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Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Sport Management Review

Book review
M. Desbordes, A. Richelieu. Global Sport Marketing: Contemporary Issues and Practice, first editionRoutledge, Abdington,
Oxfordshire (2012). 194 pp., ISBN: 978-0-415-50720-2

In the modern global sport environment building relationships with fans, sponsors, and the media is essential.
Stakeholders are not interested in simply buying tickets to a game, paying for static sponsorship signage, or receiving
general access to broadcast an event. Michel Desbordes and André Richelieu make it evident in their text Global Sport
Marketing: Contemporary Issues and Practice that global sport marketing has a modern set of tools and strategies that is
different to traditional marketing. Through case study examples the authors describe useful sport marketing strategies to
address the opportunities and challenges of globalization. The editors bring a North American and European perspective
while the eight contributing authors add additional representation from around the globe. Key topics in the book
include: internationalization, branding, sponsorship, media, sport events, sport manufacturing, marketing strategies, and
sport arenas.
Globalization has been an impetus for the contemporary shift in the sport marketing industry creating opportunities for
sport leagues (e.g., English Premier League and National Basketball Association), sport teams (e.g., The All Blacks and
Manchester United), and players (e.g., Lionel Messi and LeBron James) to become internationally recognized brands. Chapter
1 outlines the key components required to develop and expand sport brands in the modern sporting environment. Sponsors
have become an integral part of the branding and internationalization process. The relationships created between the
sponsor and sponsee aim to increase brand identity for both parties. In Chapter 3 a case study of a German soccer club
describes how the club transformed its brand and sponsorship to increase organizational success. The case studies of three
major sport apparel brands, Nike, Adidas, and Puma, detailed in Chapter 6 further describe brand expansion through the
sponsorship of sport entities (i.e., clubs, national teams, events, and athletes).
In Chapter 2 Richelieu describes strategies that have been successful in helping brands go global. Notably, several of the
methods described to expand brands into the global marketplace fall into a theme of popular culture. These methods include
television and movie product placement, endorsement of the brand by a celebrity (actors, singers, etc.), and the use of social
media. It is an accurate portrayal to describe modern sport as Sportainment (Desbordes & Richelieu, 2011; Mullin, Hardy, &
Sutton, 2007), a blend of sport and entertainment. Athletes are compared to Hollywood stars and consumers expect more
than just a game from current sport experiences.
The media continues to play an integral role endorsing contemporary sport. Not only does media facilitate the popularity
and growth of sport, it also influences consumer perspectives. Chapter 4 demonstrates the media’s impact on the consumer’s
brand image of the host site during a mega sporting event, specifically of China and Beijing during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Sport professionals should however be wary of the growth effect of the media on the sport industry as it can have a negative
effect. Chapter 5 mentions the economic impact the media has had on the global sport economy and the need to preserve
ethical standards in light of the financial growth.
To become mainstream, sport teams can no longer position themselves as just sport brands, but as lifestyle brands as well.
Teams connect with the consumer’s emotions to generate a strong attachment to their brand. The underlying themes of
consumer emotion and experiences contribute to the authors’ portrayal of modern global sport marketing (exhibited in
Chapters 1, 3, 7, and 8). Done well, this can build international appeal. Chapter 8 describes the stadium experience’s unique
ability to not only generate loyalty from those fans in attendance, but also to create a positive virtual experience For those
fans watching on television. As the value of broadcasting rights has increased, it is paramount that sport marketers
implement strategies to generate positive experiences for both fans watching in attendance and at home. As outlined in the
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) case study illustrated in Chapter 7, the WWE uses modern marketing techniques
(e.g. video games, product customization, and online communities) to create a varied and dynamic consumer experience.
Similarly, sport marketers must keep up with modern marketing methods. Social networking sites, sport mobile apps, and
team webpages provide an additional level of consumer experience as well as alternative outlets for fans to connect with
sport brands.
The book content is suitable to someone with a knowledge and understanding of sport marketing. With the addition of
consistent supporting anecdotes (i.e., key terms, discussion questions, and suggested reading) within each chapter the book

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2 K. Bruffy / Sport Management Review xxx (2015) xxx–xxx

would be best suited as a resource for students and practitioners. Richelieu’s internationalization of sports teams as brands
(Chapter 2) has the greatest potential to make an impact with advanced students and practitioners. Clearly outlining why
and how sport has become global, describing strategies for internationalization, and the use of an appropriate case study
make this chapter standout. Although the book takes an international perspective, practitioners at several lower levels of
sport (i.e., local and national) could also benefit. The contemporary sport marketing practices that are described are relevant
to all sport organizations because they portray modern marketing fundamentals.
Although the book offers interesting, contemporary, and applicable content, the lack of a clear strategy lets the book
down. The introduction could do a better job setting the stage for the links between the two sections of the book and their
corresponding chapters. The concluding chapter offers some clarity, identifying four relevant themes of the text: (a) the
arrival of emerging countries and their impact on sport management, (b) culture: global convergence via sports and sports
marketing, (c) sports marketing and new media, and (d) money and sport; however, these are not unmistakably woven
within the text. The absence of consistent formatting of each chapter further contributes to the complexity of reading
comprehension.
This book adequately presents contemporary global sport marketing issues and practices. Readers, however, will have to
navigate the book chapters for themselves. If you are interested in contemporary sport marketing and would like to read
about global sport marketing practices this book will be of value to you.

References

Desbordes, M., & Richelieu, A. (2011). Neo-Marketing du sport. Regards Croisés entre Europe et Amérique du Nord. Brussels: De Boeck Publishers.
Mullin, B. J., Hardy, S., & Sutton, W. A. (2007). Sport marketing (3rd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Katherine Bruffy
Lecturer at Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand

E-mail address: [email protected] (K. Bruffy).

20 November 2014

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