SPORTS EVENTS FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE NELSON MANDELA BAY S.B. Solomon 2016 SPORTS EVENTS FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE NELSON MANDELA BAY By Steffen Brett Solomon Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Business Administration to be awarded at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University April 2016 Supervisor: Professor Margaret Cullen Co-Supervisor: Professor André Calitz DECLARATION I, Steffen Brett Solomon (214358267), hereby declare that the treatise for Master in Business Administration (MBA) is my own work and that it has not previously been submitted for assessment or completion of any post graduate qualification to another University or for another qualification. Steffen Brett Solomon I | P a g e ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There have been many individuals who have supported me on this road throughout this journey called the MBA. I would like thank each and every person who has played a part in encouraging, assisting and believing in my ability when I could not see it in myself. I would like to especially thank and acknowledge the following: My Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for all opportunities and talents He has afforded me; My parents, Frank and Penny Solomon, thank you for your love, support, and unwavering belief in me. Without you, I would not be the person I am today; Granny, aunty Felicity and uncle Peter for all your love and support throughout my life; My family, who have been “parents” to me offering love, guidance and direction, I will never forget the sacrifices you have made for me; My supervisors, Professor Margaret Cullen and Professor André Calitz who believed in my abilities and potential when I could not see it; Carlien Jooste, for her guidance and support throughout the MBA; and Kayode Ayakoya for his statistical assistance. II | P a g e ABSTRACT The concept of city branding has sprung to prominence in recent years. This can be attributed to globalisation and the ease of access to all corners of the globe with the improvements in technology and modes of transport. This increased competition for resources, skills, talent and revenue has made cities not only compete with other cities in close proximity to one another, but also with cities across the world. The answer to this conundrum was found to be a comprehensive marketing strategy composed of clever and catchy slogans, beautiful logos, media campaigns and public relations drives. This process only led to the loss of large amounts of money since the benefits were not longstanding and the results were not tangible as these avenues only benefitted the home country’s tourism industry. A long term solution for cities was needed to build a favourable image. Corporations were used as models to build a brand since manufacturers of similar products are in constant competition to gain market share and revenues from their competitors. The similarities between corporations and cities are undeniable and efforts were made to incorporate successful branding strategies from corporations into city branding efforts. Cities and corporations must be effective in developing and incorporating social, economic and political aspects of their culture into a successful city brand image. The major difference between cities and corporations stems from the fact that it takes considerably longer to leverage a comprehensive brand of a city, when compared to the brand of a product since their lifespans are completely different. In the past, city brands were based on historical significance. Today, city brands are exclusively influenced by the events it hosts. The hosting of events has been seen as a guaranteed way for a city to improve its brand image. On the contrary, the hosting of events has been found to either improve a city brand or tarnish it. Sports events have been deemed as the best way to improve a city brand because sports appeal to a wide audience and are relatively inexpensive to host in comparison to the benefit and improvements they bring. This treatise investigates the approach and various types of sports events which must be included for the successful branding of Nelson Mandela Bay as part of a III | P a g e destination marketing strategy. The suggestions from this study were formulated upon scrutiny of the available literature and case studies on various branding efforts undertaken by cities around the world to establish and improve their brand image. A survey was conducted amongst the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay using a questionnaire. A total of 952 responses were received. The questionnaire measured the respondents’ attitude to what types of sports events they will support, their feelings on the standard of facilities and quality of events in Nelson Mandela Bay. This treatise served to identify which sports events should be used in any branding effort undertaken by Nelson Mandela Bay. Literature and case studies served as the foundation for this study. The survey insights and expectations enabled a plan to be developed that will be unique for Nelson Mandela Bay based on its location, characteristics, tastes and preferences of its residents. This plan would serve to benefit the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay, the city itself and encourage additional investment from external sources. The results of this study indicate that the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay advocate the use of sports events as the main driver in branding the city. Furthermore, the residents have made it clear that cricket, rugby and Iron Man-type of events are favoured and more likely to be supported than any other type of sports event in Nelson Mandela Bay. Keywords: City, City Marketing, City Brand, Events, Sports, Mega Events, International Events. IV | P a g e TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .......................................................................................................... I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... II ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. III LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... VIII CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT ............................... 1 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Main Research Problem.................................................................................... 4 1.3 Research Questions ......................................................................................... 5 1.4 Research Objectives ......................................................................................... 6 1.5 Research Delimitation ....................................................................................... 9 1.6 Research Significance ...................................................................................... 9 1.7 Research Methodology ................................................................................... 10 1.8 Assumptions ................................................................................................... 11 1.9 Ethics Clearance ............................................................................................. 11 1.10 Summary ....................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 2: BRANDING A CITY THROUGH SPORTS EVENTS ......................... 13 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 13 2.2 City Marketing ................................................................................................. 15 2.3 City Branding .................................................................................................. 16 2.4 City Branding Through Events ........................................................................ 21 2.5 City Branding Through Sports Events ............................................................. 26 2.6 Summary ......................................................................................................... 41 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .................................. 43 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 43 3.2 Research ......................................................................................................... 44 3.3 The Literature Review of the Study ................................................................. 45 V | P a g e 3.4 The Research Onion ....................................................................................... 46 3.5 Research Design ............................................................................................ 47 3.6 Research Approach ........................................................................................ 47 3.7 Sampling Design ............................................................................................. 49 3.8 Data Collection Methods ................................................................................. 50 3.9 Pilot Study ....................................................................................................... 57 3.10 Limitation of Study ........................................................................................ 57 3.11 Summary ......................................................................................................