Simplified Model

After reviewing Chapter One, I understand that the simplified model of the consumer-supplier relationship is a way to examine the structure of the sports industry from the consumer’s perspective, which makes the intricacy of the sports industry and the challenges that sports marketers face become more evident. The model displays the three major parts of the sport industry. The three major elements of the model are the consumers of sport, the sports products they use, and the suppliers of the sport products. This model is more helpful to sport marketers than the traditional organizational perspective.

I think that the consumer of sport aspect of the model is very important to the model because it breaks down the different types of sport consumers. The first type of sport consumer mentioned in the text is the spectator, which can be an individual consumer or corporate consumer that may attend the event in person or through a form of media. Without these consumers sport would be less popular, leaving fewer needs for products and services that are provided by the producers and intermediaries.

The second type of consumer is the participant. Participants can be active in unorganized sports or organized sports. Without participants in unorganized sports there would be a drop in sport equipment sales, which would hurt the manufacturers. Without participants in organized sport there would not be a need for products or services such as events, training, or information as well as the producers and intermediaries that supply them.

The third type of consumer is sponsors. Sponsors provide funding or products for events, teams, leagues, or individual athletes. Without sponsors producers and intermediaries would lose funding or products that help them be active in events or other products, such as sporting goods and sport information. Without the three main types of consumers sport marketing and sport as a business would suffer or be