A digital marketing framework for sport organisations in South Africa

Abstract

Sport has become a major industry in South Africa and sport organisations are continuously trying to obtain a competitive advantage. Sport has a distinctive quality due to its inherent unpredictability. Sporting events have the ability to change the emotions, level of excitement, and level of involvement of spectators, depending upon the outcome of a particular event or game. Sport stakeholders transcend the role of mere customers, as they possess a deep emotional connection with and genuine concern for their teams and athletes. They desire a deep and interactive involvement with their sport team. Sport, thus being inherently social, not only promotes but also flourishes through the establishment of communities and active involvement. Both face-to-face and virtual interactions are essential for cultivating a sense of community among stakeholders with a vested interest. In addition, the identity of a sport team includes more than just its logo or slogan. It involves the players, history, culture, and follower base, all of which contribute to the unique brand of the sport. In this context, the challenge of building and maintaining relationships with sport stakeholders remains a significant issue. The rapid growth of digital technology has forced sport marketers to turn to digital marketing strategies to establish and strengthen these relationships. However, the unique complexities of the sport sector namely, the interconnectedness of three sectors of sport (government sector, non-profit sector, and corporate sector), as well as the three pillars of sport marketing (marketing of sport, marketing through sport and marketing by sport), are not sufficiently addressed by existing marketing frameworks. Hence, the aim of this study to create a digital marketing framework for sport marketing by using the SOSTAC® framework as overarching structure to inform the development of more effective digital marketing strategies for sport organisations and marketers in South Africa. The components required for such a framework were evaluated empirically through a multimethod research approach of qualitative and quantitative research. To create such a framework, the researcher made use of (1) a literature review of the sport environment in South Africa and the principles of a digital marketing strategy; (2) semi-structured interviews with sport marketers on what their digital marketing strategies were; (3) content analysis of the participating sport organisations’ websites, Facebook pages and Instagram accounts to establish best practice digital marketing strategies; and (4) an electronic survey to determine sport stakeholders’ perceptions of their sport organisation’s digital marketing strategies. The research findings highlight the importance of stakeholder aspects such as stakeholder centricity, interactivity and engagement, personalisation and customisation, community building, and the stakeholder experience while measuring and monitoring digital marketing campaigns for feedback and effectiveness evaluation. The sport sector’s strategic digital marketing focus should be adapted to attain its goal of relationship building and it should incorporate six stages, namely: a foundational analysis, strategic planning, data-driven strategies for personalisation, integrating content with technology, sustainability and ethical engagement, and performance evaluation and adaptation.