The Center for Spectator Sport Research on campus will be researching the sports market with the help of sports leagues and sponsors.
The CSSR, located in the Sports Management Department at the Isenberg School of Management, plans to conduct marketing research that will help match commercial brands common in college bowl games and on NASCAR vehicles with the fans that follow individual sports. The goal of CSSR is to educate sports management students through educational programs, training and research. Its research is divided up among marketing studies, customized marketing research and the creation of strategic marketing plans. According to the CSSR Web site, its mission is "to strengthen relationships among members of the industry by providing outreach activities to the spectator sports industry and enhance training and educational opportunities for students." CSSR recently conducted a survey regarding the energy drink Red Bull that included eight countries. The goal was to determine how consumers see the beverage and how that information could be used by promoters of different sports in the different countries that were studied. "Sponsorships can play a brand-defining or re-positioning role," said Tracy Schoenadel, the director of CSSR. "Alternatively, they can be one of the many marketing tools used to build awareness, consideration and some level of affinity. Therefore, it is very important to make sure the brand matches the property, especially by country." Schoenadel was appointed director of the CSSR by the University of Massachusetts Sport Management Department last May. She is a leading authority on sponsorship research. Her previous jobs included vice president of TNS Sports and Executive Director of the industry-leading ESPN Sports Poll. Lisa Masteralexis, the head of the Sport Management department, said she was excited about Schoenadel's contributions to the project.
"Tracy's unique combination of experience and academic work will make her an asset for our department and the CSSR. We look forward to her leading the CSSR to the forefront in sport industry research." CSSR is also expanding its programs by a having guest speakers series, a weekly blog, chat rooms and a podcast for sport management professionals.
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