The convergence of sport marketing and sport development : addressing declining participation in a changing environment. A case study of Auckland Cricket Association.

Environmental changes such as commercialism, advances in technology and increased competition have significantly influenced the way organisations operate. In particular, firms have to strategically adapt and match their internal capabilities to the environment in order to survive and succeed (Hoye & Francis, 2006, Hoye, Smith, Nicolson, Stewart & Westerbeck, 2012). Sport organisations are not immune to such environmental change and the quest to remain relevant in the current climate is potentially more challenging than ever. Sport New Zealand (New Zealand’s national sport governing body) reflects this thinking when they pose a question to readers of their young people’s survey: “Generations change. So what is the future of sport and recreation in New Zealand - rugby and netball? Or snowboarding and surfing? Something else entirely?” (Sport NZ, 2014). This research adopts a case study approach and highlights a Regional Sport Organisation (RSO), Auckland Cricket Association that is responsible for governing the history rich sport of cricket in New Zealand’s largest city (Auckland Cricket Association, 2014). Confronted with significant environmental change, coupled with changing consumer demands and lifestyles, this organisation has been forced to adapt their product portfolio with the introduction of a modified version of the game in order to address rapidly declining participation numbers. In recent years numbers have decreased by 19% at junior level, and 22% at secondary school level (Auckland Cricket Association, 2014). Semi structured interviews with relevant Auckland Cricket Association staff were conducted in order to better understand the environmental challenges they face, plus the goals, design and delivery of the new modified product. In summary, this organisation admits to trying to swim against the current of environmental change for too long and in doing so their traditional product offering is losing appeal and relevance within the marketplace. This research is important as it depicts how a large well established sport organisation is adapting to keep its sport viable in the face of such change via a combination of sport marketing and sport development strategies. It draws on sport marketing principles linked to product management and in particular focusses on the product lifecycle, product development, and product line extensions (Dean, 1950; Kotler & Armstrong; 2006; Shilbury, Westerbeek, Quick, Funk & Karg, 2014). From a sport development perspective, this study has potential to expand sport delivery models (Shilbury, Sotiriadou, & Green, 2008; Warner, Chalip, & Woolf, 2008) as it presents an additional pathway option that aims to not only grow participation but also build lifelong fans. This study will therefore contribute to the sport management knowledge base as it considers sport participation in a broader context than the traditional sport development pathway participation in a broader context than the traditional sport development pathway and also provides insights into the product development strategy of a sport organisation

A multi-stage exploration of social media strategy in professional sport: The case study of the New Zealand Breakers

The social media problem : social media is everywhere in sport, how do we (Breakers) get better? A multi-faceted partnership since 2011 Purpose is to address current and relevant industry issues Mutually beneficial relationship ◦ Student opportunities ◦ Informed teaching ◦ Informed marketing practices ◦ Cost efficient research Social media has transformed the way in which sport organisations and consumers can connect. Historically, communication between sport organisation and consumer has been through the traditional/mass media (e.g., newspaper, television) which situates media organizations as gatekeepers to, and editors of content (Arsenault & Castells, 2008). Further, communication has typically been one-way, thereby disconnecting the consumer from sport organisations (Mahan & McDaniel, 2006). With the proliferation of social media sites, consumers and sport organisations have a new platform for interaction. Both iterative communication and gatekeeper bypass are possible (Mean, Kassing, & Sanderson, 2010). Social media is therefore an increasingly important tool for sport organizations to communicate with various stakeholders (Scott, Bradshaw, & Larkin, 2013) and the fit of social media within wider strategic processes in sport is of interest. Various social media sites are now widely used to communicate promotional offers, news, and as a public relations tool (Hambrick, 2010; Lowe & Laffey, 2011). While Instagram, Youtube and other social media sites are gaining traction, Facebook and Twitter remain the focus for most sport organizations in attempts to engage fans

Managing social media in sport

In 2013, sport comprised just 1% of television content, yet nearly half of all Tweets produced during that period were sport related (Nielsen 2014). Other social media is used extensively in conjunction with sport consumption as well. It is more important than ever for sport organizations and athletes to prioritise these platforms in an overall marketing strategy. SNSs have profoundly impacted how fans access information and interact with their favourite teams. Social media has enabled organizations across the sport industry to have an unfiltered voice in the marketplace. The majority of content is no longer vetted by journalists, editors or producers. Sport organizations have responded to this change by incorporating SNSs into their communications, promotion, and sponsorship strategy. As this relatively new communication platform evolves, it is important for those involved in the management and marketing of sport to understand some of the key issues that have arisen from the utilization of social media. In this chapter the reader will be introduced to various ways in which sport organizations use social media to build a brand, develop relationships with stakeholders, and market products and service

Segmentation of a professional sport team's social media community

Introduction: o Social media strategy development with the NZ Breakers o Social media within the sport industry is embedded within marketing practices o Social media enhances the consumer experienc

Questions of commercial ownership in sport governance : the Super Rugby journey

Establishing governance structures for Super Rugby in NZ • How to position its involvement in the newly established Super Rugby competition given its allocation of five teams (franchises). • Establishing governance structures for each franchise and Super Rugby in general. • …and how would these five franchises be linked (or not at all) to the existing 27 affiliated provincial rugby unions? NZRU’s approach to Super Rugby Some rationale for the change What was the NZRU looking for? Board composition of new licensees What does this all mean? Our framing so far How will we approach this study? Final thought

Social media strategies : engaging with rugby union consumers

The rise and popularity of the Internet and social media has drastically changed the ways in which sport organisations communicate with their key stakeholders (Pedersen, Miloch, & Laucella, 2007). In terms of social media use, sport comprises just a small proportion of television content, yet nearly fifty percent of all Twitter content is related to sports (Nielsen, 2014). Other social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram are also extensively used by sport organisations and consumers of sport. It is increasingly important for sport organisations to prioritise these platforms in the overall communication, public relations, and marketing strategies. Social media has changed how consumers get information, what information consumers can now access and a newer phenomenon whereby consumers can interact with their favourite sport organisation or athlete

Sport governance design : exploring ownership changes in rugby union

Focus: Ownership changes in the context of governance design 1st Set the scene – different ownership models 2nd Story of Rugby Union’s journey 3rd Where we have got to with the research project and where we want to take it