Now in a fully revised and updated second edition, this textbook offers a complete introduction to consumer behaviour in sport and recreation. Combining theory and cutting-edge research with practical guidance and advice, it helps students and industry professionals become more effective practitioners.
Written by three of the world’s leading sports marketing academics, the book covers all the key topics in consumer behaviour, including:
• user experience and service design
• segmenting consumer markets, building profiles, and branding
• decision-making and psychological consequences
• consumer motivation, constraints, and personalities
• service quality and customer satisfaction
• sociocultural and technological advancements influencing consumption
This updated edition includes expanded coverage of key emerging topics such as technology (from streaming apps to wearables), e-sports and gamification, consumer research, brand architecture, consumer decision making, and fan attitudes. Including international examples throughout, it helps the reader to understand customer motivation and how that drives consumption and how design-relevant factors influence user experiences and can be used to develop more effective marketing solutions.
This book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in the sport, recreation, and events industries, from students and academics to professional managers.
An accompanying eResource provides quizzes exclusively for instructors to assist student learning.
Author Biography:
Daniel C Funk is Professor and Ed Rosen Senior Research Fellow for the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management and the Fox School of Business at Temple University, Philadelphia. He also serves as chairperson for the Department of Sport and Recreation Management. Dr. Funk’s research examines sport consumer experiences to help organizations understand customer acquisition, retention, and expenditure. He consults with various industry partners to determine the economic impact, earned media value, and customer satisfaction of sport events. Dr. Funk has been recognized as a Research Fellow for the Sport Marketing Association, the North American Society for Sport Management, and the National Academy of Kinesiology.
Kostas Alexandris is Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece, and a visiting faculty member at Sheffield Hallam University, UK, and the Russian International Olympic University. He is the Director of the "Sport, Tourism and Recreation Management" Lab and the Post-Graduate Program "Sport, Recreation and Sport Tourism Management", both within AUTH. He has published on topics related to sport, leisure and tourism consumer behaviour, and marketing. Alexandris is an Associate Editor of Managing Sport and Leisure and Regional Editor of Leisure Studies and serves in the editorial boards of a number of leading journals.
Heath McDonald is Dean of economics, finance and marketing and Professor of marketing at RMIT University, Australia. His research work focuses on the field of customer acquisition and retention, particularly in subscription markets (e.g., season tickets, memberships). He consults on fan behaviour matters to professional sport teams across AFL, cricket, soccer, rugby, and several other subscription-based organizations (e.g., Zoos Victoria). Professor McDonald has published across the fields of sport management, marketing, and hospitality and is Associate Editor of the Journal of Sport Management. He is also a Fellow of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
