Want to Pursue A Career In Sport Marketing? Here's Everything You Need to Know

 

Hello! I guess you are interested in pursuing a career in sports. Here, I can guide you to have a good understanding of sport marketing speciality. 

Sport marketing isn't that popular in Nigeria where I operate as the Chief Executive Officer of GreenHunters Sports International. It is understandable though, because at this time, sports are largely run as a social service and doesn't have much of a business orientation here. So the operations of sports marketers are very minimal. 

We are hoping it will change soon. Now the honourable sports minister, Samuel Dare, has started an initiative to transform sports from being a social service to business. But as it is today, many misconstrue what the duties of sport marketing person could be. 

What's the Job of Sport Marketing? 

Whether working on fan development for a professional sports team, packaging an individual player, planning new products for a sportswear firm, or negotiating sponsorship deals for a Fortune 500 company, sports marketers are at the center of a multi-billion-dollar global sports marketplace. 

Sports marketing takes advantage of the fact that sports are almost universally popular and drive a high degree of passion and loyalty among fans. The industry has been expanding worldwide since the beginning of its development in the 1960s, and shows no sign of slowing down.

Sports marketing focuses on the application of marketing principles to the promotion of sports events and teams, or the promotion of products and services through sports – sometimes known as “marketing through sports.” 

In general, sports marketing follows the traditional marketing mix of the five P’s – Product, Price, Place Promotion, and Public Relations – although some sports marketers add an additional four P’s: Planning, Packaging, Positioning, and Perception. Together, these elements are known as the “Sports Marketing Mix.”

Marketing through sports, in particular, has gained prominence since the 1980s. In this segment of marketing, companies promote products and services by sponsoring teams and athletes, airing television or radio ads during sports events, or purchasing advertisement at sports venues. Such products and services need not be related to sports: financial services companies, Internet service providers, and even Internet retailers have sponsored teams and athletes. For sports stars that become major celebrities, such as Anthony Joshua or Nwankwo Kanu, there are no shortages of marketing opportunities.

Other topics in sports marketing include sports broadcasting and advertising, sponsorships, athlete endorsements, periodicals, mobile media and licensing. According to the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship, sports marketing generally involves the following participants:

Fans and customers

Performers and endorsers

Teams and clubs

Leagues and competitions

Sponsors and properties

Retailers and merchandisers

Suppliers and intermediaries

Broadcasters and the media

Governing bodies and representative associations

Economic and social development initiatives

Betting and gambling services

Sportswear manufacturers

Gaming and collecting groups

Education

Educational Requirements

The majority of sports marketing professionals have at least a bachelor’s degree, and many companies prefer that employees get an MBA at some point during their career. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track data for sports marketers as a separate role, they note that that 71% of marketing specialists hold a bachelor’s degree of some kind, while 25% have a master’s degree

Sports marketing degree programs focus on applying marketing theory to the sports industry environment, developing sports marketing strategies, using quality-tracking tools to monitor progress, understanding financial and legal issues in sports, developing sports-oriented creative content, and other topics. 

Industrial Attachment and internships are a popular component in such programs, and many provide valuable hands-on experience that can lead to employment opportunities after graduation.

Find A School to Study Sport Marketing

Although sports marketing programs were once rare, people are getting more aware of it nowadays. There are lots of universities across the world that offers online sport marketing courses you can apply now. Just feel luck and search the Internet. 

No university or Polytechnic in Nigeria offers sport marketing as a course of it's own, but it is taught as a  part of a general marketing course or a minor study in Physical Education course. 

Only National Institute of Sports (NIS) offers sport marketing course at National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) level. Although, GreenHunters organize regular Sport Marketing surveys and Round Table, for research and erudite discussions, but these are not certified Case studies. For further inquiry call: +234 809 877 2556

The ideal sports marketing graduate will have a solid grounding in economics, understand business, sales, and marketing issues, be able to demonstrate knowledge of the law and ethics as they apply to sports marketing, be able to manage marketing and human resources, and have some personal sales ability.

Careers in Sports Marketing

Graduates with degrees in sports marketing may work in professional or amateur sports, franchise management, college athletics, corporate fitness or health club management, events management, public or media relations, sports law, promotions, licensing, or fundraising, to name just a few potential options. Job titles may include:

Account Coordinator

Sports Administrator

Development Director

Corporate Sales Director

Sports Marketing Account Executive

Sports Marketing Account Manager

Director of Ticketing and Finance

VP of Business Development

Head of Marketing

School Athletics Director

Sports Events Coordinator

Sports Agent

Sporting Goods Sales Representative

Equipment Manager

Athletic Director

Facilities Coordinator

Compliance Director

Athletic Business Manager

Fitness Manager

Many sports marketing careers are known for being fast-paced and often require a lot of travel. They also require a high degree of adaptability, creativity, analytical skills, and superb communication abilities.

Employment in the field is expected to grow in Nigeria. Although there's no statistics to  track the expected growth rate for the careers, but we do expect that jobs for sport marketing specialists would grow exponentially between 2020 and 2030...especially if Samuel Dare's Sports Transformation Agenda succeeds in Nigeria and is continued in the next administration. 

Salaries in Sports Marketing

Vacancies for sport marketing officers are very rare to find in Nigeria. You may stumble on it while in a company that engage in sponsorship of sports teams and events or sale broadcast rights. 

Entry-level positions in sports marketing often provide only modest pay, but executives with several years of experience under their belt can earn six figures. 

Most Sport marketing companies in Nigeria operate as Agencies or consulting firm. There earnings are  more on commissions: percentage of sales, sponsorship funds delivered, Sign-on fees, endorse fee, advertising rate...  You may be employed in such company to earn only on percentage commissions the company get from it's clients. 

Further enquiry or question, Call or WhatsApp: +234 809 877 2556

This article was written by Benson Chukwueke - A sport marketing specialist in Nigeria. He is the founder and CEO of GreenHunters Sports International and organizers of Sport Marketing Roundtable event.