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There has been a significant increase in research around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the sport management context and it has been argued that CSR outcomes have marketing implications. Despite this increase, there is a gap in identifying the influence that CSR initiatives have on marketing performance within a professional sport management context. Moreover, the South African sport industry is rapidly professionalising with a need for the application of business management practices to the unique sport industry. This study explored the relationship between CSR and the marketing performance of selected professional sport organisations across South Africa. Six organisations were selected, representative of the three major professional sport codes in the country, namely cricket, rugby and soccer. Following a qualitative research approach, key personnel at the organisations were purposefully selected for in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted and the following core themes emerged: marketing objectives; income/revenue growth; marketing share; and CSR initiatives. The study proposed a set of criteria to assess the influence of CSR on marketing performance, which included: tickets and sales; brand loyalty; brand perception; media coverage; and sponsorship. The study clarifies the relationship between CSR and marketing performance in the South African professional sport environment and presents policy and practice-based recommendations based on these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of sport marketing research investigating the strategic potential of socially responsible sport marketing practices for organizations in the sport management industry. Despite the more recent focus on this the emergent topic within marketing literature, there is a lack of application of cause-related marketing (CRM) and social marketing (SM) strategies in the sport marketing context. Furthermore, these strategies are often confused with corporate social responsibility (CSR). The main purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the adoption of CRM and SM marketing strategies by professional sport organizations (PSOs) in South Africa. An interpretivist philosophy and qualitative approach was adopted for the study, which centered on in-depth interviews conducted with key individuals from six South African PSOs. The findings revealed encouraging evidence of South African PSOs engagement in CRM and SM activities. However, it also revealed that the strategic potential of these elements were not leveraged, mainly due to a lack of understanding of these concepts. The differences and similarities between CRM and SM are identified, according to practitioner understandings. The study contributes to sport marketing literature and practice by proposing a conceptual framework to guide the effective planning and execution of strategic CRM and SM campaigns by PSOs. This framework can assist PSOs to engage in social responsible marketing approaches to improve their marketing performance while maintaining socially responsible business practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]