Sports Marketing

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Objectives

Sports Marketing is a course where students will analyze the basic relation between sport and communication. As Paul Blakey (2011) states "sports marketing is a matching process -the matching of sport products and services of the demands of sports consumers and costumers". It is a matching process where "communication is at the heart of it". For this reason, this course is not only a workshop on how students will be able to work satisfactorily in a marketing department of a sports organization, but it's also a course to understand the synergies among the basic actors that take part in the sports media complex: media, sports organizations and commercial sports organizations.

Learning outcomes

• Understand the basic synergies of the "sport media complex".
• Analyse the role of communication in the relations between sport organisations and their stakeholders.
• Analyse and understand corporate communication in sport organisations.
• Understand the economic structure of the sports business and the rise of the entertainment multinationals as basic actors in this economic sector.

Competencies

General skills

• Be a skilful innovator and entrepreneur.
• Be able to analyse and summarise.
• Be able to communicate orally and in the languages of the community.
• Be able to engage in criticism and self-criticism.
• Be able to make reasoned and coherent presentations.
• Be able to organise and plan.
• Be able to put basic knowledge of the profession into practice.
• Be able to use English effectively for academic and professional purposes.
• Be able to use information: seek, analyse, select, organise and exploit information effectively.
• Be able to work in an international context.
• Be environmentally and socially aware at work.
• Be skilled at adapting to new situations.
• Be skilled in ICT use. Be an independent, competent operator in technological environments with specialised software.

Specific skills

• Be able to analyse and understand the operation of the market and its influence on the activities of a company.
• Be able to apply market research theory and instruments to implement business strategies.
• Be able to critically evaluate business situations, and manage an organisation effectively and efficiently.
• Be able to define and implement strategies and business models with intensive ICT use, and in particular the internet, social networks and e-business systems.
• Be able to devise and implement business initiatives in global markets.
• Be able to devise and implement integrated marketing plans.
• Be able to lead and manage processes of change in organisations, in particular in contexts of innovation and crisis.
• Be able to learn and apply knowledge and skills to strategic marketing management.
• Display leadership skills in strategic decision-making in general, and in marketing and communication, in particular.
• Understand and be able to convey the importance of an organisation's approach to the market and customer relations.

Basic skills

• Students can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialists and non-specialists.
• Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) in order to make judgements that include reflection on relevant social, scientific and ethical issues.

Core skills

• Be a critical thinker before knowledge in all its dimensions. Show intellectual, cultural and scientific curiosity and a commitment to professional rigour and quality.

Content

1. The sport media complex
   1. Basic introduction to the sport business and the basic actors that take part in it
   2. The entertainment multinationals
2. Media clubs and their communication strategy
   1. Excellence in Public Relations in sport organizations
   2. The communication plan
3. The commercialisation of the sports assets
   1. Revenue sources of sports organizations
   2. Media rights in Europe
   3. Hospitality programs and stadiums business approach
4. The collapse of the football industry
5. Place branding and sport
   1. Sport place branding
   2. Sport diplomacy

Evaluation

Continuous assessment.

• Individual book review of sport marketing: 40%
  The structure of the essay will be as follows (max. 4 pages, Times New Roman 12): 
  1. Your proposed title and summary of the book.
  2. Critical revision of the basic concepts of the book according to the course theoretical framework, extra articles students must find themselves.
  3. Conclusions and personal assessment.
  4. References.
• A final project in groups, with online presentation using a teleconference (Zoom, Skype, Teams, etc.), analysing a sport organisation and its communication strategy: 40%
  The structure of the project, in a PPT format, will be as follows:
  1. Introduction of the organisation and introduction of the problem that will be analysed (1 slide)
  2. Benchmark (local and international) (2-3 slides).
  3. SWOT analysis of the organisation in relation to the problem and the benchmark (1 slide).
  4. Strategic actions that will be taken (1 action each slide, presentation and development).
  5. Budget of these actions (1 slide).
  6. Conclusions and references (1 slide).
• Commentary of articles and class participation in online forums: 20%
  During the course, the lecturer will upload different articles and videos according to every topic of the course program. Students will be asked to write essays or to discuss questions in the Moodle forum.

In case of a medical emergency, that requires a new lockdown, the assessment will not change. However, the assignments will be online.

Methodology

The course will be divided into theoretical and practical seminars. The lecturer is going to explain at the beginning of the class the basic concepts of the lesson. Later students will have to discuss articles related to those topics with the lecturer, or among themselves.

During the course, some experts and professionals will be in the class in order to explain different experiences that can help students to understand the professional world of sports marketing.

In case of a medical emergency, that requires a new lockdown, the activities will be online.

Bibliography

Key references

• Blakey, P. (2011). Sport Marketing. Learning Matters.
• Ginesta, X (2020). Les multinacionals de l'entreteniment. Futbol, diplomàcia, identitat i tecnologia. UOC.
• Ginesta, Xavier (2021). La disneyització del futbol. Eumo Editorial.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.