Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Ph.D student of Sport Management, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 Department of Sport Management, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
3 PhD student of Sports Management, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
Abstract
Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine the mediating role of improved performance in sports startups in the impact of AI-driven marketing on sports product marketing strategies.
Method: This applied research followed a descriptive-survey methodology. The statistical population included physical education professors, sports science students at Mohaghegh Ardabili University, as well as sports product sellers and customers in Ardabil province. The sample size was determined based on Cohen’s formula with a test power of 0.80 and an effect size of 0.25, resulting in 355 participants. However, after accounting for incomplete questionnaires, 342 responses were analyzed. Standardized questionnaires were used as measurement tools, and their content validity, divergent validity, and convergent validity were examined and confirmed. The reliability of the questionnaires was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding coefficients of 0.82 for AI marketing, 0.86 for sports product marketing strategies, and 0.78 for the performance of sports startups. For hypothesis testing, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied using SPSS19 and AMOS23 software.
Results: The findings indicated that AI-driven marketing had a 0.42 impact on sports product marketing strategies, a 0.14 impact on the improvement of sports startup performance, and sports product marketing strategies influenced the performance improvement of sports startups by 0.60.
Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that leveraging AI in marketing serves as a key factor for the success and sustainable growth of sports startups.
Main Subjects
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