Transcript College Sports Marketing as a Catalyst to Connecting Social and

Dr. Eric C. Schwarz, Saint Leo University
Dr. Dallas Branch, Jr., West Virginia University
 Summary of roundtable from inaugural CSRI
Conference in Memphis.
 Finding and results – the over-aching dilemma for
practitioners and academicians to overcome
 The connection issues as related to social and
managerial theory/practice
 Recommendations for moving forward
 Present conclusions from the findings of last year’s
roundtable, which show that there is a need for
further analysis of theoretical research and
application methods related to this interaction of
sociological theory and management science.
 College sports have a significant opportunity to
serve as the catalyst for this analysis because they
are simultaneously in a business environment and
the academic environment.
 If college sports can address these issues, there is a
real possibility the results can be effectively utilized
by the rest of the sport marketing industry segment,
and hence enhance the entire sport industry by
articulating the connection between social and
financial concepts.
 Roundtable of academicians and college sport
administrators discussed the interaction of
sociological theory and management sciences to
identify the trends and issues in college sports that will
affect the future of sport marketing.
 There is fragmentation within the sport industry
between academicians and practitioners, resulting in a
large intellectual gap.
 Communication/conceptualization gap – as
practitioners and academicians do not converse or
think in the same way.
 Conflict between the intellectual nature of the effort
from an academicians perspective and the realities of
the practitioner.
 The fundamental differences in "product outcomes"
(value systems?) between academicians and
practitioners.
 The inability to "change"--The notion that "we've
always done it this way" inhibits paradigm shifts-stifling creative solution generation to problems
 Mutual respect--lack of it.
 Problem resolution processes--different.
 Connections Social and Management Theory/Practice
 The inability to quantify and sell the benefits of
social capital to the practitioner
 The complexities of "multiple goals“
 Athletics vs. Academics
 The inability to define and agree on social
"goodness".
 How can management and sociological theory and
practice enhance college sports marketing efforts?
 Explore the “rules of engagement”
 Engage in mutually beneficial practices
 Emphasize common ground
 Become a student first--teacher second
 Support for these recommendations through
 Collaborative, practical research
 Promote and publicize industry best practices
 Needs analysis of the sport industry, with specific
focus on intercollegiate athletics
 Academic-Athletic Partnerships
Who Benefits Most? This IS NOT central question!
Social goodness does not lend itself to keeping score
Social marketing can be profitable
Social marketing is “value added”—competitive advantage
Social marketing is active, not passive
Social marketing can differentiate marketing mix