Team Sports Marketing

Book excerpt: Some might argue that sports marketing is a mere subfield of marketing, meaning that there are theoretical and practical dimensions that apply only to sports marketing and are only of interest to those involved in sports. In Team Sports Marketing, author Kirk Wakefield dispels this argument by demonstrating that effective sports marketing epitomizes the science and art of marketing across any context. At the core of sports marketing is the creation and enhancement of fan identification, where consumers are not just loyal customers, but have become brand fanatics. Team Sports Marketing shows that while many aspects of sports marketing are thought to be unique to the field, other product and service sectors would do well to learn from teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL that have transformed customers into fans. Moving beyond principles of marketing, Team Sports Marketing is packed with examples of best practices and covering subjects as diverse as sponsorships, season ticket sales, venue management and all topics in between. Team Sports Marketing is a must read text for students and managers in professional and collegiate sports. Support materials for professors and students are available at www.teamsportsmarketing.com.