Social media from a sport business and marketing perspective

Anna Adlwarth
Nord University, Bodø, Norway

This anthology is part of the Routledge series Research in Sport Business and Management, and as such stands out for its focus on marketing, (image) management and e-commerce within the field of sports sociological research. In the introductory chapter, Abeza and Sanderson provide an overview of the evolving landscape of social media, illustrating its transition from e.g. text-based to visual content, from desktop to mobile devices, or from static to interactive platforms. They further elaborate on how social media has evolved into a business tool, “enabling businesses to reach their target audience, drive sales, build brand awareness, and cultivate deep relationships with customers” (p.7). The authors emphasize the importance of evidence-based approaches to social media research in the sports industry, illustrating its role as a tool for crisis communication and addressing sociocultural issues in sports. They conclude that the book

places a strong emphasis on the significance of employing data-driven analysis to assess how social media impacts sports business, sociocultural factors, media, and legal issues. The book provides valuable insights into the impact of social media on the sports field by referencing empirical data and case studies. It explores the societal and cultural influences of social media and examines how these platforms have altered the functioning of sport organizations.

More compelling for business and management scholars than for those seeking a critical sociopolitical analysis

The authors deliver on their promises regarding the exploration of social media’s impact on sport business, sociocultural issues, and communication strategies, but fall short of engaging with deeper political media theory or legal matters. However, the book is more compelling for business and management scholars than for those seeking a critical sociopolitical analysis. People and researchers expecting data-driven insights and case studies on social media’s role in sports will not be disappointed.

This study involved creating social advocacy memes on human rights issues related to the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games to assess their impact on attitudes toward these issues.

The anthology is divided into four parts: the introduction (I), sociocultural aspects of sport and social media (II), which includes four chapters; business aspects of sport and social media (III), which includes three chapters; and theoretical and conceptual aspects of sport and social media (IV), which includes two chapters. The studies presented encompass both qualitative and quantitative approaches, with data analysis covering topics such as Memetic Communication (memes), Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Social media, fan and athlete activism, and crisis management in sports

The four chapters in the second part focus on sociocultural aspects, exploring social media, fan and athlete activism, and crisis management in sports. One chapter examines the potential role of memes in raising fan awareness of human rights, applying a quantitative message processing study. This study involved creating social advocacy memes on human rights issues related to the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games to assess their impact on attitudes toward these issues. The following two chapters explore athlete activism, with the first investigating sports fans’ views on athlete activism. This study draws on an extensive qualitative data set collected from an online survey with open-ended questions. However, the article focuses more on fan attitudes than on social media itself. The subsequent chapter also addresses athlete activism, examining community building through the #MTAA (More Than An Athlete) movement on Twitter. This quantitative study explores whether activism has spread within and beyond the sport community through #MTAA, offering an interesting perspective on the contingency of social activism in sports and community development across geographical boundaries. The final chapter in this section addresses crisis management in sports from a social media perspective, specifically how social media platforms can be used as tools for crisis management. The authors employ two case studies of incidents on Twitter during the 2022 Canada Summer Games. Whereas these cases arguably only serve as examples how social media could function as crisis management tool, the authors also conduct an informative literature review on social media, crisis management, and sports events.

Football fan engagement, human branding and sportswashing

The third part of the book, which focuses on business aspects, includes a chapter on football fan engagement and brand loyalty on Instagram, as well as a study on Peloton instructors’ human branding strategies and self-presentation on TikTok and Instagram. Another chapter examines Rwanda’s sponsorship deal with Arsenal Football Club and consumer reactions to related YouTube videos. Although all the chapters originate from a business management perspective, the innovative study by Visser et al. may be particularly interesting to business and marketing researchers. It applies the Consumer Online Brand-Related Activities (COBRA) theory to explore purchase behaviour and fan loyalty among Exeter City FC fans. On the other hand, Galen Clavio et al.’s qualitative study may as well appeal to sports sociologists, media and communication scholars, and gender experts, given its focus on social media as a tool for self-presentation. Lastly, Abeza and Mamo’s chapter on soft power strategies, place branding, and sportswashing may also be relevant to researchers interested in sport for development and human rights issues.

Chapters that inspire new and innovative research on sport and social media

The final part of the book features two theoretical chapters. The first explores Goffman’s self-presentation theory as applied to sport research on social media, developing several research questions for future studies based on six of Goffman’s dramaturgical constructs. The last chapter presents a contemporary theory of sport public relations and social media as a co-creational process. In this way, the editors conclude the anthology with two chapters that inspire new and innovative research on sport and social media.

Although some chapters explicitly address political and legal issues such as human rights, athlete activism, and sportswashing, the book lacks substantial (socio)political media theory. While the authors of the respective chapters engage with these issues from ethical and social theoretical perspectives, they barely reflect on the politics of the phenomenon social media per se. The editors also do not address this aspect in their discussion of social media’s development. This omission may be explained by the book’s focus on business and management research, yet this field is not devoid of (socio)politics. In other words, engaging with social media from a neoliberal perspective—as many of the chapters do—may be seen as inherently political.

The book encourages fresh perspectives on the evolving dynamics of sports business and management and social media

With its emphasis on evidence-based approaches, the book is a valuable resource for researchers and students seeking inspiration for their own work, particularly in applying various conceptual and methodological approaches. Its diverse range of case studies and innovative research on social media’s role in sports makes it a rich source of knowledge for both emerging and established scholars. The anthology encourages fresh perspectives on the evolving dynamics of sports business and management and social media.

Copyright © Anna Adlwarth 2024