Marketing College Athletics Chapter 2-1

A winning college team has economic implications not only for its school but also for the community, region, and state. Universities offer products and services to fans, but fans also expect an adequate number of hotel rooms, restaurants, gas stations, and shopping malls. University cities must be alert to the needs of fans in order to reap the greatest financial benefits.

Promotion is any form of communication used to inform, persuade or remind consumers about an organization’s goods or services. A college football team that consistently wins national championships does not have a difficult time selling tickets to games and building luxury stadium suites. NCAA- National Collegiate Athletic Association ▫the governing body of most college and university athletic programs, which creates and enforces guidelines and rules that schools must follow.

Guideline areas include: ▫recruitment ▫gender equity ▫scholarships ▫gambling prohibitions ▫and many ethical issues The NCAA’s overall goal is the promotion of college athletics with a focus on the integrity of the athletes and their game.

Any college or university may join the NCAA if it meets the following four conditions: 1.Obtain accreditation by the recognized accrediting agency of its region. 2.Offer at least four intercollegiate sports for men and four for women (one in each of the 3 traditional seasons) 3.Comply with all NCAA rules. 4.Cooperate with the NCAA enforcement program and accept penalties imposed by that program.

Sports magazines and nationally recognized sports enthusiasts determine college team rankings based on past team performance, talent, team schedules, and personal preference. Wise coaches and players try not to pay attention to preseason rankings and predictions, but early exposure does provide excellent promotion for a team going into the new season.

A highly ranked team builds excitement and strong attendance at games, creating fan loyalty and national respect. Preseason rankings influence major television networks to schedule games, and televised games means more revenue for the tam and its university. A high ranking at the beginning of the season is also important because it requires fewer steps to the lucrative number one spot. Retailers carrying the national championship sportswear and other memorabilia will experience tremendous growth of sales.

Marketing Segment is a group of individuals within a larger market that share one or more characteristics. For example, millions of people in the United States enjoy college basketball, but a smaller group specifically enjoys University of Kentucky basketball.

Geographic Segmentation is the dividing of markets into physical locations, such as eastern, northern, southern, and western regions of the United States or the urban and rural areas of a state.

Demographic Segmentation focuses on information that can be measured, such as income, profession, gender, and education.

Psychographics focus on characteristics that cannot be measured, such as attitudes and lifestyle choices.

Product Usage reflects what products you use, how often and why.

Benefits Derived are the value people believe they receive from the product or service.