Marketing Playbook
This concept warns sport organizations not to focus only on short-term sales.
What is marketing myopia?
Name one internal factor that could influence a fan’s decision to attend a game.
Examples: personality, motives, attitudes, past experiences, stage of life.
Which brand is known for using athlete endorsements like LeBron James to sell shoes?
Nike
Which model identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats?
SWOT Analysis
True or False: Sport products are tangible and predictable like most goods.
False. They’re intangible and outcomes are uncertain.
Name two of the five Ps of sport marketing.
Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Public Relations.
Name one external factor that could influence a fan’s decision to attend a game.
Examples: friends/family, social environment, cultural norms, weather, team success.
Give one major revenue source for women’s sports.
Sponsorship (often more critical than media rights).
Which model tracks consumer progression from prospect → customer → loyal supporter → advocate?
Loyalty Ladder.
What is one way fan identification makes sport products unique compared to traditional products?
Fans strongly link self-identity to the team, leading to loyalty regardless of performance.
A minor league baseball team has flat attendance. What’s one strategy using the escalator concept to move fans up?
Examples: Encourage single-game buyers to purchase mini-plans; upsell casual fans to season tickets; offer loyalty rewards.
Younger fans prefer TikTok highlights, while older fans like tailgating. How should a marketer segment these groups?
By age/demographics, psychographics, and media consumption habits. Tailor promotions differently for each group.
Why might a local bank see value in sponsoring Pepperdine Athletics beyond just a one-time event?
CLV → creates long-term customer relationships with students, alumni, and fans who may become lifelong clients.
Jerseys often fall into which BCG Matrix category for a pro team, and why?
Cash cow → reliable, steady revenue with low investment.
Why do many women’s sports leagues emphasize storytelling in marketing?
Media coverage is limited, so storytelling builds emotional connections and fan engagement.
Explain how “marketing of sport” differs from “marketing through sport.” Give an example of each.
“Of sport” = promoting the game itself (selling tickets, jerseys). “Through sport” = using sport as a platform to market another product (Nike shoes endorsed by LeBron).
A fan upgrades from single-game tickets to a season package. Which theory explains this?
Commitment and involvement theory (behavioral involvement leads to affective/cognitive commitment).
Explain how customer lifetime value (CLV) shows the importance of retaining season-ticket holders.
A retained season-ticket holder generates consistent, long-term revenue that exceeds the short-term gain of one-time buyers.
Give a sport-specific example of each Product Life Cycle stage.
Introduction: VR fan experiences; Growth: Pickleball leagues; Maturity: NFL; Decline: Arena football.
You’re launching a new VR fan experience for the NBA. Which growth strategy are you using: market penetration, market development, product development, or diversification?
Product development.
Imagine you’re designing a marketing plan for the LA Sparks. Choose one “P” of the 5 Ps and give a sport-specific strategy to grow the fan base.
Open-ended. Examples: Product → new family-friendly game packages; Price → discounted student tickets; Place → stream games on TikTok Live; Promotion → influencer partnerships; PR → community clinics with players.
Compare the product expectations of a casual fan vs. a hardcore fan. How should a marketer adjust strategies for each?
Casual fan: focus on entertainment, fun, low cost. Hardcore fan: focus on stats, exclusive access, team loyalty. Strategies should match level of involvement.
Using CLV, explain how one loyal fan might be more valuable than five single-game buyers.
A loyal fan buys season tickets, merch, concessions, and recruits friends/family → higher overall lifetime revenue than occasional buyers.
Match each model to a real-world sport application:
SWOT
BCG Matrix
Loyalty Ladder
Product Life Cycle
Open-ended examples. Ex: SWOT = analyzing Pepperdine Athletics; BCG = merch vs. ticket packages; Loyalty Ladder = moving fans from casual to season-ticket holders; PLC = Esports industry trajectory.
Bonus Brain Buster: You are the marketing director of a new pro lacrosse league. Pick one model (SWOT, Escalator, 5 Ps, CLV) and explain how you would apply it to grow the league.
Open-ended. The student must apply the chosen model to the strategy.