Table 2: Zero-Order Correlation Coefficients Between Future Game Attendance and Promotion Variables

Television Advertising

GiveawaysMini-Pack

Ticket Plans

Good Public

Relations

Future Game Attendance

0.113*p = .038

0.137*p = .013

0.120*p = .032

0.142*p = .011

* p < .05

IntroductionIntroductionAs the sport industry has continued to thrive, marketing research has grown as a necessity in measuring progress and determining factors that may help to increase revenue streams. Relative to increasing market production, one of the most sought after correlation in sport marketing is the relationship between game attendance and the marketing techniques that generate a crowd response. Numerous recent studies have been conducted to explore the utilization of the marketing mix in fan appeal, retention and expanding fan base (Bauer, Stokburger-Sauer, & Exler, 2008; Donihue, Findlay, & Newberry, 2007; Meehan, Nelson, & Richardson, 2007). Through marketing analysis, more light can be shed on the reasons why some techniques yield different results for different organizations and how individual franchises may maximize their own growth potential through game attendance.

Promotion is one of the five Ps in the marketing mix. It is a collection of activities designed to stimulate consumer interest in, awareness of, and purchase of the product (Mullin, Hardy, & Sutton, 2007). Such marketing activities should include, but not limited to, advertising (message conveyed through the media), publicity (any form or exposure in the media), and sales promotion (e.g., coupons, exhibitions, and performances).

PurposePurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify those promotional activities that were most appealing to the fans and motivated them to attend arena football games.

MethodMethodThe initial list of promotional activities was created by two university professors in sport management who have tremendous experience in conducting marketing research with professional teams. The list was then further evaluated by two senior administrators (the General Manager and the Director of Marketing) of the arena football team. As a result, 12 promotional activities were identified. The list was included in a questionnaire and was administrated to spectators during an arena football game in 2008. The team was located in a large metropolitan area in the Midwest region of the United States. Questionnaires were distributed before the start and during the game, and were collected throughout the entire game. Random cluster sampling technique was used with the attempt to cover different sections of the arena.

ResultsResultsFans were asked to rate the importance of the promotional activities that would increase their home game attendance. A 7-point Likert scale (e.g., 1 = Not Important, and 7 = Very Important) was used. A total of 336 spectators responded to the survey. Descriptive statistics (based on the ranking of the mean scores) of the 12 promotional activities is shown in Table 1.

Results indicated that Direct Mail and E-mail Offer had the lowest ranking. On the other hand, fans rated Giveaways as the most important factor that would influence their decisions in attending home games. Other high ranking factors included TV Advertising, and Good Public Relations. These high ranking factors, together with Mini-Pack Ticket Plans, showed a significant (p < .05) relationship with future home game attendance. The relationship among these variables is presented in Table 2.

ConclusionConclusionLike anyone else, spectators in this study were tired of those junk mails they received everyday and thus rated Direct Mail and E-mail Offer as the lowest in their priority list. On the contrary, giveaways were always welcomed by the fans. Consistent with previous research, this study included such marketing activities as advertising, publicity, and sales promotion as promotional factors that had an impact on fans’ decision in attending home football games. Based on the results of this study, it was suggested that the marketing team should use giveaways (e.g., bobbleheads) and discount tickets as their major promotional strategies.

ReferencesReferencesBauer, H. H., Stokburger-Sauer, N. E., & Exler, S. (2008). Brand image and fan loyalty in professional team sport: A refined model and empirical assessment. Journal of Sport Management, 22, 205-226.

Donihue, M. R., Findlay, D. W., & Newberry, P. W. (2007). An analysis of attendance at Major League Baseball spring training games. Journal of Sports Economics, 8(1), 39-61.

Meehan, J. W., Nelson, R. A., & Richardson, T. V. (2007). Competitive balance and game attendance in Major League Baseball. Journal of Sports Economics, 8(6), 563-580.

Mullin, B. J., Hardy, S., & Sutton, W. A. (2007). Sport marketing. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Table 1: Mean and Standard Deviation of the Promotion Factors (N = 336)

Mean S.D.

Giveaways 5.62 1.59

Television Advertising 5.58 1.74

Good Public Relations 5.58 1.68Word-of-mouth 5.57 1.59Radio Advertising 5.31 1.63

Group Sales/Discount 5.29 1.69

Promoting Star Players 5.14 1.78

Newspaper Advertising 5.13 1.72

Mini-Pack Ticket Plans 5.06 1.86

Outdoor Billboards/Signs 4.93 1.87

E-mail Offer 4.85 1.89

Direct Mail 4.37 1.89

Preference of Promotional Strategies and Their Relationship to Game Attendance

Eddie T.C. Lam (Cleveland State University) & Demetrius W. Pearson (University of Houston)