Abstract

There has been a significant increase in research around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the sport management context and it has been argued that CSR outcomes have marketing implications. Despite this increase, there is a gap in identifying the influence that CSR initiatives have on marketing performance within a professional sport management context. Moreover, the South African sport industry is rapidly professionalising with a need for the application of business management practices to the unique sport industry. This study explored the relationship between CSR and the marketing performance of selected professional sport organisations across South Africa. Six organisations were selected, representative of the three major professional sport codes in the country, namely cricket, rugby and soccer. Following a qualitative research approach, key personnel at the organisations were purposefully selected for in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted and the following core themes emerged: marketing objectives; income/revenue growth; marketing share; and CSR initiatives. The study proposed a set of criteria to assess the influence of CSR on marketing performance, which included: tickets and sales; brand loyalty; brand perception; media coverage; and sponsorship. The study clarifies the relationship between CSR and marketing performance in the South African professional sport environment and presents policy and practice-based recommendations based on these findings.

摘要

在体育管理背景下，围绕企业社会责任 (CSR) 的研究显着增加，并且有人认为 CSR 结果具有营销意义。尽管有所增加，但在确定 CSR 举措对专业体育管理背景下的营销绩效的影响方面存在差距。此外，南非体育产业正在迅速专业化，需要将商业管理实践应用于独特的体育产业。本研究探讨了企业社会责任与南非选定的专业体育组织的营销绩效之间的关系。六个组织被选中，代表了该国三大职业体育项目，即板球、橄榄球和足球。按照定性研究方法，这些组织的主要人员是有目的地选择进行深入访谈的。进行了主题分析，出现了以下核心主题：营销目标；收入/收入增长；营销份额；和企业社会责任倡议。该研究提出了一套标准来评估企业社会责任对营销绩效的影响，其中包括：门票和销售额；品牌忠诚度；品牌认知度；媒体报道; 和赞助。该研究阐明了南非职业体育环境中企业社会责任与营销绩效之间的关系，并根据这些发现提出了基于政策和实践的建议。营销份额；和企业社会责任倡议。该研究提出了一套标准来评估企业社会责任对营销绩效的影响，其中包括：门票和销售额；品牌忠诚度；品牌认知度；媒体报道; 和赞助。该研究阐明了南非职业体育环境中企业社会责任与营销绩效之间的关系，并根据这些发现提出了基于政策和实践的建议。营销份额；和企业社会责任倡议。该研究提出了一套标准来评估企业社会责任对营销绩效的影响，其中包括：门票和销售额；品牌忠诚度；品牌认知度；媒体报道; 和赞助。该研究阐明了南非职业体育环境中企业社会责任与营销绩效之间的关系，并根据这些发现提出了基于政策和实践的建议。