Compiling a Marketing Strategic Plan for Iran's Student Sports Federation

The present research has aimed to compile a strategic marketing plan for the Student Sports Federation. Using a mixed research method, the study took a qualitative and quantitative approach. In the qualitative phase, the statistical population of this research consisted of the Student Sports Federation managers and officials, university professors and experts on students' sports (16 individuals), while in the quantitative phase, it consisted of the president, the vice president, the federation secretariat, committee heads and unit chiefs within the federation (11 individuals), heads of sports associations (25 individuals) and heads of provincial boards (32 individuals). The SWOT model has been used in order to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The study's questionnaire has been designed based on the above-mentioned model, thus consisting of four parts: strengths (12 items), weaknesses (11 items), opportunities (10 items) and threats (12 items). SWOT analysis was used for the inferential analysis of the data. As indicated by the results, "a positive attitude and trust toward the educational system by students and parents" proved to be the most important strength, "lacking relationship with the mass media and the absence of media coverage when it comes to student sports" was the most important weakness, "the tendency of various financial sponsors toward involvement in schools" stood out as the most important opportunity, and "the lack of appropriate infrastructures in student sports" was seen as the greatest threat to Iran's Student Sports Federation. Moreover, sports marketing is strategically situated in the ST area (competition). The results obtained from the analysis and identification of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats led to the compilation of four ST strategies, three SO strategies, three WT strategies, and three WO strategies.