bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aerodynamics, sensing and control of insect-scale flapping-wing flight
Authors: Shyy Wei , Kang Chang-kwon , Chirarattananon Pakpong , Ravi Sridhar , Liu Hao
Published: February 2016

There are nearly a million known species of flying insects and 13 000 species of flying warm-blooded vertebrates, including mammals, birds and bats. While in flight, their wings not only move forward relative to the air, they also flap up and down, plunge and sweep, so that both lift and thrust can be generated and balanced, accommodate uncertain surrounding environment, with superior flight stability and dynamics with highly varied speeds and missions. As the size of a flyer is reduced, the wing-to-body mass ratio tends to decrease as well. Furthermore, these flyers use integrated system consisting of wings to generate aerodynamic forces, muscles to move the wings, and sensing and control systems to guide and manoeuvre. In this article, recent advances in insect-scale flapping-wing aerodynamics, flexible wing structures, unsteady flight environment, sensing, stability and control are reviewed with perspective offered. In particular, the special features of the low Reynolds number flyers associated with small sizes, thin and light structures, slow flight with comparable wind gust speeds, bioinspired fabrication of wing structures, neuron-based sensing and adaptive control are highlighted.
Matching–centrality
decomposition and the forecasting of new links in networks
Authors: Rohr Rudolf P. , Naisbit Russell E. , Mazza Christian , Bersier Louis-Félix
Published: February 2016

Networks play a prominent role in the study of complex systems of interacting entities in biology, sociology, and economics. Despite this diversity, we demonstrate here that a statistical model decomposing networks into
matching
and
centrality
components provides a comprehensive and unifying quantification of their architecture. The
matching
term quantifies the assortative structure in which node makes links with which other node, whereas the
centrality
term quantifies the number of links that nodes make. We show, for a diverse set of networks, that this decomposition can provide a tight fit to observed networks. Then we provide three applications. First, we show that the model allows very accurate prediction of missing links in partially known networks. Second, when node characteristics are known, we show how the
matching–centrality
decomposition can be related to this external information. Consequently, it offers us a simple and versatile tool to explore how node characteristics explain network architecture. Finally, we demonstrate the efficiency and flexibility of the model to forecast the links that a novel node would create if it were to join an existing network.
The evolutionary convergence of mid-Mesozoic lacewings and Cenozoic butterflies
Authors: Labandeira Conrad C. , Yang Qiang , Santiago-Blay Jorge A. , Hotton Carol L. , Monteiro Antónia , Wang Yong-Jie , Goreva Yulia , Shih ChungKun , Siljeström Sandra , Rose Tim R. , Dilcher David L. , Ren Dong
Published: February 2016

Mid-Mesozoic kalligrammatid lacewings (Neuroptera) entered the fossil record 165 million years ago (Ma) and disappeared 45 Ma later. Extant papilionoid butterflies (Lepidoptera) probably originated 80–70 Ma, long after kalligrammatids became extinct. Although poor preservation of kalligrammatid fossils previously prevented their detailed morphological and ecological characterization, we examine new, well-preserved, kalligrammatid fossils from Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous sites in northeastern China to unravel a surprising array of similar morphological and ecological features in these two, unrelated clades. We used polarized light and epifluorescence photography, SEM imaging, energy dispersive spectrometry and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry to examine kalligrammatid fossils and their environment. We mapped the evolution of specific traits onto a kalligrammatid phylogeny and discovered that these extinct lacewings convergently evolved wing eyespots that possibly contained melanin, and wing scales, elongate tubular proboscides, similar feeding styles, and seed–plant associations, similar to butterflies. Long-proboscid kalligrammatid lacewings lived in ecosystems with gymnosperm–insect relationships and likely accessed bennettitalean pollination drops and pollen. This system later was replaced by mid-Cretaceous angiosperms and their insect pollinators.
Low doses of a neonicotinoid insecticide modify pheromone response thresholds of central but not peripheral olfactory neurons in a pest insect
Authors: Rabhi Kaouther K. , Deisig Nina , Demondion Elodie , Le Corre Julie , Robert Guillaume , Tricoire-Leignel Hélène , Lucas Philippe , Gadenne Christophe , Anton Sylvia
Published: February 2016

Insect pest management relies mainly on neurotoxic insecticides, including neonicotinoids, leaving residues in the environment. There is now evidence that low doses of insecticides can have positive effects on pest insects by enhancing various life traits. Because pest insects often rely on sex pheromones for reproduction, and olfactory synaptic transmission is cholinergic, neonicotinoid residues could modify chemical communication. We recently showed that treatments with different sublethal doses of clothianidin could either enhance or decrease behavioural sex pheromone responses in the male moth,
Agrotis ipsilon
. We investigated now effects of the behaviourally active clothianidin doses on the sensitivity of the peripheral and central olfactory system. We show with extracellular recordings that both tested clothianidin doses do not influence pheromone responses in olfactory receptor neurons. Similarly,
in vivo
optical imaging does not reveal any changes in glomerular response intensities to the sex pheromone after clothianidin treatments. The sensitivity of intracellularly recorded antennal lobe output neurons, however, is upregulated by a lethal dose 20 times and downregulated by a dose 10 times lower than the lethal dose 0. This correlates with the changes of behavioural responses after clothianidin treatment and suggests the antennal lobe as neural substrate involved in clothianidin-induced behavioural changes.
Application of new informatics tools for identifying allosteric lead ligands of the c-Src kinase
Authors: Peng Lili X. , Lawrenz Morgan , Shukla Diwakar , Tang Grace W. , Pande Vijay S. , Altman Russ B.
Published: February 2016

Recent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the catalytic domain of the c-Src kinase revealed intermediate conformations with a potentially druggable allosteric pocket adjacent to the C-helix, bound by 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate. Towards confirming the existence of this pocket, we have developed a novel lead enrichment protocol using new target and lead enrichment software to identify sixteen allosteric lead ligands of the c-Src kinase. First, Markov State Models analysis was used to identify the most statistically significant c-Src target conformations from all MD-simulated conformations. The most statistically relevant candidate MSM targets were then prioritized by assessing how well each reproduced binding poses of ligands specific to the ATP-competitive and allosteric pockets. The top-performing MSM targets, identified by receiver-operating curve analysis, were then used to screen the ZINC library of 13 million ‘clean, drug-like’’ ligands, all of which prioritized based on their empirical scoring function, binding pose consistency across MSM targets, and strong hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions with Src residues. The FragFEATURE knowledgebase of fragment-protein pocket interactions was then used to identify fragments specific to the ATP-competitive and allosteric pockets. This information was used to identify seven Type II and nine Type III lead ligands with binding poses supported by fragment predictions. Of these, Type II lead ligands, ZINC13037947 and ZINC09672647, and Type III lead ligands, ZINC12530852 and ZINC30012975, exhibited the most favorable fragment profiles and are recommended for further experimental testing for the existence of the allosteric pocket in Src.
Evolutionary games of multiplayer cooperation on graphs
Authors: Peña Jorge , Wu Bin , Arranz Jordi , Traulsen Arne
Published: February 2016

There has been much interest in studying evolutionary games in structured populations, often modelled as graphs. However, most analytical results so far have only been obtained for two-player or linear games, while the study of more complex multiplayer games has been usually tackled by computer simulations. Here we investigate evolutionary multiplayer games on graphs updated with a Moran death-Birth process. For cycles, we obtain an exact analytical condition for cooperation to be favored by natural selection, given in terms of the payoffs of the game and a set of structure coefficients. For regular graphs of degree three and larger, we estimate this condition using a combination of pair approximation and diffusion approximation. For a large class of cooperation games, our approximations suggest that graph-structured populations are stronger promoters of cooperation than populations lacking spatial structure. Computer simulations validate our analytical approximations for random regular graphs and cycles, but show systematic differences for graphs with many loops such as lattices. In particular, our simulation results show that these kinds of graphs can even lead to more stringent conditions for the evolution of cooperation than well-mixed populations. Overall, we provide evidence suggesting that the complexity arising from many-player interactions and spatial structure can be captured by pair approximation in the case of random graphs, but that it need to be handled with care for graphs with high clustering.

Author Summary

Cooperation can be defined as the act of providing fitness benefits to other individuals, often at a personal cost. When interactions occur mainly with neighbors, assortment of strategies can favor cooperation but local competition can undermine it. Previous research has shown that a single coefficient can capture this trade-off when cooperative interactions take place between two players. More complicated, but also more realistic models of cooperative interactions involving multiple players instead require several such coefficients, making it difficult to assess the effects of population structure. Here, we obtain analytical approximations for the coefficients of multiplayer games in graph-structured populations. Computer simulations show that, for particular instances of multiplayer games, these approximate coefficients predict the condition for cooperation to be promoted in random graphs well, but fail to do so in graphs with more structure, such as lattices. Our work extends and generalizes established results on the evolution of cooperation on graphs, but also highlights the importance of explicitly taking into account higher-order statistical associations in order to assess the evolutionary dynamics of cooperation in spatially structured populations.
Getting the Hologenome Concept Right: An Eco-Evolutionary Framework for Hosts and Their Microbiomes
Authors: Theis Kevin R. , Dheilly Nolwenn M. , Klassen Jonathan L. , Brucker Robert M. , Baines John F. , Bosch Thomas C.G. , Cryan John F. , Gilbert Scott F. , Goodnight Charles J. , Lloyd Elisabeth A. , Sapp Jan , Vandenkoornhuyse Philippe , Zilber-Rosenberg Ilana , Rosenberg Eugene , Bordenstein Seth R.
Published: February 2016

Given the complexity of host-microbiota symbioses, scientists and philosophers are asking questions at new biological levels of hierarchical organization - What is a holobiont and hologenome? When should this vocabulary be applied? Are these concepts a null hypothesis for host-microbe systems or limited to a certain spectrum of symbiotic interactions such as host-microbial coevolution? Critical discourse is necessary in this nascent area, but productive discourse requires that skeptics and proponents use the same lexicon. For instance, critiquing the hologenome concept is not synonymous with critiquing coevolution, and arguing that an entity is not a primary unit of selection dismisses that the hologenome concept has always embraced multi-level selection. Holobionts and hologenomes are incontrovertible, multipartite entities that result from ecological, evolutionary and genetic processes at varying levels. They are not restricted to one special process but constitute a wider vocabulary and framework for host biology in light of the microbiome.
The status of the microbial census: an update
Authors: Schloss Patrick D. , Girard Rene , Martin Thomas , Edwards Joshua , Thrash J. Cameron
Published: February 2016

A census is typically carried out for people at a national level; however, microbial ecologists have implemented a molecular census of bacteria and archaea by sequencing their 16S rRNA genes. We assessed how well the microbial census of full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences is proceeding in the context of recent advances in high throughput sequencing technologies. Among the 1,411,234 and 53,546 full-length bacterial and archaeal sequences sequences, 94.5% and 95.1% of the bacterial and archeaeal sequences, respectively, belonged to operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that have been observed more than once. Although these metrics suggest that the census is approaching completion, 29.2% of the bacterial and 38.5% of the archaeal OTUs have been observed more than once. Thus, there is still considerable microbial diversity to be explored. Unfortunately, the rate of new full-length sequences has been declining and new sequences are primarily being deposited by a small number of studies. Furthermore, sequences from soil and aquatic environments, which are known to be rich in bacterial diversity, only represent 7.8 and 16.5% of the census while sequences associated with zoonotic environments represent 55.0% of the census. Continued use of traditional approaches and new technologies such as single cell genomics and short read assembly are likely to improve our ability to sample rare OTUs if it is possible to overcome this sampling bias. The success of ongoing efforts to use short read sequencing to characterize microbial communities requires that researchers strive to expand the depth and breadth of the microbial census.

Importance

The biodiversity contained within the bacterial and archaeal domains dwarfs that of the eukaryotes and the services these organisms provide to the biosphere are critical. Surprisingly, we have done a relatively poor job of keeping track of the ongoing effort to characterize the biodiversity as represented in full-length 16S rRNA genes. By understanding how this census is proceeding, it is possible to suggest the best allocation of resources for advancing the census. We found that the ongoing effort has done an excellent job of sampling the most abundant organisms, but struggles to sample the more rare organisms. Through the use of new sequencing technologies we should be able to obtain full-length sequences from these rare organisms. Furthermore, we suggest that by allocating more resources to sampling environments known to have the greatest biodiversity we will be able to make significant advances in our characterization of microbial diversity.
Consumer Attitudes towards Sponsorship: A Study of a National Sports Event in New Zealand
Authors: Ashill Nicholas J. , Davies John , Joe Anthony
Published: February 2016

This study contributes to continuing work on the development of a conceptual framework to better understand sponsorship, consumer response towards sponsorship efforts, and the contribution of sponsorship to customer-based brand equity, by seeking to validate a set of consumer-related attitudes to sponsorship. In particular, the study focuses on establishing the properties of consumer-related attitudinal constructs in the context of sponsorship of an annual national sporting event, the New Zealand Rugby Football Union's National Provincial Championship. Such constructs and their embedded scales will enable sponsorship managers to assess and distinguish consumer reactions to the event itself, to the commercialisation of the event, and to identify the consumer behaviours likely to benefit the sponsor of the event.
Exploring the Curious Demand for Athletes With Controversial Images: A Review of Anti-Hero Product Endorsement Advertising
Authors: Burton Rick , John Farrelly Francis , Quester Pascale G.
Published: February 2016

The use of sport celebrities for product endorsements in marketing communications vehicles is not new but there is limited literature on the increasing use by contemporary corporations of athletes with questionable or “negative” reputations. This paper raises questions about a seemingly cyclical trend and suggests marketers may continue this activity despite consumer and journalistic criticism. An explanation of the behavioral response to a 'controversial' endorsers' image (relative to the perceptions held by a particular demographic segment) and the opportunity for that relationship to translate favorably for the associated brand, is also discussed.
An Interview with Carlos Illa, Sponsorship Director, Telefonica, SA
Authors: Campos Carlos
Published: February 2016

In the early 1990s sponsorship be came established as a widely-used marketing tool in Spain. The Barcelona Olympics, the Universal Exposition in Seville and the naming of Madridas the Capital of European Culture were largely responsible for this. However, intensive sponsorship use does not necessarily mean appropriate sponsorship management. CarlosIlla, Sponsorship Manager of Spanish telecommunications firm Telefonica, has been always one of those few professionals who has managed to combine intensive use and appropriate management. In this interview he addresses various issues involved in sponsor ship management including the combination of local and transnational sport marketing, sponsor ship decision making and selection criteria, and different evaluation methods.
Sponsorship - A Confirmed Weapon in the Promotional Armoury
Authors: Tripodi John A.
Published: February 2016

Sponsorship's ability to help a company achieve its corporate and marketing objectives has enabled the communication tool to climb to the top of a marketer's promotional consideration set. This paper sets out to review the industry's current understanding of sponsorship as a promotional mechanism. As the medium's underlying principles are identified, marketing practitioners are provided with examples and strategic guidelines so that they are able to maximise their sponsorship investments.
Sports Marketing in a Recession: It's a Brand New Game
Authors: Howard Dennis , Burton Rick
Published: February 2016

The North American professional team sports industry has long been thought of as recessionproof or recession-resistant. Like the brewing industry, pundits have suggested the average consumer will forego certain discretionary income purchases but not relinquish "basic needs" . This paper raises questions about the viability of that logic by suggesting the economic conditions of sport in America in 2002 will be unlike any sport marketers have seen in the last 30 years. Fundamental to this review is a clear understanding of recession economies, the financial foundations of contemporary American spectator sports and how sport marketers may need to change their short-term marketing strategies.
The Dynamics of Traveler Destination Awareness and Search for Information Associated with Hosting the Olympic Games
Authors: Woodside Arch G. , Spurr Ray , March Roger , Clark Heather
Published: February 2016

This article proposes a theory of direct and indirect inf luences of the Olympic Games on international tourism behavior and presents test results of the theory using a quasi-experimental research design and visitor exit data (n = 3,875 useable surveys). Key finding: among prior visitors to Australia, the share searching for information nearly doubles (from 30 to 59 per cent) in comparing visitors reporting no change in awareness to substantial increase in awareness of Australia as a vacation destination due to hosting the Olympics. Conclusion: hosting international mega-events may result in substantial increases in activities and expenditures by visitors but such impacts occur through increases in visitors' search for information.
An Interview with David Stubbs, Executive Director, Committed to Green Foundation
Authors: Slack Trevor
Published: February 2016

David Stubbs is a specialist in conservation biology and environmental management with particular application to the sport and recreation industry. Here he talks to Trevor Slack about green issues in the staging of major games and green sponsorship.
A Framework for Understanding Cause-Related Sport Marketing Programs
Authors: Lachowetz Tony , Gladden James
Published: February 2016

To date, cause-related sport marketing (CRSM) has not received much academic attention. However, it is particularly relevant given recent estimates on the amounts that will be spent on cause-related efforts in 2002. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to set forth a framework for managing cause-related sport marketing programs. The framework is derived using both past research on causerelated marketing and branding theory. It theorizes the necessary conditions that must be present if the CRSM program is to result in the intended outcomes of 1) enhanced brand image, 2) enhanced brand loyalty and 3) consumer brand switching.
Marketing the Host City: Analyzing Exposure Generated By a Sport Event
Authors: Green B. Christine , Costa Carla , Fitzgerald Maureen
Published: February 2016

Sport events have become an important component of many city marketing plans. Media coverage is believed to increase awareness of the host city. This study reports the results of a content analysis of 2002 NCAA Women's Final Four telecasts. Event logos provide the most exposure for the host city, with little obtained via city images. Icons were found to effectively differentiate the city from competitors. Practical implications and future research extensions are suggested.
Influences on Consumer Responses to Winter Olympics Sponsorship
Authors: Roy Donald P. , Graeff Timothy R.
Published: February 2016

Perceived fit between a sponsoring brand and an event is considered to be a key sponsorship requirement, but little is known about the variables that are related to perceived fit. Coca - Cola's sponsorship of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics is examined to assess relationships between attitude toward the brand, attitude toward the event, and attitude toward sponsorships and brand/event fit. A telephone survey was used to contact 448 consumers. Results indicate that attitude toward the brand is moderately related to brand/event fit and attitude toward sponsorships is significantly related to brand/event fit.
An Interview with Craig Fenech, Sport Agent and Attorney
Authors: Fenech Craig , Dailey Jerry
Published: February 2016

Craig Fenech has represented athletes and sports media figures since 1980. In Winter 2001, he went to Toronto to meet Canadian ice skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, and said: “I think you can become household names in the US.” Little did they know how true those words would prove: a few months later, the reigning world champions in the Pairs Figure Skating event found themselves at the center of scandal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, when the Russian pair of Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze were awarded the gold, despite a f lawless display from Jamie and David. An international outcry followed which was resolved four days later when the IOC awarded the Canadians a second gold medal. Here Craig talks with Professor Jerry Dailey from Kean University about his views on the role of the sport agent, the business side of sport and the ice-skating scandal.
An Inside View of Tobacco Sports Sponsorship: An Historical Perspective
Authors: Lavack Anne M.
Published: February 2016

Faced with ever-increasing advertising restrictions, sponsorship of sports has been an important promotional avenue for tobacco companies in North America and around the world. This paper examines the corporate sponsorship objectives and strategies of tobacco companies, based primarily on historical documents from the British-American Tobacco Co., which has operations in over 80 countries. The documents are part of the Guildford Depository located in Guildford, England. It contains over six million pages of corporate documents for the British-American Tobacco Company (BAT) from a 40-year span (early 1950s to mid 1990s). Tobacco company sponsorship practices include developing sponsorship evaluation guidelines, extensive prepromotion and post-promotion of sponsored events, making full use of the event site for sponsorship identification, ensuring that sponsored events are televised, and using an extensive array of public relations practices to ensure news coverage of a sponsored event. Other sponsors could benefit from emulating the sponsorship practices of tobacco companies.
Business-to-Business Relationships and Sport: Using Sponsorship as a Critical Sales Event
Authors: Clark John , Lachowetz Tony , Irwin Richard L. , Schimmel Kurt
Published: February 2016

To date, research on sponsorship in general, and sport sponsorship in particular, has focused on sponsorship effects (Business-to-Consumer) and the managerial uses of sponsorship. This paper addresses a gap in the sport sponsorship literature by examining sport sponsorship from a Business-to-Business (B2B) perspective, and the use of sport sponsorship as a Critical Sales Event to help the B2B sales force move customers through the relationship life cycle stages proposed by Dwyer, Shurr and Oh (1987). The authors propose and discuss a framework for implementing Critical Sales Events into the relationship marketing life cycle using sport sponsorship; discuss how sport sponsorship can impact buyer-seller relations at pertinent stages of the life cycle; and provide recommendations for future research.
National Versus Regional Sports Marketing: An Interpretation of 'Think Globally, Act Locally'
Authors: Bradish Cheri L. , Stevens Julie A. , Lathrop Anna H.
Published: February 2016

Few would question that one of the most significant determinants of growth in the sport industry — from a sport management, marketing, and sponsorship perspective — has been the inf luence of globalization. Product expansion and communication messages have targeted the 'global consumer,' and the recognition of a 'global brand' has come to epitomize successful sport marketing. Or, has it? Although global management practices present the possibility of expanded consumer markets, a number of marketing strategists have recently begun to question the use of standardized global marketing campaigns that lack national or regional distinctiveness. At issue, is the positioning of 'regionalism' within global sport marketing strategies. This paper will investigate the role of 'regionalism' in sport marketing through; a) an examination of the regional sport marketing strategy of a leading Canadian all-sports television cable network (Rogers Sportsnet) that targets four distinct regions across Canada, and b) a survey of Canadian Generation Y youth sport participation and spectatorship trends across four regions. Implications for regional positioning within sport marketing strategies will also be discussed.
The inaugural (and only) season of the Xtreme Football League: A case study in sports entertainment
Authors: Willoughby Keith A. , Mancini Chad
Published: February 2016

The Xtreme Football League began play in 2001, but lasted for only a single season. It combined the marketing savvy of the World Wrestling Federation with NBC's broadcasting expertise to produce a distinctive sports entertainment product. This case study describes the events that lead to the introduction of the new league, and the league's only season. The factors that contributed to the demise of the XFL are discussed. Some implications of this short “experiment” with a new sports-entertainment league to sports marketers are provided.
Has adverse publicity affected Beckham's sponsorship potential?
Authors: Rines Simon
Published: February 2016

Global icon David Beckham was alleged by the tabloid media in April 2004 to have had an extra-marital affair. Given his carefully nurtured image as a family man and model father, would the adverse publicity damage that image and affect his lucrative sponsorship endorsements? Research undertaken in the UK by IJSM&S suggests that there has been some negative impact, but it is probably not enough to make him a sponsorship liability. The findings also demonstrate very high levels of prompted and unprompted awareness for his endorsements.
Internationalising ambush marketing: a comparative study
Authors: Séguin Benoit , Lyberger Mark , O'Reilly Norm , McCarthy Larry
Published: February 2016

A large-sample survey of general public consumers in Canada, France and the United States during the 2000 Olympic Games supports previous research on ambush marketing, provides evidence that purchase decisions are affected by ambush marketing reducing the value of sponsorship partnerships, and purports that the International Olympic Committee and its partners need to develop specific strategies to combat ambush marketing country by country
The loyalty of German soccer fans: does a team's brand image matter?
Authors: Bauer Hans H. , Sauer Nicola E. , Exler Stefanie
Published: February 2016

Factors that influence the game attendance and attitudinal loyalty of sports fans have been researched quite extensively in Anglo-American countries, but rather less in Germany. Brand image is held to be an important antecedent of fan loyalty. This study therefore investigates the relationship between these constructs, using a sample of 1,300 fans of German Bundesliga soccer teams. In addition to the verification of this link, causal modelling reveals a relationship between the major facets of a club's brand image, namely attributes and benefits. Non-product-related attributes of the brand are more important to the fans' loyalty than product-related attributes.
Relationship marketing during Rugby World Cup 2003: a comparative analysis of public and private sector sponsors
Authors: Stokes Robyn
Published: February 2016

Mega events offer a rich context for relationship marketing research, but no known research has investigated relationship leveraging among clients during mega events. This paper compares relationship leveraging by an Australian state government department and a private sector banking firm during Rugby World Cup 2003. A qualitative case study method highlighted a less structured approach to public sector relationship leveraging. Different timeframes for the relationship lifecycle, as well as philosophical, environmental and operational factors, impact upon event-based relationship marketing. Future comparative research is recommended.
Modelling emotional and attitudinal responses as drivers of sponsorship value
Authors: Hansen Flemming , Martensen Anne , Riis Christensen Sverre
Published: February 2016

This paper reports findings from a larger study of sponsors and their relationships to sponsored parties. Rather than evaluating such sponsorships in traditional cognitive and conscious effect hierarchical terms, a conceptual Sponsor Value Model is specified as a structural equation model estimated by a partial least squares method (PLS), where the drivers are emotions towards the sponsorship and attitudes towards the sponsorship. It is found that the two classes of variables drive overall value of sponsoring and this is illustrated with one case study.
Exploring the usefulness of a consumer activity index in the sponsorship-linked marketing context
Authors: Ali Czafrann , Cornwell T. Bettina , Nguyen Doan , Coote Leonard
Published: February 2016

Despite the now well developed use of sponsorship linked marketing, there have been few methodological advances in the measurement of sponsorship constructs and outcomes. This paper offers a preliminary development of an activity index for use in the sponsorship marketing context. The activity index seeks to capture the consumer's extended experience with sport (rugby) and considers the relationship of this overall experience to sponsorship-related outcomes of interest. Initial development of the index, based on a convenience sample of 108 people visiting a sports centre, shows promise.
Interview with Peter Abraam, CEO Victorian Major Events Company
Authors: Stavros Con
Published: February 2016

The Victorian Major Events Company (VMEC), located in Melbourne, Australia, declares its mission as being “to attract major events of international significance to Melbourne and the State of Victoria”. VMEC is considered a world leader in its field. Peter Abraam
(PA), interviewed by Con Stavros (CS), explains the role of VMEC in maintaining Melbourne's position as 'sporting capital of the world' in the context of global events development, the involvement of government sponsors and use of best practice, as demonstrated through the Formula One Grand Prix.
Season-ticket holder satisfaction and sponsor-related behaviour: evidence of a positive relationship
Authors: Shaw Robin N. , McDonald Heath
Published: February 2016

Fan attention and response to sponsorship is affected by a range of variables, including the duration of sponsorship and fan commitment to the sporting organisation. The results of surveys of the members of six Australian Football League clubs indicated that there is a positive relationship between the satisfaction levels of season-ticket holders and their orientation towards club sponsors' products and brands.
Willingness to pay for soccer reports on the internet
Authors: Theysohn Sven
Published: February 2016

Global reach, together with rapidly increasing broadband coverage, makes the internet a potentially interesting distribution channel for video highlights and full-match viewings. This study investigateswillingness to pay as well as consumer preferences for type of report to derive marketing implications for soccer clubs. Survey results from more than 12,000 respondents supporting seven soccer clubs in the German first and second divisions underline the potential of this new distribution channel in finding a high average willingness to pay.
Forecasting the importance of media technology in sport: the case of the televised ice hockey product in Canada
Authors: O'Reilly Norm , Rahinel Ryan
Published: February 2016

Although literature exists that profiles the effects of technology on sport, there has been little exploration into the specific effects of media technologies. This case study contributes to the existing literature on the convergence of technology and sport by examining which of five key media technologies will have the greatest impact upon the televised ice hockey product. The results demonstrate the importance of forecasting media technology in sport.
Market segmentation in the K-League: an analysis of spectators of the Korean Professional Soccer League
Authors: Kim Sangho , Yoo Euidong , Pedersen Paul M.
Published: February 2016

This study involved analysis of the consumption behaviours of spectators in the K-League (South Korea). Its dual purpose was to cluster spectators into homogeneous groups on the basis of attitudes towards game attendance, and to define the segments obtained on the basis of the demographic and lifestyle profiles of the spectators. Multiple steps were taken to analyse the data from a survey of 967 spectators. This revealed four distinct groups - promotion-concerned, place-concerned, price-concerned and indifferent.
The proto-image of Real Madrid: implications for marketing and management
Authors: Kase Kimio , de Hoyos Ignacio Urrutia , Sanchís Carlos Martí , Bretón Magdalena Opazo
Published: February 2016

Under club president Florentino Pérez, Real Madrid Football Club appeared to utilise the proto-image of the firm (PIF) management approach. Such a strategy embraces the use of branding, values and mid- to long-term planning to generate income. In the case of Real Madrid, the strategy comprised the recruitment of 'Galácticos', which helped it to become the world's number one club in terms of both turnover and profile. Although the strategy delivered success economically, questions remain regarding its sustainability for a sporting organisation.
A multilevel model analysis of professional soccer attendance in Chile 1990-2002
Authors: Ferreira Mauricio , Bravo Gonzalo
Published: February 2016

This study examined the determinants of attendance at the Chilean national soccer tournaments between 1990 and 2002. A multilevel model approach was taken to estimate the effects of several factors, including unobserved sources, hypothesised to influence attendance in Chile. Results regarding team success, team division, population, stadium size and habitual persistence were found to influence professional soccer attendance; other factors such as admission price, age of team, international success, availability of soccer teams in the same vicinity and stadium ownership did not.
Investigating the moderating role of fit on sports sponsorship and brand equity
Authors: Henseler Jörg , Wilson Bradley , Götz Oliver , Hautvast Caspar
Published: February 2016

This paper outlines how managers involved in sponsorship decisions view the impacts of different levels of sponsorship on brand equity. The moderating role of fit between sponsor and sponsee is also investigated. The study participants were managers involved in sponsoring football clubs in the Netherlands. Sports sponsorship was conceptualised as a second-order formative index, the sport sponsorship index (SSI). Results indicate that the relationship between sport sponsorship and brand equity is significant, with greater variability being explained when fit and the interaction term is introduced into the model.
The effects of sport involvement, sponsor awareness and corporate image on intention to purchase sponsors' products
Authors: Ko Yong Jae , Kim Kyoungtae , Claussen Cathryn L , Kim Tae Hee
Published: February 2016

This study examined theoretical relationships between key variables of sponsorship effectiveness that include sponsor awareness, corporate image and future purchase intention. Involvement in the sport of soccer was also examined as a key consumer variable. Results suggested that favourable purchase intentions were more likely to occur when consumers held a positive image of the sponsoring companies and had a high level of sports involvement; and that consumers' sports involvement positively influenced sponsor awareness, corporate image and purchase intention.
Corporations brought to you by NASCAR: rhetorical identification through sponsorship
Authors: Gill Matthew
Published: February 2016

This study approaches corporate sponsorship of sport as identification rhetoric to further understand the relationship created between consumers and corporate sponsors. The focus is on the corporate sponsorship of the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Sprint Cup Series, examining how sponsorship messages utilise identification tactics. The study finds that messages rhetorically create identification through common ground and unifying symbol strategies between the sponsor and sponsored activity, and between the sponsor and consumer.
NASCAR in Mexico: the US expansion of motorsport into Hispanic culture
Authors: Mueller Thomas S.
Published: February 2016

NASCAR (The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) has instituted an aggressive growth campaign. NASCAR's compelling challenge is to retain its core fan base - south-eastern US consumers - while also attracting a new upscale demographic and an international following. One targeted initiative was a three-year commitment to feature the NASCAR Busch Series at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, near Mexico City. This paper explores the assimilation of NASCAR's core product into a Hispanic subculture, observes the media's depiction of the expansion, and discusses the US fan reaction to racing in Mexico.
Inside BAM Racing: rethinking the sponsorship match-up process in 'America's fastest-growing sport'
Authors: Braunstein Jessica R , Newman Joshua I. , Beissel Adam S.
Published: February 2016

This paper expands upon existing sports sponsorship 'match-up' research by offering an interview-driven, empirically-grounded, 'thick' description of the decision-making processes of sports organisations in developing athlete-sponsor-team relationships. By focusing on a particular NASCAR (The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) organisation (BAM Racing), the study offers an in-depth interpretation of the sometimes 'messy' methods employed by executives in grafting an effective, synergistic match-up. The paper concludes with a discussion on the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.
Olympic sponsorship: evolution, challenges and impact on the Olympic Movement
Authors: Davies Fiona , Tsiantas Georgios
Published: February 2016

Selecting the most effective leveraging methods is crucial for national Olympic sponsors, who have limited time to achieve their sponsorship objectives. This paper presents the Optimal Leveraging Activity (OLA) model, which suggests that leveraging activities for high involvement products/services should primarily focus on enhancing brand image, knowledge and involvement, while for low involvement products/services a more sales-oriented approach is favourable. The leveraging activities of four Grand National Sponsors of the Athens Olympic Games illustrate the differences.
Winning the Olympic marketing game: recall of logos on clothing, equipment and venues at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Authors: Robinson Tom , Bauman Lois
Published: February 2016

This study looks at the visibility of logos during the televised broadcast of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, and television viewers' perceptions, recall and recognition of those logos. The results indicate that the number of brands and logos perceived was far greater than actually existed, bringing into question the effectiveness of the Olympics' 'clean venue' policy.
An analysis of spectator motives and media consumption behaviour in an individual combat sport: cross-national differences between American and South Korean Mixed Martial Arts fans
Authors: Kim Seungmo , Andrew Damon P. S. , Greenwell T. Christopher
Published: February 2016

This study compared the motives and media consumption behaviours of American and South Korean spectators of Mixed Martial Arts. Significant cross-national differences were noted in sport interest, vicarious achievement, aesthetics, national pride and violence. Backward regression analyses indicated that sport interest, fighter interest and drama predicted media consumption at the American event, while sport interest, drama and adoration were significant predictors at the Korean event.
Drivers to divas: advertising images of women in motorsport
Authors: Ross Sally R. , Ridinger Lynn L. , Cuneen Jacquelyn
Published: February 2016

This study presents an analysis of the evolution of advertising's portrayal of women in motorsport. The construct of source credibility is examined and used as a framework to better understand the limitations and opportunities of female athlete endorsers in general and female racing car drivers in particular. The advertising images of pioneer drivers Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher are discussed and compared to that of Danica Patrick, a media star in the Indy Racing League (IRL). Patrick has been successful in capitalising on her expertise and attractiveness to enhance her image and endorse products. Attitudes towards using sex appeal to sell products are presented and discussed.
Effects of atmosphere at major sports events: a perspective from environmental psychology
Authors: Uhrich Sebastian , Koenigstorfer Joerg
Published: February 2016

This conceptual article presents a theoretical approach to understanding the atmosphere at sports stadiums. Using the environmental psychology behavioural model proposed by Mehrabian & Russell (1974), and taking into account recent findings in consumer research, we develop a comprehensive framework for investigating this atmosphere. The framework highlights the role of emotions elicited by different stimuli in sports stadiums. We also suggest a number of direct and indirect influences on behavioural outcomes, caused by the emotional reactions and personal predispositions of spectators - influences that are of economic relevance. The proposed framework also forms a starting point for future empirical studies.
Examination of the causal effects between the dimensions of service quality and spectator satisfaction in minor league baseball
Authors: Koo Gi-Yong
Published: February 2016

Sports organisations must continuously assess how better to meet or exceed consumer expectations and perceptions of their experience in order to maintain and increase the number of spectators and loyal fans attending their sporting events. This study aims to enhance our understanding of which characteristics of a service attribute will best define its quality and impact on spectator behaviour by understanding the causal relationship between perceived service quality (PSQ) and satisfaction.
The crucial 'where' of motorsport marketing: is motorsport now "a race out of place"?
Authors: Tranter Paul J.
Published: February 2016

This paper explains how the location of motorsports events is an integral part of the marketing of the sport of motor racing and of all its attendant commercial interests. Case studies of the major motorsports events staged in public street circuits in Australia are used to illustrate how the locations have particular symbolic significance that adds legitimacy to the sport of motor racing, and the messages and impacts associated with these events. The paper examines the wider significance of allowing special public spaces in cities to be used for motorsports events, and contends that the marketing of sporting events should not be considered independently of the major challenges facing the world.
Exploring the relationship between involvement, fan attraction, psychological commitment and behavioural loyalty in a sports spectator context
Authors: Bee Colleen C. , Havitz Mark E.
Published: February 2016

Consumer loyalty has long been recognised as a key consideration of marketing strategies focused on customer retention. While the importance of the loyalty construct is widely recognised, the conditions and variables that foster consumer loyalty for a specific service may vary. This paper explores the variables that influence fan attendance at a professional sporting event. It extends prior research by conceptualising both a behavioural and an attitudinal component of loyalty, as well as considering fan involvement with the sport and attraction to the sport. The findings suggest that psychological commitment and resistance to change mediate the effect of fan attraction and involvement on behavioural loyalty in a professional sports context.
The inevitability of scandal: lessons for sponsors and administrators
Authors: Connor James M , Mazanov Jason
Published: February 2016

Why has the reporting of scandal in sport been increasing? This paper focuses on the commercialisation of sport and changes in the media landscape. A case study of the Australian Rugby League competition and its long-running series of scandals concludes that scandal is inevitable in sport, and that marketing strategies must incorporate this. The authors propose a new strategy - embracement - as an effective way of mitigating scandal and leveraging for sponsor market position.