CRM Steering Committee, SEAT Consortium

Academy of Marketing Science

American Marketing Assocation

How intergroup counter-empathy drives media consumption and engagement

The antecedents and consequences of intergroup affective polarisation on social media

Have We Got a Deal for You: Do You Want the Good News or Bad News First?

Are Brands Wasting Money On Sport Sponsorships?: A New Look at Brand Personality, Brand Equity, and Official Sponsorship Effects

How name, image and likeness “Fit” in sport partnerships

Understanding Sponsorship: A Consumer-Centric Model of Sponsorship Effects

By Kirk Wakefield - Team Sports Marketing: 1st (first) Edition

Baylor University, a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, provides a vibrant campus community for more than 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship.

Baylor University 

Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program in the Hankamer School of Business. 

The author of Team Sports Marketing and founder of Wakefield Research Partners, Wakefield’s research in retailing covering more than two decades focuses primarily upon sports psychology, team sports marketing, entertainment marketing and fan and consumer response to pricing and promotional tools in nearly every venue in sports, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and NASCAR. Wakefield is a regular contributor to Sports Money on Forbes.com and is called upon by national media outlets for his insight on fan engagement and the business of sports.

In addition to his media appearances, Wakefield’s scholarly works appear in a breadth of journals: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research and Journal of Sport Management, among others. His consulting work includes sponsorship metrics on what fans think, feel and do for a wide variety of professional sports franchises and global brands sponsorship impact on what fans think, feel and do.. His Teams Sports Marketing textbook is widely used in universities nationwide.

Sports Marketing

Sports Branding

Fan Engagement

Sports Business & Related Issues

Sponsorships

Sports Promotions

sports betting

Entertainment Marketing

Sports Psychology

SportsMoney on Forbes.com with Kirk Wakefield

Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) 

Team Sports Marketing

Wakefield Research Partners

Retial expert: Richland Mall youth supervision policy comes down to bottom line

Americans Unite! Watch The Olympics. Be Happy. Forget Politics.

The Big 12 needs more money, fast. Is Allstate or private equity investment a good fix?

MLS Teams Up With Apple, IHG, Audi & CELSIUS To Reach Young Fans IRL

Big Brands Like Apple Buy The MLS Pitch: Our Soccer Is Calling

Wagering on March Madness likely to break record amid sports betting wave

Why Conservatives And Liberals Should Green Light “Green” Sports And Entertainment Venues

PepsiCo Partnerships Play The Long Game To Inspire Women In Sports

NFL Super Bowl Sponsors Were In The Game, But Did Fans Notice?

How the NBA jersey patch became a billboard for advertisers

A combined Final Four? Gender equity report calls for it

Why Brands Love Sports: Fans Are Innovative, Progressive, Social, Upscale and Diverse

Why Do Sponsors Love Sports Fans? Start With An Openness To Gambling, Sharing Opinions And Buying From Ads

Why Home Team Fans Are So Valuable To Sponsors

Baylor Connections: Kirk Wakefield

Poll: NFL Fans Prefer Players Stand, But OK With Kneeling

Nfl spokesman says players from seahawks, titans and steelers will not be punished for violating rule requiring them on sideline for national anthem.

Nfl: no punishment for players who were not present on sideline for national anthem

Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is the Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing and director of Baylor University’s Sports Sponsorship & Sales program. He is an oft-quoted expert on marketing and branding of professional sports teams and serves as publisher and editor of The Baylor S3 Report (www.baylors3.com), the industry-leading publication featuring best practices in sports sales and marketing. 

In response to this weekend’s protests during many of the NFL games, Wakefield said he is closely watching the “generations” of fans, particularly the season ticket holders. He explained that the average NFL season ticket holders are male, in their 40s and have a household income of more than $100,000. 

“I think the question is if the NFL can truly use this as a unifying rather than divisive tool. The dilemma is that the season ticket holder base is older and more prone to see it as divisive and offensive. But the younger set, tomorrow’s fan base, is likely to side with the players. So, brand equity could erode among current season ticket holders and, at the same time, gain interest and support from millennials – who have not been watching or attending as much.”

Wakefield’s research in retailing covering more than two decades focuses primarily upon sports psychology, team sports marketing, entertainment marketing, and fan and consumer response to pricing and promotional tools. He has conducted fan research in almost every venue in sports including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL, and NASCAR.


Impact of Protests on NFL Brand? Baylor Sports Sales Expert is Watching How 'Generations' Respond

NFL spokesman says players from Seahawks, Titans and Steelers will not be punished for violating rule requiring them on sideline for national anthem.

NFL: No punishment for players who were not present on sideline for national anthem

Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is the Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing and director of Baylor University’s Sports Sponsorship & Sales program. He is an oft-quoted expert on marketing and branding of professional sports teams and serves as publisher and editor of The Baylor S3 Report (www.baylors3.com), the industry-leading publication featuring best practices in sports sales and marketing. 

In response to this season's protests during many of the NFL games, Wakefield said he is closely watching the “generations” of fans, particularly the season ticket holders. He explained that the average NFL season ticket holders are male, in their 40s and have a household income of more than $100,000. 

“I think the question is if the NFL can truly use this as a unifying rather than divisive tool. The dilemma is that the season ticket holder base is older and more prone to see it as divisive and offensive. But the younger set, tomorrow’s fan base, is likely to side with the players. So, brand equity could erode among current season ticket holders and, at the same time, gain interest and support from millennials – who have not been watching or attending as much.”

Wakefield’s research in retailing covering more than two decades focuses primarily upon sports psychology, team sports marketing, entertainment marketing, and fan and consumer response to pricing and promotional tools. He has conducted fan research in almost every venue in sports including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL, and NASCAR.

mlb-playoffs-are-back

Let our expert explain how how baseball playoffs are big bucks for the league and broadcasters

Executive Director, Center for for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E), and The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing

It's October ... and that means one thing in America:  Major League Baseball playoffs are set to begin.

It means wall to wall broadcasts of games, massive advertising buys and gate receipts that means a serious stream of revenue for all of the teams, players and owners who made it through a long season and survived to be one of the dozen teams left to play for the Commissioner's Trophy.


It's going to be a wild few weeks for baseball fans and the reporters covering the games.

And if you're a journalist looking to know how important the marketing and business sides are to the the playoffs - then let us help with your stories.

Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program in the Hankamer School of Business.

Kirk is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon ow to arrange an interview today.


MLB playoffs are back!

can-the-olympics-help-americans-forget-politics-at-least-for-16-days

No matter their political leanings, Americans are equally likely to follow the Olympics

Americans are divided on a multitude of different issues, but could the Olympic Games unite the country – at least for the duration of an Olympiad? A Baylor University sports marketing and branding expert says yes, the Olympics can help bring people together even when it’s hard for them to agree about anything else.

In his latest Forbes Sports Money column, Baylor University sports marketing and branding expert Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., executive director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, analyzed a July 8 national population poll that asked Americans questions about politics but also included the Steen Happiness Index (SHI). 

The 20-item happiness index provides a series of statements for participants to read and choose the one from each group that describes their state at that moment. Happiness items focus on three types of happy lives: the pleasant life (experiencing and savoring pleasures), the engaged life (losing the self in engaging activities) and the meaningful life (participating in meaningful activities).

Are people happier when watching the Olympics?   “Happy people follow the Olympics and people who follow the Olympics are happy people,” Wakefield wrote.

The higher people scored on the happiness index, the more likely they are to:
Watch at least some of the Olympics (49.75%)  Root for the U.S. to win (31.8%) Follow the results of the Olympics (28.1%) Read stories about athletes in the Olympics (19.6%) Will talk with others about the Olympics events (18.7%)  “Controlling for age, gender, income, education, race and marital status, Americans who follow the Olympics in one, two, or three of these ways are somewhat more happy people (+4% on the SHI). But those who follow the Olympics in four or all five of these ways are significantly happier people (+10% on the SHI),” Wakefield wrote.

Who is happiest when the Olympics are on?  The happiest? Those would be the Americans who love to talk about the Olympics with others while also cheering for U.S. athletes to win. In fact, they are about 14% happier than those who don’t follow the Olympics, according to the SHI.

“Perhaps best of all, people of all political leaning and presidential preferences are equally likely to follow the Olympics. No matter the party, people can party together in unity following the Olympics,” Wakefield wrote.

“Maybe we can’t forget politics. But we can give it a break to watch the Olympics.”

ABOUT KIRK WAKEFIELD, PH.D. Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program in the Hankamer School of Business. The author of Team Sports Marketing and founder of Wakefield Research Partners, Wakefield has conducted fan research on partnerships, pricing, promotions, sportscape, service, and anything else that explains why fans do what they do in nearly every venue in sports, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and NASCAR. His scholarly works appear in a breadth of journals: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research and Journal of Sport Management, among others. Wakefield is a regular contributor to Sports Money on Forbes.com.

ABOUT THE CURB CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT (S3E) The Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) at Baylor University is the only program in the U.S. focused on generating revenue for sports. S3E graduates have career opportunities in sales, digital marketing or business analytics for major league teams, university athletics, corporations and agencies. Baylor is the only university combining learning with practice in partnership with the Athletics Department to prepare graduates for careers in the business of sports. The S3E program is unique in vision, values, mission and culture to transform the business of sports and entertainment. Consistent with the Christian mission and purpose of Baylor University, we prepare passionate servant leaders to positively influence lives in places people go to play or watch others play.



Can the Olympics Help Americans Forget Politics (at Least for 16 Days)?

it-has-to-matter-who-wins-futurecasting-the-mlb-allstar-game

Sports marketing expert Kirk Wakefield on the future of the Midsummer Classic

Globe Life Field in Arlington, home of the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers, will play host to the 94th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 16, marking the second time in franchise history the Rangers will host the Midsummer Classic.

MLB’s All-Star game – which matches up the best players from the American League and National League as selected by fans, managers and players – is considered one of best all-star contests among professional sports, said Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., executive director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business.

However, the game faces continued headwinds, Wakefield said, ranging from lagging viewership to fan voting to a game that is more an exhibition than a meaningful game.

 
Wakefield Weighs In: Five Thoughts on MLB's All-Star Game Is the MLB All-Star game the best All-Star contest of all major leagues? Wakefield: Yes, it’s the only one where players seem to try their best. The NBA and NFL – who have practically given up – have declining viewership since 2011. Unfortunately, MLB All-Star game is on the same downhill skid. (According to Statista, viewership has declined from 22 million in 1993 to seven million in 2023.)

The reason why is it doesn’t really matter who wins. If the players don’t care who wins, neither will fans. Further, fans aren’t particularly a fan of only one league so that it really matters if one league has bragging rights. That was less the case years ago before interleague play.

How could viewership improve in any of the All-Star games? Wakefield: It has to matter who wins. MLB tried this with home field advantage for the World Series. They gave that up. 

The current approach in baseball is truly an exhibition because every player gets to play, so it’s like three players at every position playing three innings. That’s not how a manager would play it if trying to win. And it’s not like it used to be when the starters (who were more likely to be the best at their positions) played longer.

One suggestion I’ve heard is to make the payoff big enough for the winners so that the players gave it their best. Get a sponsor to put up the money so the winners each make seven figures and could be the players and managers will play more like a team trying to win.

Does Monday’s prelude, the hugely popular Homerun Derby, enhance Tuesday’s game? Wakefield: The Homerun Derby is popular because fans do follow individual players. It matters more who wins. That said, the HR derby’s viewership has still lagged.

Bottom line: Fans are loyal to teams more than to leagues or individual players.

Fan voting… Need we say more? Wakefield: Major market teams with huge fan bases will dominate, but what about the Kansas City Royals, who at one point in the season were on pace for the biggest year-over-year improvement in wins and losses?

Given the way fan voting has become essentially a promotion game to get more fans to vote more often, it’s hardly representative of anything other than largest markets with the best promoters.

The good news is that the MLB All-Star game will be quite the occasion in Arlington, Texas, with a bevy of game-related activities and events July 13-16. Wakefield: Arlington is an optimal location central to the U.S. with plenty of space to blow out the occasion. It’s like the Texas State Fair came to baseball, where all the rides and attractions are baseball-happy. 

ABOUT KIRK WAKEFIELD, PH.D. Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Curb Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) program in the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. The author of Team Sports Marketing and founder of Wakefield Research Partners, Wakefield has conducted fan research on partnerships, pricing, promotions, sportscape, service, and anything else that explains why fans do what they do in nearly every venue in sports, including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and NASCAR. His scholarly works appear in a breadth of journals: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research and Journal of Sport Management, among others. Wakefield is a regular contributor to Sports Money on Forbes.com.

ABOUT THE CURB CENTER FOR SALES STRATEGY IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT (S3E) The Center for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E) at Baylor University is the only program in the U.S. focused on generating revenue for sports. S3E graduates have career opportunities in sales, digital marketing or business analytics for major league teams, university athletics, corporations and agencies. Baylor is the only university combining learning with practice in partnership with the Athletics Department to prepare graduates for careers in the business of sports. The S3E program is unique in vision, values, mission and culture to transform the business of sports and entertainment. Consistent with the Christian mission and purpose of Baylor University, we prepare passionate servant leaders to positively influence lives in places people go to play or watch others play.



It Has to Matter Who Wins: Futurecasting the MLB All-Star Game

Dr. KIrk Wakefield, Baylor University, explains the background behind the numbers of measuring partner lift. Fan passion transfers from the team to the partner when brands effectively communicate with fans via the team's assets. Includes case study of the Cleveland Browns.

Kirk Wakefield on youtube

Behind the Numbers of Measuring Partner Lift, KIrk Wakefield

Dr. Kirk Wakefield is the founder and Chief Research Officer of Wakefield Research Partners, a research firm measuring partnership and brand impact for over 20 pro teams. He is also the Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing at Baylor University, where he is the Executive Director of the Sports Strategy & Sales (S3) program and author of the book Team Sports Marketing.  Kirk is a regular contributor to Sports Money on Forbes.com and his scholarly works appear in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

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Can data tell if sport sponsorship changes what fans think, feel and do? w/ Dr. Kirk Wakefield

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