Sustainable marketing activities, event image, perceived value and tourists' behavioral intentions in the sports tourism.
| Autor | Wang, Junfeng |
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Introduction
Sustainability considerations are becoming a given in discussions of organizational development and commercial conduct (Jung et al., 2020; Sheth and Parvatiyar, 2021). Implementing social responsibility activities can maximize the organization's long-term benefits and enhance the benign interaction between organizations and society (Cone Inc, 2004). Moreover, United Nations organization underlines the importance of incorporating sustainable goals into companies' objectives (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2021). Economic, social, environmental and cultural organizational sustainability factors significantly impact closely associated interest groups (such as customers, shareholders, geographical communities and cultural circles, among others) (Stylianou-Lambert et al., 2014). The company's sustainable practices, including corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, have laid a foundation for the organization's long-term development. Formulation and implementation of sustainable marketing activities (SMAs) are critical to organizations' long-term success due to their driving force in forming customers' trust through multidimensional and systematic approaches (Jung et al., 2020). They significantly affect both customer-related and organizational performance. Specifically, SMAs can help bridge customer trust, enhance customer loyalty, strengthen behavioral intentions and reinforce purchase or consumption decisions (Lii et al., 2013; Sharma et al., 2018; Sun and Ko, 2016). They, in turn, can help the company to grow and improve market performance and, as a result, financial outcomes (Omondi-Ochieng, 2019). Important to mention that, within the CSR strategy, SMAs foster brand loyalty among consumers rather than solely focusing on immediate financial gains (Abbas et al., 2018). Previous studies have confirmed the significant impact of sustainable activities, especially their environmental dimension, on brand and tourism destination image (Jung et al., 2020; Kaplanidou, 2006; Kumar et al., 2018).
However, the connection between SMAs and event image has received scant attention. It is a significant gap as, in recent decades, the sustainability issue has been closely concerned in sports tourism. According to World Travel Organization, sports tourism is one of the fast-growing sectors in tourism (UNWTO, 2022). Most sports organizations are making efforts to promote the realization of their sustainable development goals through their CSR-related programs (Mathew et al., 2016). Successfully incorporated with destination branding, infrastructure development and other economic and social benefits, such mega sports events as World Cups or Olympics can be a tourism development catalyst (Kaplanidou, 2006). Although event image shares similar attributes and a strong endogenous relationship with destination image and brand image, it is a distinctive concept (Kaplanidou and Vogt, 2007). Also, SMAs can create business value without compromising customers' demands (Trivedi et al., 2018). The effect of SMAs on customer equity has been explored by Sun and Ko (2016). Nevertheless, no previous research focused on the impact of SMAs on tourists' perceived value.
Also, the current CSR literature is mainly based on the organizational perspective. Still, the impact of SMAs on customer behavioral intentions (including purchase and visit intentions) has not been studied in an event or sports tourism context. SMAs and traditional marketing practices can promote more value creation and organizational innovation, which will further impact customers' expectations and lead to sustainable consumption (Trivedi et al., 2018). Several researchers have demonstrated the role of brand image in enhancing the positive impact of marketing activities on customer behavior (Kim et al., 2017).
Moreover, some evidence from prior literature suggests that destination image may mediate the relationship between SMAs and behavioral intentions (e.g. Kim et al., 2016). A company's sustainability efforts toward enhancing customer purchase behavior succeed when consumers receive perceived value during the purchase decision process (Trivedi et al., 2018). Investigations from Hanaysha (2018) and Chang (2017) demonstrated the mediating effect of perceived value between CSR activities and customer intentions. However, no previous research investigated the enhancing role of brand image and perceived value in sports tourism.
Following mentioned above, the research aims to estimate the role of SMAs implementation in impacting event image, commemorative product perceived value and tourists' behavioral intentions (TBIs) in the context of sports tourism events. Additionally, this study analyzes the effects of perceived value and event image on TBIs. This article focuses on the following research questions: (1) What is the SMAs' influence on TBIs? (2) What is the impact of SMAs on event image and commemorative product perceived value? (3) What is the role of event image and product perceived value in the relationships between SMAs and TBIs in the sports tourism context? The data collection was done during the Beijing Winter Olympic Games to address the research goals. The study examines the data from 315 valid questionnaires from tourists in the Chinese market by structural equation modeling (SEM).
This research contributes toward extending the SMAs as a critical component of the sustainability concept and its implementation in the marketing and management disciplines in the tourism event field. Specifically, the study adds to customer behavior research by investigating the relationships between SMAs and TBIs. Analysis of the sports tourism event image and commemorative product perceived value further contributes to brand management theory. Additionally, the research investigates the mediating roles of event image and perceived value in the relationship between the SMAs and TBIs. From the managerial perspective, the article outlines the importance of SMAs implementation in enhancing behavioral intentions. It also reveals that sports tourism event image and perceived value can translate SMAs' effectiveness toward positively influencing TBIs, especially purchase intentions. It provides a new vision for nonprofit organizations to prioritize SMAs' implementation in marketing behaviors.
The study starts with a literature review and hypothesis development. Then, it explains a specific research context of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and the developing economy of China. Further, the study demonstrates the information on data collection and analysis. Afterward, the article explains the results of testing direct relationships among SMAs, event image, perceived value and TBIs in the sports tourism context. Further, the study examines the mediating effects of event image and perceived value on the relationships between SMAs and TBIs. This study ends up with conclusions and discusses managerial contributions and research limitations.
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Literature review
2.1 Sustainable marketing activities
The topic of sustainable development of the organization has gained significant attention in the literature (Sheth and Parvatiyar, 2021; Sun etal, 2014). Sustainable development includes four dimensions: environmental, social, economic and cultural (Stylianou-Lambert et al., 2014). Montiel and Delgado-Ceballos (2014) explain that the corporate sustainability concept is closely associated with the definition of sustainable development. It is defined as "the ability of a firm to nurture and support growth over time by effectively meeting the expectations of diverse stakeholders" (Neubaum and Zahra, 2006, p. 121). Sustainable activities implementation in the company positively impacts the firm's sustainable development and long-term survival (Sheth and Parvatiyar, 2021). CSR programs are essential to the companies' sustainable activities. CSR is a fundamental sustainable marketing source (Lii etal, 2013). Based on the compatibility of their concepts and anticipated goals, a large body of prior work confirmed the significant association between CSR and SMAs (Jung et al., 2020). Environmental, economic and social aspects of CSR also intersect with practices in sustainable marketing (Lii etal, 2013). Moreover, with "social contribution," CSR can affect consumers' attitudes and drive reputation-building (Abbas et al., 2018).
Jung et al. (2020) describe sustainable marketing as a process in which an enterprise needs to meet consumers' demands, work hard in sustainable development (including ecology, economy and society in the entire production and operation) and build a long-term relationship with consumers. According to Sun et al (2014), businesses can execute SMAs to keep appeal to prospective customers, gain long-term growth and make contentious societal contributions. Following the sustainable development goals, SMAs involve four main aspects: economic, social, environmental and cultural activities (Jung et al., 2020). Specifically, economic marketing activities share benefits with customers, stakeholders, employees and partners in the community (Jung et al., 2020). Social marketing activities include implementing an organization's purpose other than commercial profit-making behavior (Sun et al., 2014). Environmental marketing activities represent all activities designed to generate and facilitate exchanges to satisfy human needs or wants. Meeting these needs and wants occurs with minimal detrimental impact on the natural environment (United Nations of Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2021). Cultural marketing activities are "the consideration, preservation, and presentation of tangible and intangible heritage, artistic production, as well as the knowledge and skills of various social groups, communities, and nations" (Stylianou-Lambert et al., 2014, p. 570).
Sun and Ko (2016) find that SMAs will affect customer equity. Jung et al...
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