Developing a body of knowledge for sport marketing in Africa

Abstract

This paper aims to stimulate the development of a scientific body of knowledge for sport marketing in Africa. A review of current journals indicates that African academics are not devoting sufficient attention to the development of a body of knowledge for sport marketing. In this paper three scenarios are formulated that contextualise sport marketing as a multi-dimensional discipline. Research perspectives for each of the scenarios are proposed:

Scenario 1 (marketing of sport) - the marketing of sport products and services, such as equipment and facilities, which might be consumed by professional athletes or amateurs;

Scenario 2 (marketing through sport) - the marketing of an organisation through its association, such as a sponsorship, with sport events, teams or individuals; and

Scenario 3 (marketing by sport) - the way sport bodies and codes market themselves and their events to attract sponsorships participants, spectators, funding, and corporate involvement.

It is concluded that academics and practitioners should increase their effort to develop a body of knowledge for sport marketing in Africa.