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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT MARKETING AND SPONSORSHIP CALL FOR PAPERS SPECIAL EDITION: THE MARKETING OF SOCCER Guest Editor – Professor Michel Desbordes, University of Strasbourg, France Soccer is frequently referred to as the global game and its popularity across the world remains unprecedented. Matches, leagues, competitions and tournaments attract large numbers of spectators both to the stadiums in which they are held and to the media through which they are broadcast. Accompanying this, there has also been a dramatic recent growth in commercial activities related to the sport, with players, merchandising, sponsorship and corporate hospitality being notable elements of this. At the forefront of such developments, marketing has come to occupy an increasingly important role, with many organisations involved in the soccer now adopting formal, professional approaches to marketing. In this context, the main aim of this special edition is to examine the development, nature, context and management of soccer marketing across the world. Submissions of any nature that address issues pertaining to the marketing of soccer will be considered for publication. These are some areas upon which prospective contributors may wish to focus: • What makes soccer marketing distinct from other forms of marketing • The range and nature of activities in which soccer marketers are engaged • Organisational challenges and issues of marketing orientation facing soccer marketers • Marketing teams, clubs, celebrities and other commercial properties • Strategic and tactical management of soccer marketing in a dynamic environment • Environmental assessment and market research in soccer markets • The nature and management of the soccer product and of soccer brands • Soccer fan behaviour, the segmentation of markets and fan loyalty • Marketing communication activities in soccer • Pricing strategies, revenue generation and capacity utilisation • Planning and managing the growth and distribution of soccer in multiple markets • The marketing of soccer matches, leagues, competitions and tournaments • Marketing soccer in a global context • Soccer marketing, networks and relations with key stakeholders It is expected that papers will be between 4,000 and 6,000 words in length and these should be formatted in accordance with the International Journal of Sport Marketing and Sponsorship’s normal requirements, details of which can be found at http://www.imr-info.com/SM/IJSM/submit.html The date for submitting completed manuscripts is 31st October 2005. For further information about this special issue, for expressions of interest or to submit a finished paper you should contact one of the following: Professor Michel Desbordes University of Strasbourg 54, allée de la clairière 91190 Gif sur Yvette France E-mail : [log in to unmask] Telephone : 0033 (0)160129693 Fax : 0033 (0)169156237 Dr Simon Chadwick Executive Editor - International Journal of Sport Marketing and Sponsorship Birkbeck College University of London Malet Street Bloomsbury London WC1E 7HX E-mail: [log in to unmask] Telephone: 0044 (0)20 7079 0802 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7079 6769