Customer Communication in Selected Professional Sports (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA): A Test

James W. Bovinet M.B.A. D.B.A.

Recent articles in Sport Marketing Quarterly have suggested that professional sport organizations need to adapt a relationship marketing model for their operations. As a fairly complex concept, relationship marketing generally works only in businesses that have developed a keen sense of consumer communications. The reality of this situation is that many professional franchises have not mastered the basic marketing principle of communication. As an example, a letter requesting ticket information is sent to every professional football, basketball, hockey, and baseball team in the United States. The results of those requests and a discussion of the implications are included in this effort.