Today, Dutch National Non-profit Sports Organizations (NNSFs) experience financial pressures. Two indications for this are described in this paper i.e. increased competition in the sports sector and changes in subsidy division. Decreasing incomes from subsidies can be compensated with either increasing incomes from a commercial domain or increasing incomes from member contributions. This last solution has been the motive for the increasing interest in the use of marketing techniques as a solution for the growing uncertainties. Many NNSFs have participated in a special marketing program in order to enlarge their marketing awareness and create a marketing strategy. This paper deals with possible impediments resulting from the implementation of the marketing strategies. It is primarily based on a literature review, however, the first results from a qualitative research to the increasing use of marketing techniques among NNSFs provides insights in the experienced impediments of NNSFs .
This paper is based on all text received since the conference was announced late in 2009. Prospective participants were informed that no individual papers were expected but that the conference would be structured around one document, baptized ‘Lead-paper’, that would go through several rounds of amendments, additions, criticisms and alterations in the months ahead, aiming at a discussion document that would already represent views of participants and would allow us to begin our conference with a common knowledge based on our exchange of data, views, and questions, making the conference the more fruitful. This proposition led to a 1st version of the Lead-paper (5 pages, 2000 words) December 30, 2009, going through a 2nd edition (31 January 2010, 12 pages, 5152 words), a 3rd edition (1 March, 50 pages, 17.850 words) and a 4th edition (70 pages plus 14 pages attachments, 29.777 words), e-mailed on March 26, 2010, to all participants and distributed in Deventer at the opening session on 8 April 2010 in print. This 4th edition ‘Lead-paper’ was used as the substantial agenda for the conference on 8-9 April 2010 in Deventer. This is the 5th edition which incorporates substantial thoughts, criticism, questions, and remarks contributed in writing, by the participants and from other sources.
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This research explored a potential working framework for using social media as a marketing channel. Based on an extensive literature review and a multiple case study, important factors for using social media have been identified. Companies should provide relevant information, show signs of real behavior, and design remarkable campaigns in order to enhance interaction between and engagement amongst customers. This should be the ultimate goal as interaction and engagement allow a company and its communicated message to be accepted and adopted by the crowd more efficiently and effectively. Future research is needed to test and enhance the framework. The research is relevant for practitioners and scientists as it provides new and further elaborated insights on the use of social media as a marketing channel.
