'n Ondersoek na die rol van sosiale media in sportbemarking

Abstract

Varsity Cup sport meetings (especially rugby) is well supported by university students and even attract more supporters than some provincial matches. The focus of this study was thus to investigate the nature of the marketing that motivate these supporters. The enormous role that social media plays in modern communication influenced the decision to investigate social media as marketing channel. Along with marketing other reasons for attending were also investigated (e.g. social influences, competition quality, atmosphere etc.). The results showed clear answers regarding the popularity of certain sport codes, the most popular social media platforms used for marketing, and the experience of meetings. Results rendered only usable averages and few correlation and/or statistical meaningful differences. The social media platform profiling of this study could however still be of worth in that this could be targeted by marketers to establish an effective communication channel for marketing. Varsity Cup sportbyeenskomste (veral rugby) word baie goed ondersteun deur studente en lok groter getalle toeskouers as sommige provinsiale wedstryde. Die fokus van hierdie studie was dus om ondersoek in te stel na die aard van bemarking wat die studente so motiveer. Weens die enorme rol wat sosiale media hedendaags in kommunikasie speel, is besluit om sosiale media spesifiek te ondersoek as bemarkingskanaal. Daar is tesame met bemarking ook gekyk na ander redes vir bywoning (bv. sosiale invloede, kwaliteit kompetisie, gees en atmosfeer ens.). Die resultate het duidelike antwoorde gekry oor gewildheid van die verskeie sportsoorte, die sosiale media platforms wat die gewildste is asook meeste gebruik word vir bemarking, en die ervaring van die byeenkomste. Resultate het egter net bruikbare waardes in gemiddelde gelewer en weinig korrelasies en/of statisties betekenisvolle verskille getoon. Die studie is wel steeds van nut aangesien dit ʼn profiel opgestel het van die sosiale media platforms wat deur bemarkers geteiken kan word om ʼn effektiewe bemarkingskommunikasiekanaal te bewerkstellig