Research Article: 2021 Vol: 27 Issue: 5
Evgeniya Viktorovna Zazulina, Institute of Service and Entrepreneurship of DSTU of Shakhty
Agafonova Tatyana Sergeevna, Institute of Service and Entrepreneurship of DSTU of Shakhty
Citation Information: Zazulina, E.V., & Sergeevna, A.T. (2021). Use of marketing technologies by governmental and municipal authorities when organizing and holding sporting events in the Russian Federation. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal (AEJ), 27(5), 1-4.
The article discusses the development of the sports industry. The necessity of introducing marketing technologies by government agencies in the organization and conduct of major national sporting events is revealed. The marketing features of a sporting event are described. Sports marketing has its own specific features and characteristics. The objects are sports products: competitions, services, goods, information, facilities, rights (television, licensing, transfer), target audiences, as well as «top officials»: athletes, teams, coaches, managers, who occupy a central place and help expand the scope of sports business, attracting sponsors and an audience.
Sports Industry, Sports Marketing, Marketing Management, Marketing Technologies, Sporting Events.
High-level sports not only have a tremendous potential for improving individuals’ health, physical development, spiritual world and personal culture, morale and aesthetics, but is the cornerstone of international relationships and competitiveness of national economy. This is the reason why development of professional sports and Russian athletes’ high performance on the global stage are among the primary goals set by the Ministry of Sports. Fulfillment of these goals is ensured by the opening of Olympic reserve junior sports schools, raising average salaries for professionals employed at educational institutions, as well as successful hosting of international competitions (the 2018 FIFA World Cup, ice hockey championships, Summer and Winter World Universiades in Krasnoyarsk and Kazan, Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games) (Kotler et al., 2013).
Research methods have been determined through dialectic cognition and a combination of general scientific and specific methods. The study’s theoretical and practical significance consists in the possibility of demand for the conclusions and suggestions contained in it. The paper is based on critical review of literatures. Several updated papers have been studied as empirical evidence. The major objective of this research is to examine the marketing technologies implemented by government authorities while organizing several sports events in Russia.
In-Russia sporting events, such as championships and national competitions, are totally disregarded. Most such events, even those presenting spectator sports, remain in the shade: they pass with half-empty stadiums and are poorly highlighted by mass media. However, organization and conduct of all-Russia competitions is an excellent tool for popularization and development of particular sports, which greatly contributes to the nation’s and its regions’ social development, raises host cities’prestige, cultivates physical culture and healthy lifestyle, which together produce a wealthy result (Malygin, 2011). Proper and effective use of advanced marketing technologies should help fulfill the tasks. The sphere of sports is increasingly popular for its potential for investment and huge returns; therefore, the use of marketing technologies when organizing and holding competitions creates promising market offers, which can provide reputational and economic benefits for particular regions (Skoblin, 2013). Marketing in sports has its own traits and specifics. In this context, marketing objects include competitions, services, goods, information, facilities, rights (for TV broadcasting, licensing, transfer), target audiences, as well as the “main beneficiaries” athletes, teams, coaches, and managers, who are at the center-point of it and help the sports business to expand by attracting sponsors and audience (Bondarenko, 2010). Event setup marketing is key part of sports marketing, because it concentrates relationships, which give impetus to the entire sports industry. First, it is about a sports product’s audience appeal, as it lines up all other markets sports services, goods, facilities, infrastructure, sponsors, etc. Management of sports marketing implies the use of the following marketing technologies: analysis of market opportunities, market targeting (consumer targeting), and development of a marketing complex (planning events, sales, promotion and pricing policies) all this is typical of marketing a sporting event too. Specifics of some sports and types of competitions influence preferences concerning the use of particular marketing tools and sometimes the necessity of their use (Khalikov, 2016). The use of marketing technologies when holding sporting events is only possible with governmental agencies’ participation, as they not only assist in conducting competitions, bus also take steps to boost their marketability (Andreyev, 2011). To do so, they need to research market environments. A marketing environment is a combination of subjects and factors, which work from outside an event’s framework and influence the opportunity to set up and maintain win-win relationships with target clients (athletes, fans, sponsors, coaches, and managers). There are external and internal marketing environments (Vulakh, 2012). The external marketing environment embraces objects, factors and events, which are not part of a sports event, but exert direct influence on its organization and conduct. In turn, external marketing environment is divided into a micro- and macro environment. Microenvironment includes existing and potential consumers (fans, audience, athletes, teams, coaches, and team managers), sponsors and partner companies (for example, TV and radio broadcasting companies), mass media, suppliers, intermediaries, competitive events. Macro environment includes more general, mostly social factors, such as natural and climatic (territories’ climate specifics), political and legal (availability of non-governmental organizations, for example, sports federations, local laws), social and cultural (customs, traditions, religion), demographic, social and economic environment influencing a sporting event’s specifics and scale. Internal environment defines marketing opportunities and potential used when organizing a sporting event (Zateyev, 2010). It includes elements and characteristics influenced by any sports organization, which is involved in the development of a specific type of sports, such as budget, managerial skills and experience (Ephymov & Pershina, 2008). Market assessment and collection of statistical information are impeded by the absence of the formal concept of sports industry in Russia. However, it is evident that the sector can evolve even in crisis times, because fans never stop supporting their teams, not even during hard times. Therefore, the task is to carry out empiric research, which should not only help assess the sports market and its prospects, but also analyze Russian fans’ activities and their interest in particular sports. These functions should be assigned to structural units of the Ministry of Sports of the RF. A potential market is different from a target market, which, in turn, is segmented according to different parameters: territorial demography (for example, local climate specifics), personality demographics, psychographic and behavioral criteria. To make an accurate analysis and segment a target sports market, it is necessary to arrange a marketing information system, which should include collection of current data, marketing research and analysis of obtained information. Government agencies’ involvement should not be confined to providing sites, security, and medical assistance during an event. It is necessary to broaden channels for distribution of sports and show services: they should visit events, participate in the development of logoed products, highlight events on TV, in broadcasts, and share information with mass media. Today, sports are a continuously growing market opportunity for investors. The most promising means of generating income are sponsorship, ticket sale, broadcast license fees (live cable streaming for TV networks, stations, land-based and satellite radio stations, the Internet), transfer of rights to sellers of goods as part of franchise and co-marketing. Primarily, effective management of sporting events depends on organization of live events to excite fans and make them want to pay.
The use of marketing technologies by governmental and municipal authorities when organizing and holding sporting events should contribute to professional sports development. (Chowdhury et al., 2020; Goncharenko et al., 2021; Hossain et al., 2019; Hossain et al., 2020; Jahan et al., 2020; Khalil et al., 2020; Nahar et al., 2021 etc) explained and recommended the importance marketing in sports under the context of Russia.