| Pub. Date | :Feb, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of Marketing Management |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJMM11902 |
| Author Name | : Nilesh Arora, Bani Grewal and Gurkeerat Singh |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Finance |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 16 |
This paper aims to introduce the novel concept of Sports Social Responsibility (SSR) by examining the potential contribution of sports towards social responsibility. Sports committees all over the world that make millions of dollars and draw crowds of viewers from all walks of life, are not mandated to contribute towards social responsibility, as per law. The paper examines not only the financial angle but also the reach and impact of SSR as a tool to globally promote the social cause of international relevance. From diehard fans to casual viewers, sports events capture the attention of people more than any other event. Therefore, globally people are more likely to adopt a social cause endorsed by sports celebrities and promoted on an international scale through sports event marketing channels. The application of Business Intelligence in this field shows that stock markets show an upward trend and economy in terms of GDP grows in countries hosting mega sports events. As the size and popularity of sports events grow, they will continue to be prime events to deliver social welfare messages. This approach would not only help the society and economy, but also the promoter, as the TRP of the sports events is likely to rise due to the immense goodwill factor. It would also help sports committees, boards and sports institutions regain their brand image and popularity that may have stagnated over a period of time.
As per a Business Insider report in May 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo, the famous Soccer player, had endorsements worth $27.0 mn, 111.4 million Facebook likes and 42.1 million Twitter followers, and the world was astonished to see how a single person could potentially influence so many people. Earlier, only large media houses had that potential. In a span of less than a year, in December 2016, as per a Forbes report, Cristiano Ronaldo had 82.9 million followers on Instagram. Several other sports celebrities and athletes too command such following on social media. In March 2018, world famous Basketball player LeBron James had 41 million followers on Twitter. One of the most successful cricketers globally, Sachin Tendulkar, had 24.9 million followers on Twitter, closely followed by Virat Kohli with 23.8 million followers. Neymar Jr. had 38.7 million followers on Twitter, showing the global influence of these sports celebrities.