Search results

It is not possible for every fan of a sport to watch matches at stadiums because of the capacity and location constraints. Furthermore, although sport fans could not physically attend sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic, corporations still showed interest in sponsoring such events. To better understand this phenomenon, this study examined the effects of fans' event involvement on event reputation, event commercialization, corporate brand credibility, corporate brand image and purchase intentions of the corporate sponsor brand.

A total of 646 responses were collected from fans of Indian Premier League teams. Confirmatory factor analysis and covariance-based structural equation modelling analyses were conducted on the collected data.

Results showed that fans' involvement in televised sporting events had a positive influence on the events' reputation, which, in turn, had a significant impact on their corporate brand credibility and image. Furthermore, the corporate brand credibility and image had a positive impact on the fans' purchasing decisions.

This study provides valuable implications for marketing managers aiming to enhance their understanding of the impact of event sponsorship on corporate brands. In addition, the findings provide insight into how to support the development of effective sponsorship strategies in the future. The results suggest that sponsoring companies should consider maintaining the credibility and image of their brands to achieve the desired outcomes from sponsoring such sporting events.

This study aims to examine the influence of five sports celebrity personality (SCP) attributes – attractiveness, expertise level, credibility, trustworthiness and character – on consumers' purchase intentions (CPI). It identifies celebrity brand congruence (CBC), endorsed brand celebrity (EBC) and transfer of brand image (TBI) as antecedents of CPI.

The purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data from 838 respondents. This study developed a multidimensional construct for SCP. The covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to examine the relationship between SCP and the endorsed brand. The study used CBC as a mediator and EBC and TBI as partial mediators. The direct and indirect effect of SCP on CPI was investigated using CBC, EBC and TBI as mediators.

This study supports the importance of three antecedents (i.e. CBC, EBC and TBI) on CPI. It finds congruence across SCP and CBC variables, and a positive impact of SCP on EBC and TBI variables. Also, it exhibits a significant direct effect of CBC on EBC and TBI, whereas the direct effect of CBC on CPI is not substantial. The indirect effect of CBC through mediating variables EBC and TBI found to be significant.

This study concludes that sports celebrity endorsement is essential to transfer the positive celebrity image to the endorsed brand image. However, it is not merely sufficient to influence the buyers' purchase conduct; the brand credibility additionally assumes to take a role in changing their behavioral intentions.

This study contributes to the sports marketing literature by its novelty in analyzing the sports celebrity personality at a multidimensional level. It uses SCP's different attributes as one construct and studies its impact on CPI by taking CBC, EBC and TBI as mediators. The results of this study equip sports management professionals with the knowledge to build better long-term relationships with consumers.

The perception of sport consumers on peripheral stadium-quality services (PSQS) has evolved after compulsory precautionary measures were imposed on gatherings to alleviate the spread of coronavirus. This study attempts to reassess five principal dimensions of PSQS? Stadium parking, stadium cleanliness, fan control, food services and perceived crowding? through reflecting on the COVID-19 control and prevention measures established during this pandemic. Furthermore, it aims to measure the impact of the multi-dimensional PSQS on spectators' emotions and future attendance intentions.

The purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from spectators watching the live matches of cricket at the stadium. A total of 680 responses were collected from spectators and uploaded to the measurement model. The covariance-based structural equation modeling technique was used subsequently for analysis purposes.

The study found a positive impact of the stadium cleanliness and fan control services on spectators' happiness and excitement emotions; and a negative impact of stadium parking, stadium cleanliness, fan control and perceived crowding on their anger, anxiety and dejection emotions. The happiness and excitement emotions of the spectators induced them to visit again at the stadium. Of all the peripheral quality services, the study found only stadium cleanliness service indirectly effect spectators' revisit intentions through excitement emotion as a mediator.

The incorporation of the safety procedures through PSQS can reduce spectators' negative emotions especially when they face psychological fear of the pandemic. These services work as a stimulus for spectators that directly affect their organism (emotions) and indirectly affect their response (attendance intentions).

This study contributed to sports research by novelty evaluating sport consumers' perception of the PSQS after incorporating COVID-19 preventive measures. It empirically examines the effect PSQS on spectators' emotions and re-visits intentions.

This study investigated how sources of information across social media platforms influence fantasy users’ sport consumption and enhance their performance expectancy. Specifically, we examined the effects of social media-related motivation on fantasy users’ playing skills, sense of competition and performance expectancy based on the uses and gratifications theory.

Data were collected from 453 fantasy sport users on social media platforms. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess a measurement model and used serial mediation techniques to examine the relationship between social media-related motivation and fantasy sport users’ performance expectancy.

Results showed that social media-related motivation had significant and positive impacts on fantasy users’ playing skills, sense of competition and performance expectancy. Additionally, we found that fantasy users’ playing skills increased their sense of competition and performance expectancy. A sense of competition was found to positively affect fantasy users’ performance expectancy.

This study provided a valuable contribution to the existing body of knowledge on social media by investigating the influence of social media-related motivation on fantasy sport users. The findings reveal that sharing content-based information on social media platforms plays a vital role in attracting and motivating individuals to engage in fantasy sports. The updated information enhances the playing skills of fantasy users, fosters a sense of competition and improves performance in virtual sport.

This paper explores the role of social media data in enhancing business-to-business (B2B) omni-channel marketing (OCM) efforts in small businesses. B2B marketing strategy is explored through the lens of each business’s marketing manager’s insights. A novel social media data visualisation tool for B2B marketing campaign development is presented, adding contextualisation to OCM activities.

This exploratory study uses the qualitative interview method to consider the research question: what role does social media data play in enhancing B2B marketing efforts across the omni-channel in small businesses? The paper presents the findings of 25 in-depth interviews with small business marketing managers from a range of B2B industries, guided by a literature-informed interview template. Insights are developed using an open coding approach via traditional pen and paper methods, underpinned by thematic analysis.

Small business marketing managers recognise the importance of social media data in enhancing B2B OCM efforts in their organisations. They acknowledge online marketing channels as paths to enhanced brand awareness and relationship building and recognise social media’s growing influence on B2B customers’ decision-making processes. There is a dichotomy between the professed importance of social media data and its use among some small business marketing managers in their B2B OCM efforts. Others are capturing these data and integrating it with other data resources, thereby embedding social media data as a strategic resource within their business. Findings indicate that it is only in these small businesses that OCM strategy is evolving to meet B2B customer expectations of an integrated OCM experience, informed by social media data, across all channels and touchpoints.

This work is of particular interest to marketing managers within small businesses seeking to improve their B2B marketing efforts across the omni-channel. It is of value to all B2B enterprises, given the rate of advancement of the B2B social media marketing landscape.

Recognised as an emerging area, research relating to B2B OCM is limited. This paper provides empirical data on OCM efforts in small businesses from a B2B perspective and considers the role of social media data in enhancing marketing efforts across the omni-channel. Underpinned by social network theory and based on insights gleaned from fieldwork, a social media data visualisation tool is presented, the first of its kind in this sphere.

This paper aims to contribute to research on corporate governance in regulated sectors, with emphasis in the field of activity of foreign investors through the ownership structure and legal system that regulates companies in Brazil.

In the first moment, the investigation had a quantitative approach of relational nature. Based on the data about the valuation of actions, statistical methods were applied to a secondary database containing measurable information provided by the organizations that operate the Brazilian stock-market and documentary evidence provided by the companies. In the second moment, a qualitative approach was adopted, resorting on the use of semi-structured interviews with investors and agents of the sector.

The results lead to two paths: presenting the perspective that foreign investors play a key role in improving governance practices because foreign ownership mitigates agency problems, provides adequate follow-up and optimizes the use of corporate resources; and evidencing the existence of a mitigation of operational risks in the face of the various obligations imposed by the concession contract with the regulatory agency, without direct interference under the ownership structure of regulated companies.

The literature portrays a distinct economic scenario in Brazil, where stock control is pulverized and mechanisms of corporate governance and scope of action of investors and regulated sectors are well-defined and implemented.

A great part of the studies from this field discusses the same object: the impact of the adoption of corporate governance mechanisms on selected efficiency indicators or on the value of the companies' actions. This investigation, on the other hand, targeted a differentiated approach so that its contribution would lie in the investigation under the influence of the regulation on the legal attributions and the performance of the investors how many conflicts between the other shareholder/regulatory body, as the control measures import by the regulatory agent the concessionaires of the Brazilian highways and transportation sector.

The identification of the presence of foreign investors as a determinant for: better performance of companies in Brazilian regulated sector in terms of market valuation; better mitigation of requirements with the regulatory framework for the agencies that regulate the concession sector, targeting a reduction in the asymmetry of information and transparency among all stakeholders.

The fact that Brazil is an emerging country that lacks a rigid legal system and corruption-control measures in corporate environments and public sectors, stresses the importance of the application of the “Best Codes of Corporate Governance Practices” in the main developed countries. This also stresses the need for effective supervisory bodies that contribute to a better financial performance of companies, guaranteeing investors the legal system.

The circular economy (CE) represents an industry-wide transition from linear to circular processes. There has been a proliferation of literature on CE in the last decade. However, the existing studies on the adaption of CE in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are scarce. This study aims to develop a research agenda and the way forward for future researchers focusing on the adoption of CE.

This article analyses the CE concepts through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Coding and content analysis are performed to generate emergent themes with the help of “Atlas.ti” software.

The authors uncovered the contemporary significance of adopting CE and the state-of-the-art literature on CE. The study's findings fall into four broad themes: Technical know-how, resource and process optimization, reverse practices and technology and innovation. Ten thought-provoking questions were identified in the four themes that researchers can explore further in embracing CE to achieve sustainability in SMEs.

The study has highlighted the importance of CE adoption and CE's benefits to stakeholders across all three dimensions, i.e. social, economic and ecological. Practitioners can use the agenda in four themes to strengthen the practitioners' existing practices in SMEs to promote CE.

The study's uniqueness is the supply of current knowledge from diverse literature and practical consequences for SMEs. This study opens new lines of inquiry to adopt CE in SMEs, streamlining the existing literature into four themes to focus future research.