Featured Post from Baylor University

Baylor Sports Marketing Expert Discusses NBA, NCAA Coronavirus Decisions

Mar 12, 2020

3 min

Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D.

On Wednesday, the NBA took the unprecedented step to suspend its season following the revelation that one of its players tested positive for coronavirus. In addition, the NCAA announced that the March Madness basketball tournaments will be played, but without fans present.


Baylor University’s Dr. Kirk Wakefield is a nationally recognized expert on sports marketing, sports psychology and fan/consumer response. He has conducted research on the sports retail market – including the NBA and all major national organizations – for more than 20 years.


In this brief Q&A, he shares his thoughts about these two decisions.


Q: This was an unprecedented action by the NBA to suspend the season due to coronavirus. What does this mean for the teams?


A: We’ve had work stoppage before with labor lockouts. Fans were angry then, but the majority won’t be now. Most won’t blame the league or the teams. We might see even more passion for the teams as fans are anxious for play to resume.


Q: Based on your understanding of the decision-making process, does this seem to be an action that was done thoughtfully?


A: It was carefully considered. No one wants to be the one who could have prevented a catastrophe and didn’t take prudent steps. Just like after lockout years, the leagues will recover.


Q: The NCAA tournament will be played – but without fans. What does this mean for college sports teams and the NCAA?


A: Obviously, viewership will increase – which is good for sponsors with heavy broadcast and digital assets. Sponsors and venues/teams who are reliant on gate revenue will be hit the hardest.


ABOUT KIRK WAKEFIELD, PH.D.


Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D., is the Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing and executive director of Sports Sponsorship & Sales at Baylor Unviersity's Hankamer School of Business. His research on retailing covers more than two decades and focuses primarily on sports psychology, team sports marketing, entertainment marketing, and fan and consumer response to pricing and promotional tools. He has conducted fan research in almost every venue in sports including the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and NASCAR.


ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY


Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.


ABOUT HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY


At Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, integrity stands shoulder-to-shoulder with analytic and strategic strengths. The School’s top-ranked programs combine rigorous classroom learning, hands-on experience in the real world, a solid foundation in Christian values and a global outlook. Making up approximately 25 percent of the University’s total enrollment, undergraduate students choose from 16 major areas of study. Graduate students choose from full-time, executive or online MBA or other specialized master’s programs, and Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The Business School also has campuses located in Austin and Dallas, Texas. Visit www.baylor.edu/business and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/Baylor_Business.

Connect with:
Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D.

Kirk Wakefield, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for for Sales Strategy in Sports and Entertainment (S3E), and The Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing

Leading sports marketing expert specializing in what fans think, feel and do for professional sports franchises

Sports MarketingEntertainment MarketingSports Psychology

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Baylor University

3 min

Trim the Clutter, Keep the Cheer

The holiday season brings warmth, joy and a touch of magic into our homes, but it also can bring excess clutter, waste and energy consumption, making it hard to feel festive. However, there are simple and creative ways to decorate sustainably without sacrificing the festive spirit. Baylor University human sciences and design professor Elise King, M.I.D., M.A., an expert in interior design and built environments, says embracing sustainable decorations, changing to energy-efficient lights, eliminating clutter and reducing waste can help maintain a tidy, eco-friendly home – and create a holiday atmosphere that resonates with joy and meaning. “The holidays can often feel busy and stressful, so it’s helpful to focus on traditions and decorations that bring joy and add meaning to the season,” King said. By taking simple steps to reuse materials, reduce energy consumption and focus on what matters most, families can celebrate the season with both heart and mindfulness, King said. Decorating sustainably One of the easiest ways to approach sustainable decorating is by reusing or repurposing materials you already have or finding decorations at resale shops. "Upcycling items from thrift stores or turning last year’s Christmas cards into garlands are simple and creative ideas," King said. “Beyond thriftiness, these practices add a personal and nostalgic touch to decorations.” King also said that it is important to consider the lifecycle of a product, beyond just being recyclable. "Also consider elements such as durability/longevity, manufacturing processes, transportation, energy consumption and disposal,” she said. “I recommend people make the best-informed decisions they can, while also remembering not to let it become overwhelming. Switch to LED Christmas lights Changing from incandescent to LED Christmas lights is good for both style and sustainability. LED lights reduce energy usage, are more durable and typically last longer than incandescent. Plus, they have come a long way over the past few years. “The criticism used to be that LEDs had a blue hue and were ‘cold’ compared to incandescent,” King said. “That isn’t really the case anymore. You have to be particular about what you purchase, but several companies offer lights that are virtually indistinguishable from vintage lights.” A clutter-free peaceful mindset While holiday decorations create a festive touch around the house, they can add to the clutter and busyness, which ultimately takes away the joy, King said. Decluttering and organization can help create a peaceful environment. “Most people enjoy Christmas decorations, but over the years we tend to accumulate a lot of them,” King said. “Sadly, for many, the thought of decorating for Christmas no longer brings feelings of excitement and joy. Instead, we dread going into the attic, dragging out the tree and boxes of ornaments, checking strands of lights, fixing broken bulbs, etc., only to know that we’ll have to put it all back in about a month. "Keep decorations that bring joy and let go of what no longer feels fulfilling can make a big difference in decreasing the excess while emphasizing what is important to you and your family," she said. By clearing both physical and mental space, families can better prioritize the activities and moments that truly matter. Reducing paper use It can be difficult to go fully paperless because of gift wrapping, but there are ways to reduce paper in the holidays from reusing materials or gifting experiences. “You can reuse paper shopping bags or even cut up the bags or other paper you have around the house and wrap gifts,” King said. Gifting experiences rather than physical items is another growing trend. “I find that many people are interested in receiving or gifting experiences, which can also reduce wrapping needs,” King said. “Not only does this minimize waste, but it also emphasizes shared moments over material possessions.” King noted that since COVID, there has been a trend to go paperless and people tend to be more comfortable with virtual communication and remote collaboration in general, which can also eliminate the need for Christmas cards and other paper products.

4 min

Navigating Grief During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of joy, togetherness and celebration, but for many – especially those who are grieving the death of a loved one or a deep loss – it can bring a complex mix of emotions, ranging from sadness and sorrow to gratitude and joy. Baylor University professors Candi Cann, Ph.D., a death scholar and associate professor of religion in the Honors College, and Jo-Ann Tsang, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher and associate professor of psychology, offer four strategies for people experiencing difficult emotions and grief during the holidays. Embrace the spectrum of emotions Both Tsang and Cann say the key to maintaining balance and authenticity – even while deep in grief – is understanding and accepting where you are emotionally. “It’s possible and normal to feel different emotions at one time,” Tsang said. “You can feel happiness during the holidays, but also sad that you miss someone who you wish were present. Being grateful does not rule out feeling other emotions; we can cultivate gratitude, but that does not necessitate running away from other emotions.” Cann pointed out that grief can be complicated if the death or loss is from a difficult relationship. “It is okay to feel relief in addition to grief and it is important to validate all of your feelings – it’s a complicated grief because it was a complicated relationship,” Cann said. The importance of self-care Self-care is vital during this time, Cann said. She encourages grieving people to stay active, eat healthy, go outside to be in nature and get enough sleep. “It’s totally normal to need more sleep when you're depressed and grieving. You just have to be gracious with yourself about that,” Cann said. Allowing ourselves to feel emotions like stress, sadness or grief gives us insight into what we value and “can motivate us to take some time for self-care,” Tsang said. Acknowledging that we are stressed might lead us to reach out to others for help with tasks that overwhelm us or to let go of things to reduce stress. In addition to taking care of your physical health, staying engaged in your community or church and being in community with others is beneficial for mental health, Cann said. But at the same time, be honest with yourself about what you want to do and only accept invitations or participate in activities that you feel you can handle, she added. The place of gratitude Tsang suggests approaching challenging emotions with gratitude as it “might also provide context and perspective for our loss and potentially transform our negative emotions.” “As an example, I might feel frustrated that I am sad but then feel grateful that I have good family and neighbors to check on me and coworkers to help me finish the tasks that I can’t do while I’m down,” Tsang said. “This gratitude might help reduce my frustration by helping me see the support that is present in my life, on which I had not previously reflected.” At the same time, she reiterated that, in addition to cultivating gratitude, it’s important for people to permit themselves to experience negative emotions such as grief and sadness in response to life circumstances. “It’s okay if it’s hard to experience gratitude. God meets us where we are,” Tsang said. Evaluate traditions and embrace memories Cann suggests evaluating family traditions, choosing those that are most important to continue and starting new traditions that include their loved one. “A lot of people feel like when that person is gone, the love is gone too, but the love is still there,” Cann said. “You wouldn't feel the grief or the big hole that you now have if you didn't have all of this love in the first place.” She suggests embracing their loved one’s presence by including a place at the table for Christmas dinner, making their favorite recipe or finding other ways to continue the bonds. By doing these things, “you're including them in your conversation, and you're making space for that person, both literally and symbolically,” Cann said. Supporting someone who is grieving Being supportive of someone grieving requires patience and vulnerability. “Engage with the person and ask how you can best support them, and let them know that you are thinking about them during this time,” Cann said. Sometimes, friends or family members don’t want to bring up death during the holidays because they don't want to make people sad at a joyful time. “But the point is, they already are sad, so bringing it up allows them to express it” and feel accepted in their pain, Cann said. It also is important to remember that not all grief is related to death. There are many types of loss that people experience such as divorce or disease. The Baylor researchers note that we can’t decide or predict what defines another person's grief, but we can offer love and support. Approaching the holidays when experiencing grief over a death or a deep loss may be painful at first, but using these strategies can help us face the future by celebrating with gratitude what we had in the past. Ultimately, the holidays are a time for reflection, connection and self-compassion. Allow yourself to feel your emotions fully – whether joyful, challenging or a mix of both – and use them as guides for meaningful action. Looking to know more or arrange an interview? Simply click on the expert's icon below or contact: Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin today.

2 min

Giving with Purpose This Holiday Season

As the season of giving draws near, many people are searching for meaningful ways to support the causes that matter most. From local food banks to global humanitarian organizations, charitable giving offers an opportunity to make a genuine difference – for the organization and for the donor. Two Baylor University experts in consumer behavior and philanthropy – James A. Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in the Hankamer School of Business, and Andrew P. Hogue, Ph.D., associate dean in the Office of Engaged Learning and founder of Philanthropy and the Public Good program – share five practical strategies to help donors give with intention and impact. Five ways to give more thoughtfully and effectively 1. Choose a cause that resonates with you Begin by considering the issues that matter most –education, hunger, health care, the environment or another area close to your heart. Once you identify your passion, take time to research organizations working in that space. Look for transparency, measurable results and a strong record of directing funds to mission-focused programs. “A helpful shortcut is to see whether a nonprofit receives repeat grants from charitable foundations,” Hogue said. “Those grants typically follow a rigorous evaluation process.” 2. Decide what you can comfortably give Giving should feel fulfilling, not stressful. Roberts and Hogue recommend reviewing your household budget and determining an amount that fits comfortably. Even small donations can accumulate into meaningful support over time. 3. Consider how often you want to give Think about whether a single contribution or ongoing support works best for you. Regular giving helps nonprofits plan ahead and maintain steady programming. “Consistent donations allow charities to allocate resources more effectively throughout the year,” Hogue said. 4. Automate your contributions Setting up recurring gifts through your bank or directly with a nonprofit keeps your generosity on track with minimal effort. Automatic withdrawals ensure reliability for the organization and ease for the donor. “It’s a simple way to make sure you don’t forget to give,” Roberts said, “and it provides charities with predictable support.” 5. Offer your time and talent if money is tight Financial support is just one form of generosity. Time, skills and personal networks can be equally valuable. “Donating your time and skills can be just as impactful,” Roberts said. “Whether you’re mentoring, sorting donations or helping at events, your presence matters.” Hogue added that giving enriches both the recipient and the giver: “Charitable giving is about making a difference in others’ lives while adding purpose and connection to your own.” His advice: start small, stay consistent and simply take the first step. “Giving is deeply rewarding,” Hogue said. “And as you grow in your generosity, keep a beginner’s mindset – there is always room to improve how we steward the resources entrusted to us.” Looking to know more or arrange an interview? Simply click on the expert's icon below or contact: Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin today.

View all posts
Powered by