Experience-based typology of spectators at an international cricket sixes tournament

Abstract

This innovative research on managing and marketing team sport events was completed for the first time at an international Cricket Sixes tournament held in South Africa (SA). A visitor survey was conducted at SuperSport Park in Centurion during the Global Softech Sixes Tournament in 2014. Finally, spectators, who were selected by applying a stratified random sampling method, returned 278 of the self-administered questionnaires. The analysis was performed in three stages, two factor analyses, a cluster analysis and an analysis of significant differences between the experience-based clusters of the cricket-sixes spectators. Different cricket spectator segments were identified based on the factors that are regarded by the spectators as important for a memorable experience. The research identified three distinct cricket spectator clusters, namely Occasional, Selective and Comprehensive experience seekers (OSC-typology). These clusters differ in terms of their motives, socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics. Based on the findings, an OSC-typology of cricket spectators is proposed. The research also confirms that the motives for spectators differ from sport to sport and even from one category to the next in the same type of sport. The same applies to aspects pertaining to memorable experience.

Key words: Market segmentation; Cricket spectators; Cricket Sixes tournament; Memorable experience; Motives; South Africa.