Identification of customer attraction strategies in Tabriz private karate clubs

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mahamoud Reza Dakhteh
Yousef Yavari
Rasoul Faragi
Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran.
10.22034/ntsmj.2024.2031804.1054
Abstract
Success of sports clubs depends on the presence of customers and the presence of customers requires the use of basic strategies. Therefore, this research was carried out using thematic analysis approach to identify strategies for private karate clubs to attract maximum people. The statistical population included sports management faculty members, athletes, referees, coaches, karate club managers, and managers of Tabriz Sports and Youth Department. Purposive sampling method was used to select the samples. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect the data required for the research, and theoretical saturation was achieved by conducting 20 interviews. Data analysis was done using thematic or theme analysis method and by coding and producing, defining and naming themes of qualitative data. The results showed that the strategies for maximum attraction of people in karate clubs include 45 primary concepts, 12 categories and secondary themes (behavioral, communication, economic, marketing, media coverage, technical, knowledge, club ownership, coaching, event-planning, service quality, cultural-social) and 6 main topics (public relations, economic, marketing management, professional, strategic, cultural-social management solutions). Based on the findings, it is suggested that the managers of karate clubs, in cooperation with trainers, use multifaceted and practical strategies that include the principles of professional administration, the principles of professional education and teaching, focusing on customer orientation and satisfying them, paying sufficient attention to the principle of updating and staying up-to-date, develop and implement more interaction with the Karate Federation and more emphasis on specialized behaviors related to sports. In this way, the field of increasing sports participation of those interested in karate sports, as well as the economic development of clubs can be achieved.
Keywords
marketing
club
customer attraction
martial art
References
Abedini, S., & Talebi, S. (2017). The Socio-economical Factors Related to the Degree of Tendency of Citizens toward Public Sports in Khalkal. Journal of Applied Sociology, 28(1), 131-144. (In Persian) doi: 10.22108/jas.2017.21255
Ahmadi, M., Amirtash, A. M., & Safania, A. M. (2018). Factor Analysis of the Necessary Cultural Components before the Privatization of Sport. Sport Management Studies, 10(50), 37-62. (In Persian) doi: 10.22089/smrj.2018.4652.1892
Alavi, S. M., Najafi Siyahroudi, M., & Rahimzadeh, M. (2016). Identifying and categorizing customer needs of a sport club using Kano model (A case of study: sport club of Narjes Shiraz). Applied Research in Sport Management, 4(3), 53-65. (In Persian)
Balaji, M. S., & Chakraborti, R. (2015). Stadium atmosphere: scale development and validation in Indian context. Journal of Indian Business Research, 7(1), 45-66.
Brito, M. A. (2020). Sport clubs and wellness: Analyzing the impact being a sports clubs' member has on the dimensions of wellness clubs' member has on the dimensions of wellness. Theses for Rowan University.
Batavani, M., foroghipor, H., Nikravan, M., & Aghaei, N. (2022). Formulation of a developmental model of the structural factors of the championship sport of the Karate Federation. Strategic Studies on Youth and Sports, 21(56), 75-90. (In Persian) doi: 10.22034/ssys.2022.1189.1817
Brink, A., & Berndt, A, (2008). Relationship Marketing & Customer Relationship Management. Lansdowne, South Africa: Juta and Co Ltd.
Cardoso A. Robson Pereira de Souza. Fernando B. and Alvaro, C. (2014). Merchandising Strategy of FC Porto Store to Attract the Segment of Children and Youth. International Journal of Business, Humanities and Technology, 4(1), 140-149.
Chaleshtari Mokari, S. Farahani, A. Khodayari, A. & Safania, A. M. (2021). Framework of Management of Sport Club in Iran. Strategic studies on youth and sports, (53), 231-245. (In Persian)
Ennis, S. (2020). Formulating and Implementing Sports Marketing Strategy. In Sports Marketing, 129-151). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Fadaei, M. Amirtash, A. M. Khodayari, A. Kordlu, H. (2018). A Comparison of risk management behaviors of managers and coaches in private and public sport clubs in AMOL City. Sport physiology & management investigations, 10(1), 101-112. (In Persian)
Faghani, G., Hazrati, Z., & Amirzaherei, A. M. (2022). A comparative study of social and cultural factors affecting the championship sports of Iranian and Malaysian women in the last 50 years. Political Sociology of Iran, 4(4), 940-975. (In Persian) doi: 10.30510/psi.2022.368357.4115
Fajardo, E. P., Núñez-Pomar, J. M., & Calabuig, F. (2021). Does size matter? Entrepreneurial orientation and performance in Spanish sports clubs. Sport in Society, 1-19
Farahani, A., Alidoust Ghahfarrokhi, E., & Derakhshande Ghahferrokhi, S. T. (2015). An Investigation of Problems in Private Sport Clubs in Shahr-e-kord City. Sport Management Journal, 7(1), 53-67. (In Persian) doi: 10.22059/jsm.2015.53645
Fesanghari, J., Benesbordi, A., & Rahimi, M. (2019). Effect of Customer knowledge management on customer perceived value and loyalty in sports clubs in Mashhad. Sport Management and Development, 7(4), 142-155. (In Persian) doi: 10.22124/jsmd.2019.3257
Gharehkhani, H., Seifpanahi, J., & Fuladi Heidarloo, S. (2015). Designing Private Sector Participation Barriers Model in Iranian Football Clubs. Strategic Studies on Youth and Sports, 14(28), 55-66. (In Persian)
Gholampurgalshaklami, H. Mirzaei, K. Ghadimi, B. Alipour Darvishi, Z. (2019). Social and cultural factors affecting the desire of young people to participate in sports (with emphasis on women). Women and Society, year 11, 1 (41), 151-176. (In Persian)
Ghyami Rad, A. (2009). Investigating marketing strategies for the promotion and development of sports in Iran. Scientific-Research Quarterly of Movement, 39, 175-192. (In Persian)
Gustafson, M. W. (2005). The relative importance of the sports cape in football game attendance at a NCAA division IA university. Electronic Thesis, Texas Tech University, Texas, US, p: 21.
Ha, J. H., & Han, J. W. (2010). Influence of Affective Reaction, Cognition, Spectator Satisfaction, Psychological Commitment on Intention to Attend Future Games to a Collegiate Sports Team. Journal of Sport and Leisure Studies, 39, 223-237.
Hamidizadeh, M. Haji Karimi, A. A. Babaei Zakleiki, M. A. Tabatabaei Nesab, S. M. (2009). design and explanation of customer loyalty process model; Case study: private banks. Business Management Studies, 1(2), 133-170. (In Persian)
Homan, Haider A. (2016). A practical guide to qualitative research. Publications of Organization for Studying and Compiling Humanities Books of Universities, (Samt).
Hoskyn, K. Dickson, G. Sotiriadou, P. (2018). Leveraging medium-sized sport events to attract club participants. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 36 (2), 199-212.
Hosseini, A. & Alidoust Ghahfarokhi, E. (2019). The Effect of Entrepreneurial Skills of Managers on Customer Attraction in Private Sport Clubs in Tehran City. Sport physiology & management investigations, 11(3), 157-168. (In Persian)
Hosseinzadeh, B., Zandi, S., & Baban, K. (2019). Common postures and sport injuries in elite karate athletes. Journal for Research in Sport Rehabilitation, 7(13), 111-123. (In Persian) doi: 10.22084/rsr.2019.19156.1455
https://dokumen.pub/digital-economy-and-the-new-labor-market-jobs-competences-and-innovative-hr-technologies-1st-ed-9783030609252-9783030609269.html
Hwang, J. Han, H. Choo, S. W. (2015). A strategy for the development of the private country club. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 27 (8), 1927-1948.
Jahandideh, M. A. Razavi, S. M.H. Bahadri, M. (2017). Measuring the strategic thinking of managers of private sports clubs. International Conference on Physical Education and Sports of Fars Province. (In Persian)
Kumar, Vineet, and Reinartz W., (2018). Customer relationship management. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Mahdovian Mashhadi, M. (2008). Comparison of the current and desirable role of mass media in women's sports. Article of the first national conference of Shomal University Sports Management, November. (IN Persian)
Nazari, R., & Andalib, E. (2018). Prediction of Customer Attraction through Marketing Mix Elements and the Use of ICT at Private Sport Clubs. Communication Management in Sports Media, 6(22), 89-98. ‏
Nazemi, A., Goodarzi, M., & Khabiri, M. (2014). The effect of stadium characteristics on the re-presence of spectators in the Iranian Football Premier League. new approaches in sports management, 1, 65_77. (In Persian).
Nikbin, B. Alavi, S. H. Tavakoli, A. (2019). Prioritizing the importance of advertising components through SMS and virtual space in attracting customers in sports venues in Mazandaran province. New approaches in Sports Management, 8(28), 57-70. (In Persian)
Podijeh Hajipour, H. Poursafar, E. Momenie, M. (2014). Investigating the role of virtual social networks in attracting and participating in sports in sports clubs in Mashhad. National Conference of the Scientific Association of Sports Management of Iran, Tehran. (In Persian)
Ravanbakhsh, F. Nourbakhsh, P. Sepasi, H. & Kohandel, M. (2020). Designing a Model of Effective Factors to Attract Women to Fitness Clubs by Emphasizing on Health Promotion Behaviors. Toloo-e-Behdasht, 18(5), 15-26. (In Persian)
Sabunchi, R. Farhadi Far, S. Razavi, S. N. (2017). Factors affecting the attraction of customers of sports venues in Khuzestan province. The fourth national conference of sports sciences and physical training of Iran. (In Persian)
Simon, L. and Scot, R. (2020). Sustainable development principles in U.S. sport management graduate programs. Sport, Education and Society, 9, 1-14.
Snelgrove, R., Wood, L., Taks, M., Potwarka, L., & Wigfield, D. (2019). Attracting Spectators to Youth Sport Events: The Case of the International Children’s Games. Journal of Amateur Sport, 5(2), 138-159. ‏
Soleimani, K. Yousefi, B. Rahmani, N. Kazemi, S. (2015). The Ranking of Management and Professional Factors of Sports Clubs of Private Sector in Kermanshah City. New approaches in sport management, 3(8): 29-39. (In Persian)
Swift, R. S., (2000). Accelerating customer relationships using CRM and relationship technologies (Prentice Hall).
Zamani Nukaabadi, A. Aroufzad, S. Nazari, R. Movahedi, A. (2022). Identifying themes of Iranian sports coaching with mixed method approach. Strategic studies on youth and sports, 21, 56, 169-198. (In Persian)
Zohrevandian, K. Ghafari, I. & Zohrevandian, M. (2021). The Impact of Relationship Quality on Customer’s Economic Behavior in the Sport Clubs of Arak. Journal of business administration research, 13(25), 133-158. (In Persian)