some sports fields, and if space is provided for their presence, they can become champions in the world arena. Therefore, based on the results of this research, the view of women should be changed and some of the religious prejudices and negative attitudes towards them should be changed. If society wants young girls to develop well and fulfill their potential, good role models are essential, and as role models, female athletes have many positive qualities. As Statz et al (2022) reported regarding the use of female celebrities as endorsers in magazines for teenage girls, the use of female athletes has a great impact on young girls' sports tendencies, which confirms the results of the present research. But at the same time, in Iran, women are used much less in advertisements and there is more of a gender perspective on this issue. Regarding religious prejudices, Hussain & Cunningham (2021) reported that although participation in sports seems to be an individual choice, culture and religion are also reasons for inequality between men and women in sports; At the same time, many Muslim countries have provided the way for the progress and advancement of women to become champions and winners. According to this finding, families are advised to reconsider the type of bias towards girls in raising their children, so that girls can freely participate in the society and reduce the bias towards them.
Maryam Taql; Hosein Poursoltani Zarandi; reza shajie
Abstract
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine the role of market orientation in the relationship between innovation culture and the development of Nike brand marketing strategy in Shiraz. Despite the few researches that exist in this field in our country, the importance of research has increased ...
Read More
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to determine the role of market orientation in the relationship between innovation culture and the development of Nike brand marketing strategy in Shiraz. Despite the few researches that exist in this field in our country, the importance of research has increased the impact of innovation culture on marketing strategies through market orientation more than ever. By explaining the impact of innovation culture on marketing strategy with the role of market orientation, the researcher aims to help the community of stores offering Nike products in the city of Shiraz, and based on the results of this research, take a big step in the direction of advancing and developing different marketing methods in Sports marketing industry. On the other hand, small and medium-sized businesses that cannot keep pace with the rapid changes and transformations in the present era, will become stagnant, stop, and stagnate, and will undoubtedly not have an active presence in the future, and will eventually collapse. Therefore, considering the importance of innovation on market performance in the current turbulent environment, the main question of the present research is the role of market orientation in the causal relationship of innovation culture on the development of Nike brand marketing strategy in Shiraz city.
In terms of research method, this research is descriptive-correlation based on structural equation modeling and in terms of purpose, it is applied and has been conducted in the field. The statistical population of this study includes all customers of Nike brand in Shiraz in an unknown number. Using Cochran's formula, 385 people were selected as a statistical sample by non-random sampling method. Data collection tools were Narwell and Sartel (1990) standard market orientation questionnaire, Carmel's organizational culture and innovation questionnaire (2005) and Schilling Lee (2000) marketing strategies questionnaire.
Table 1. Reliability of research questionnaires
Reliability status
Cronbach's alpha
Component
Variable
acceptable
0.86
Beliefs/attitudes/styles
Innovation culture
acceptable
0.66
Clarity of goals and clarity of role
acceptable
0.89
Work organization
acceptable
0.93
Decision making
acceptable
0.91
customer orientation
market orientation
acceptable
0.79
Competitiveness
acceptable
0.90
Interdepartmental coordination
acceptable
0.70
-
marketing strategy
After analyzing the data by SPSS software version 25 and Smart PLS version 3, the research findings show a negative and significant effect of innovation culture on the development of marketing strategy, was a positive and significant effect between innovation culture and market orientation and a positive and significant effect between market orientation and brand marketing strategy development.
Table 7. Research assumptions
Hypothesis
Variables
Statistics
The first hypothesis
Innovation culture on marketing strategy development
ß
-0.333
T-Value
6.180
The second hypothesis
Innovation culture over market orientation
ß
0.821
T-Value
62.664
The third hypothesis
Market orientation on strategy development
ß
1.011
T-Value
23.661
In addition, the mediating role of market orientation in the relationship between innovation culture and marketing strategy development was acknowledged. The development of marketing strategies is essential for managers of sports organizations and manufacturers of sports brands. Therefore, the providers of Nike products in Iran should develop market strategies by creating and institutionalizing a culture of innovation in sports stores as well as market orientation. Finally, it is suggested that sports stores in Shiraz by institutionalizing the culture of innovation in human resources, imported products as well as copy products that are made from the Nike brand in Shiraz sports stores, with belief, beliefs and Common values about the customer among the members of the organization (the store) promote a kind of culture and by continuously evaluating the customer's needs, they provide reasons for their satisfaction and develop strategies based on these strengths. to pay The superior value that is created for customers due to market orientation can make sports stores in Shiraz city perform well in terms of providing products to customers and make customers of this brand loyal to their store.
sardar mohamadi; Khaled Solaimany; Jeronimo Garsia Fernandez
Abstract
Abstract
One of the most important components that make the sports industry appear important and valuable is sports fans because they play an important role in this industry. Sports fans are defined as people who have special attention and interest in sports, broadcasting it or following their favorite ...
Read More
Abstract
One of the most important components that make the sports industry appear important and valuable is sports fans because they play an important role in this industry. Sports fans are defined as people who have special attention and interest in sports, broadcasting it or following their favorite team (Wann, 2002). In recent years, sports fans have had an increasing influence on the sports industry, because they are no longer passive consumers, but are becoming forward-looking consumers. Despite this fact, there are a significant number of researches on the social, personal, and psychological factors affecting the types of fan behavior related to sports, sports teams, and players, and most of the existing literature emphasizes the loyal and well-known fan. Since the current sports market has become highly competitive (Mahony &. Howard, 2001), sports marketers need loyal sports fans and a fan base to generate new fans. Therefore, both researchers and marketers working in this profession need to understand why consumers are attracted to sports in the first place. One of the factors that have a high potential to explain the cognitive, sensory, psychological, and situational effects on the behaviors of sports fans is curiosity (Mahony et al., 2001). Curiosity is defined as "the desire to acquire new knowledge and new sensory experience that stimulates exploratory behavior". One of the most important early researches in the field of curiosity was done by Berlyne. He believes that curiosity is a strong motivation that leads people to behave and discover different environments. In their research, Park et al (2015) found that increasing understanding of the impact of curiosity and knowledge gaps in sports consumers may be beneficial. Mehmet & Oktay (2019) pointed out in their research that statistically significant differences were found between the specific curiosity levels of students in sports in terms of gender, department, family participation in sports, and monthly expenses in the university. The purpose of this research is to create a valid and reliable measurement scale for the specific curiosities of sports fans. This research has developed the special curiosity scale of sports fans in two studies. Study 1 included four steps for scale development. In particular, the structural dimension of specific curiosity was used for the use of research literature at this stage. In the second stage, sample questions that reflected the structure were developed. In the third step, the data (sample one) was collected through an online questionnaire and among sports enthusiasts (303 people), which included physical education students of different educational levels, sports teachers, and physical education graduates. In the fourth step, the validity and reliability of the questions were tested using exploratory factor analysis. Study two included two stages (stages five and six). In stage five, the second set of data (sample two) was collected from 250 physical education experts. Since the authors carefully measured the curiosity of sports fans in this study, they tried to check the questionnaire of people who are currently sports fans. The sports fan questionnaire, which is a valid and reliable scale, includes five questions (for example, being a sports fan is very important to me) and was used based on a seven-point Likert scale to evaluate the level of fandom of the participants. In the sixth step, various statistical analyzes were performed to check the reliability and validity of the SFSCS questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to analyze the data using Amos software. Finally, three factors; Specific information (9 questions), general information (3 questions), and information on sports facilities and facilities (3 questions) were obtained for the final scale. There are several implications based on recent research findings. First, developing the level of curiosity of sports fans is an important step in this research and can be used in various sports topics. According to the findings of Churchill (1979) and Netemeyer et al (2003), to have a theoretical background and generate new knowledge, the existence of a valid and reliable measurement scale is necessary. However, the work of Park et al (2010) has provided insights into understanding fan exploratory curiosity behavior, a measure previously lacking in sports fan-specific curiosity. The SFSCS scale provides sport management researchers with a summary and fluid measure to explore this concept in the future. Due to the unique nature of sports, using the SFSCS scale is a much more effective tool than other specific curiosity scales. Additionally, since previous research on curiosity in sports has focused on new sport-based behaviors, it has broader applications. The special curiosity of sports fans has the potential to understand why and how fans become loyal sports fans. Specific curiosity can affect different fans and non-fans and can be combined with previous research and help us to better understand the behavior of sports fans. The existing study is an important step to better understanding fan-specific curiosity and its impact, but more work is still needed to achieve a full understanding.
farhad fathi; mehrdad moharramzadeh; Aliasghar Vahdatipour; Mohammad seayvan Nouri
Abstract
Considering the importance of hosting large sports events in single disciplines such as the World Cup of Wrestling, Volleyball, Weightlifting, etc. and multi-disciplines such as the Olympic Games or World Cup, Asian Games, etc., and various political and social consequences, economic, cultural and sports ...
Read More
Considering the importance of hosting large sports events in single disciplines such as the World Cup of Wrestling, Volleyball, Weightlifting, etc. and multi-disciplines such as the Olympic Games or World Cup, Asian Games, etc., and various political and social consequences, economic, cultural and sports for the host city and country, there is a fierce competition between different countries and cities to host these sports events. Also, considering the necessity and importance of this issue for the development and promotion of the country's sports at the international level, this research seeks to answer this simple and practical question in order to provide appropriate feedback for the country's sports managers, citing the views of the country's senior sports managers. And sports experts are wondering if Iran has the potential to hold the big sports event of Sizm and what are Iran's weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats to host it?
The current research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive in terms of method, and it was conducted in the field. The researchers seek to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of hosting the Islamic Republic of Iran Games from the point of view of professors, managers, sports experts and executive officials. The statistical population of this research will include high, middle and basic managers of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the National Olympic Committee, sports federations, athletes and experts (university professors and researchers) in the field of holding sports events. The sample will be randomly selected from the population. Library and field methods will be used to collect data. All collected data are analyzed using SPSS. In order to analyze the statistical data, the methods of inferential statistics and descriptive statistics (mean, frequency percentage, standard deviation and tables) will be used. For this purpose, appropriate tests will be used to determine the significance of each of the SWOT items and to determine the priority of each of them. After determining the most important strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the hosting of Seism games in Iran, the SWOT matrix is used in order to develop the strategies of hosting Seism games in Iran. In this matrix, using the four lists of strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O) and threats (T) and their paired comparison, the four strategies SO, ST, WO and WT are developed. be made The SWOT matrix shows how to balance opportunities and threats (external factors) with strengths and weaknesses (internal factors) and create four sets of possible strategic options, respectively.
The IFE & EFE matrix, which has evaluated the internal factors of hosting Sysem games in the Islamic Republic of Iran, shows that the weaknesses have more points than the strengths. In general, the results indicate that the conditions for hosting the Sysm World Games in Iran are located in the WO (conservative) region in terms of strategic location (Figure 1). The matrix of Table 2, which evaluates the external and environmental factors of hosting the Sysm games in the Islamic Republic of Iran, shows that the opportunities ahead are more important than the threats. After completing these stages of the research and reaching the final list of SWOT items, strategies corresponding to these items were extracted using the SWOT matrix analysis method. In this step, 4 SO strategies, 4 ST strategies, 3 WO strategies and 3 WT strategies and a total of 14 strategies were formulated.
The prioritization of the strategies for obtaining the hosting of the Sism games shows that "the development of effective interactions between the executive and military institutions" and "the development of the educational and promotional system in the Sism sport based on the existing capabilities" are the most important strategies for obtaining the hosting of the Sism games in They are the Islamic Republic of Iran.
After determining the final score of the evaluation matrix of internal factors (2.45) and the final score of the evaluation matrix of external factors (2.62) and according to the internal and external matrix (IE), the strategic position of hosting the Seism Games in the Islamic Republic of Iran in It is a conservative strategic area (WO). Also, Jamshidi, Sajadi, Jamshidi & Safarzadeh (2012) identified a strategic position in the WO region in the formulation of the strategy of the Iran Cycling Federation. WO strategic area or conservative strategy is a situation among the four strategic areas where the organization is faced with external opportunities and internal weaknesses, and in this situation, external opportunities should be used to eliminate the weakness. Use internal ones. Therefore, according to the strategic position of hosting the Sizm event in the WO region, it is suggested to the officials of Sizm sports to use the upcoming opportunities to eliminate the internal weaknesses in the field of hosting the Sizm event. Finally, by using the four lists of strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O) and threats (T) and their pairwise comparison, the four strategies SO, ST, WO and WT were formulated and suggestions The following is provided for obtaining Sysem hosting in the Islamic Republic of Iran: 1. Development of effective interactions between executive and military institutions, 2. Strengthening the volunteer movement in the country's sports, 3. Emphasis on creativity and innovation in military sports programs and activities, 4. Taking advantage of the capacities of government institutions (armed forces, radio and television, etc.), 5. Centralizing the macro-policy and supervision of Sizm sports activities in the Supreme Council of Sports, 6. Development of financial resources by taking advantage of legal opportunities and capacities of public and private institutions of the country, 7. Optimum use of the country's capacities based on land use, 8. Interacting with the sports teams of the provinces for more orientation towards sports, 9. Development of educational and promotion system in sysem sports based on existing capabilities, 10. Strengthening the support and facilitation system for military sports activities, 11. The central need and quality of activities and sports programs of Sizam, 12. Improving the public's attitude towards sizism sports and its benefits, 13. Creating unity in the country's sports policies and programs, 14. Diversification of Sizam sports activities with emphasis on women, disabled and vulnerable sections of the society.
Sports management, marketing
Ehsan Asadollahi; Mohsen Ghahramani; Mohammad Kashtidar
Abstract
Abstract
Today, commercial brands can introduce their brand and products to millions of viewers by advertising around the playground, or at least encourage them to visit their website (Kazemipour et al., 2020). In fact, companies try to communicate the positive emotions resulting from sports competitions ...
Read More
Abstract
Today, commercial brands can introduce their brand and products to millions of viewers by advertising around the playground, or at least encourage them to visit their website (Kazemipour et al., 2020). In fact, companies try to communicate the positive emotions resulting from sports competitions to their brand, and by advertising in sports events and connecting the value and excitement of these games, a positive feeling towards their advertising and as a result to their brand to create. This positive feeling strengthens the position of the brand in the minds of consumers and increases the probability of purchase (Rashidzadeh et al., 2014). Brand awareness is the first stage of familiarizing an audience with the brand. Brand awareness is one of the points that perhaps most of the world's famous and popular brands are well familiar with and new brands are trying to achieve. But brand awareness can be very useful for brands that are still unknown or people are not very familiar with it (Asadollahi et al., 2021). In many studies, the effect of advertising on brand awareness, brand value and customers' purchase decisions has been discussed. In this regard, Asadollahi et al. (2021) found in a study that there is a positive and significant relationship between advertising tools and brand identity and the commitment of sports consumers in football. Now one of the main pillars of a football match is the referee. It seems that referees can be an attractive option for various companies to introduce their products, considering their decisive role in football matches. All the mentioned cases indicate that the people and the media pay too much attention to the issue of arbitration. So, as it is known, referees can advertise like sports teams and get financial support in this way. According to the said content and the attention of the media and viewers to the referees and their performance in the Premier League football matches, and also considering that there has been no research on the commercial role of football referees, and in order to develop the findings in this field, the researcher Looking for an answer to the question, does advertising on the uniforms of Premier League football referees have a role in brand awareness among television viewers? In terms of its nature and purpose, the current research is applied and in terms of implementation, it is placed in the category of pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental research. The statistical population of the research was the television viewers of the premier football league in 2022. Sampling in this research was among the people who watch Premier League soccer games on TV. That is, one of the criteria for entering the study is the answer to the question of whether they watch Premier League games on television or not. If the answer is positive, the sample was included in the research process. It should be noted that the questionnaire was presented in two stages. One stage before the start of the Premier League and two weeks before the start of the Premier League from 1 June 2022 to 15 June 2022 and the second stage 2 months after the start of the Premier League, the second stage questionnaire was distributed and collected. The financial sponsor of the referees of the Premier League in the season of 2021-2022 is Pars Oil Company, and the brand awareness of this company should be investigated. The sampling method was available sampling, 30 people were selected and placed in the research experimental group. The data collection tool required for the research is a standard 16-question brand awareness questionnaire by Fereydoni and Kalate (2016) with 5 components (product type, product availability, mental associations, audience engagement and understanding of brand value) on a five-point Likert scale (from totally disagree score 1 to totally agree score 5). In this research, the opinion of the experts regarding the research questionnaire was made and they confirmed the validity of the research tool. Also, in order to check the reliability of the tool, Cronbach's alpha test was used and it was confirmed at a high level (above 0.7). In this research, in order to describe the data, descriptive statistics and frequency, frequency percentage, and central and dispersion indices were used, and at the level of inferential statistics, dependent t-test was used with the help of SPSSv22 statistical software. The descriptive findings of the research showed that the average age of the samples was 33.5 years with a standard deviation of 1.35. The highest frequency of education level was related to bachelor's degree holders with 18 people. The awareness of the brand was 2.29 in the pre-test and 3.59 in the post-test. Also, in the pre-test, the product type component with an average of 2.63 is the highest and the lowest average is related to availability with an average of 2.24. In the post-test, the component of mental associations with an average of 3.74 is the highest and the lowest average is related to the type of product with an average of 3.51.
The results show that in the pre-test and post-test, the significance levels of the dependent t-test are less than 0.05. Therefore, it can be said that the null hypothesis of the research is rejected and the opposite hypothesis is accepted, that is, advertisements on the uniforms of referees of the Premier League play a role in the awareness of the brand in television viewers. The results of the research showed that there was a significant difference in the components between the pre-test and the post-test, which shows the effect of advertising on the clothes of the Premier League referees on brand awareness among television viewers. The results of the conducted research indicate that some companies producing global products have also taken advantage of the popularity of the football game and by paying huge sums of money, they ask football players to use the products of these companies, whether in the field of sports life or to use it outside, so that the fans of that particular player or his respective club will also be led to use these products, which confirms the results of the present research. According to the results of the present research as well as the research literature, it can be said that football is one of the sports that has no end and the popularity of this sport is increasing day by day. Considering that football is an important sport, as a result, referees of the Premier League are also an important part of the football competition and their mistakes or sensitive decisions can affect the match, so advertising on the clothes of the referees of the Premier League can be Be effective in the eyes of the audience and viewers. According to the results of the research, it is suggested that in order to improve the awareness of the brand of the contracting parties with the football referees' committee, these advertisements should also be carried out at the level of the provincial games. Also, in order to improve the awareness of the brand of the companies contracting with the football referee committee, advertising should be done on the personal pages of the referees in the virtual space, and in order to improve the engagement of the audience, the selected products of the companies should also be included on the clothes.
Sports management, marketing
Ebrahim Alidoust Ghahfarrokhi; Mahdi Dastgerdi; Nader Ranjbar; Rahim Khosromanesh
Abstract
Abstract
The tourism industry has grown explosively in the 21st century and has found a special place in the gross domestic product (GDP) and economic growth of countries. The share of the tourism industry in the GDP of the world is more than 10%. Tourism generates income, creates jobs and helps to ...
Read More
Abstract
The tourism industry has grown explosively in the 21st century and has found a special place in the gross domestic product (GDP) and economic growth of countries. The share of the tourism industry in the GDP of the world is more than 10%. Tourism generates income, creates jobs and helps to develop infrastructure (Jäggi, 2022). Iran also has many tourist attractions and can benefit from this industry (Khanifar et al., 2023). Sports tourism is also one of the important sectors of the rapidly growing tourism industry, which is of great interest (Hritz & Ross, 2010). Linking tourism and sports industry through job creation in villages and prevention of migration to cities can play an important role in reducing suburbanization in big cities (Jamieson, 2014). Sports tourism has various types. In general, there are two types of sports tourism: active and passive. In active sports tourism, tourists themselves physically participate in physical activity or related sports. In passive sports tourism, tourists do not engage in physical activity (Gibson et al., 2018). In recent years; Active sports tourism has grown increasingly in international tourism markets. Currently, Iran's active tourist attractions are more than its passive tourist attractions (Seifpanahi Shabani et al., 2022). Active sports tourism in Iran can include mountaineering, rock climbing, skiing, desert tourism, motorcycling and car racing, horse racing, surfing, diving, and renting and using professional sports camps (Dastgerdi et al., 2022). Therefore; the purpose of this research was strategic analysis in order to develop Iran's active sports tourism at the international level.
The research methodology was mixed (qualitative and quantitative). In order to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats surrounding Iran's active sports tourism, interviews and library research were used. In this research, in-depth interviews were conducted with 37 elites and the working group of experts was used to analyze, formulate and evaluate strategies. After identifying and categorizing the internal and external factors effective in the development of active sports tourism industry in Iran; the specialized working group (consisting of researchers who had extensive activities and studies regarding the principles of strategy formulation as well as active tourism and sports tourism industry) gave weight and score to these factors using the matrix of Internal Factors Evaluation or IFE and matrix of External Factors Evaluation or EFE. Therefore, the importance and priority of each of these factors and the score of each of these matrices were determined, and as a result, the position of Iran's active sports tourism in the TOWS matrix was determined. In the continuation of the specialized working group, by comparing the most important strengths and weaknesses with the most important opportunities and threats, they formulated four types of primary strategies: SO, ST, WO and WT strategies. Then, in consultation with experts, the initial strategies were combined and integrated as much as possible to formulate stronger strategies. In the following, the specialized working group determined the attractiveness score of internal and external factors for each of these strategies using Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix or QSPM. Then, the final score of each strategy and the priority of the strategies were determined by the final sum of the weights multiplied by the attractiveness scores.
The findings showed that the most important strengths were: the existence of many adventurous and active sports tourism attractions in Iran (such as mountains, rocks, deserts, seas, rivers, beaches, etc.), the high capacity of some sports to attract sports tourists, such as snow skiing, surfing, desert tourism, rock climbing, conquering high peaks, many historical, natural, religious and recreational attractions in Iran as complementary attractions, existence of expert staff, suitable accommodation, high security, suitable domestic transportation, Iranian hospitality, the four seasons of Iran, and the support of the senior officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the development of the tourism industry in Iran. The most important weaknesses were: weak marketing, mandatory hijab law, the impossibility of consuming non-Islamic food such as alcoholic beverages, pork, etc. in restaurants, mismanagement and lack of coordination, Iran's weak international transportation, providing poor police services to international tourists, and inadequate service. The most important opportunities were: the high value of international currencies in Iran, explosive increase in demand for active sports tourism at the international level, Iran's very strong international relations with countries such as Russia, China, Iraq, very large international airlines such as Turkish Air, Qatar Airways and Emirates in Iran's neighborhood, The precarious position of Turkey in the tourism industry, and high number of Muslim tourists. The most important threats were: USA sanctions (bank sanctions, ban on travel to Iran), negative propaganda of Western countries against Iran, strong competitors (Turkey and Thailand), and spying under the guise of tourism.
Then, considering that the final score of the matrix of Internal Factors Evaluation was 2.70 and the final score of the matrix of External Factors Evaluation was calculated to be 2.72, as a result, the strategic position of Iran's active sports tourism was determined in SO position. Finally, the results of the QSPM matrix calculations showed that the most important strategies for the development of active tourism in Iran are: (1) Marketing (traditional and modern), (2) Undermining and circumventing sanctions, (3) Providing essential services, (4) Creating distinctive experiences, and (5) Attracting investors. Digital marketing, viral marketing and influencer marketing are three modern marketing methods in the development of the tourism industry, which should be used well in order to increase the active sports tourism market share of Iran in the international market. Iran can also circumvent US sanctions in the field of tourism industry by using the strategic and important relations it has with Russia, China, Iraq and other neighboring countries. In the end, the key to the success of all marketing efforts and circumventing sanctions is to provide essential services and create unique experiences for international tourists in active sports. It is obvious that the development of the tourism industry in Iran requires more investment, but before investing, proper conditions must be provided (It means planning for marketing, circumventing sanctions, providing essential services and creating distinctive experiences).
Sports management, marketing
asma fekrat; Akbar Jaberi
Abstract
Abstract
The sports industry has become globalized rapidly, its territory has conquered all parts of the world, and its importance in the economy is not hidden from anyone, the expansion of branding and attention to it is one of the consequences of the globalization of sports. The purpose of branding ...
Read More
Abstract
The sports industry has become globalized rapidly, its territory has conquered all parts of the world, and its importance in the economy is not hidden from anyone, the expansion of branding and attention to it is one of the consequences of the globalization of sports. The purpose of branding is to create a favorable situation for the organization's brand through its various stakeholders. This has caused brand strategies to have a special place in the organization's macro strategy. Considering the benefits that branding creates for organizations and consumers, this issue has been highly considered by marketers. Branding is a very practical strategy to differentiate in the service and production industries and in today's world, companies and organizations are not only seeking to compete for the market of products and services but also making a lot of effort to align the mental perceptions of customers with They do it themselves. For centuries, the science of branding has been considered a tool to differentiate one manufacturer's products from other manufacturers. Today, many organizations have come to believe that one of their most valuable assets is their product and service brands. In today's complex and challenging world, all of us, whether as individuals or as business managers, are faced with more and more options and less time to make decisions and choices. Based on this, the ability of brands in simplifying customers' decisions, reducing risk, and defining their expectations is very valuable. According to the definition of the American Marketing Association, the key to branding is the ability to choose a name, logo, symbol, packaging design, or other features that distinguish a product or service from other competitors. The science of branding is faced with the weakness of definition and conceptualization, and this problem makes the definition of branding more complicated. A review of studies conducted in the field of brand development shows that branding includes certain implicit concepts in addition to conventional and obvious meanings. The change in income generation of clubs, increasing income, and strengthening the relationship with fans, clubs, and sports organizations has led them to look for new sources of more profitability, one of these ways is the development of sports branding. The purpose of this research is to present a qualitative model of the development of sports branding with a meta-synthesis technique of various meta-study methods and the CIPP model. In this research, by applying a systematic and meta-synthesis approach, the results and findings of previous researchers have been analyzed, and by performing the seven steps of the Sandlovski and Barroso method and the CIPP model, the factors affecting the development of sports branding have been categorized. The CIPP model uses four types of evaluation (context, input, process, and output). These four types of evaluation can be used for decision-making and answering or decision-making and answering. Based on the coding of the data with the CIPP pattern, 4 main components, 10 concepts, and 51 codes have been extracted. The critical evaluation method is used to measure the quality control of the present study. Branding is an important and unique feature for any type of investment in today's business environment, which can provide the basis for the growth of the economic cycle and an exciting competitive environment. It is suggested that to face the threats of the globalization of sports, a coordinated and innovative strategy and approach should always be taken into account in the direction of brand development. A number of these strategies and approaches include a variety of brand development models, business network development, exploitation of commercial advantages, etc., and it should always be noted that the process of branding development is a long-term process. It is clear that if it is done correctly and with principles, it will bring a very surprising result in profitability and as a result economic development. The brand expansion makes a new product quickly recognized and accepted by consumers. Success in the development of branding while developing export markets also adds to the international prestige of countries. Based on the output of the model obtained from this research, it can be concluded that sports managers and marketers consider the development of sports branding as one of their main goals and make more efforts to expand it.