Sustainable marketing activities, event image, perceived value and tourists’ behavioral intentions in the sports tourism

2.1 Sustainable marketing activities

The topic of sustainable development of the organization has gained significant attention in the literature (Sheth and Parvatiyar, 2021; Sun et al., 2014). Sustainable development includes four dimensions: environmental, social, economic and cultural (Stylianou-Lambert et al., 2014). Montiel and Delgado-Ceballos (2014) explain that the corporate sustainability concept is closely associated with the definition of sustainable development. It is defined as “the ability of a firm to nurture and support growth over time by effectively meeting the expectations of diverse stakeholders” (Neubaum and Zahra, 2006, p. 121). Sustainable activities implementation in the company positively impacts the firm’s sustainable development and long-term survival (Sheth and Parvatiyar, 2021). CSR programs are essential to the companies’ sustainable activities. CSR is a fundamental sustainable marketing source (Lii et al., 2013). Based on the compatibility of their concepts and anticipated goals, a large body of prior work confirmed the significant association between CSR and SMAs (Jung et al., 2020). Environmental, economic and social aspects of CSR also intersect with practices in sustainable marketing (Lii et al., 2013). Moreover, with “social contribution,” CSR can affect consumers’ attitudes and drive reputation-building (Abbas et al., 2018).

Jung et al. (2020) describe sustainable marketing as a process in which an enterprise needs to meet consumers’ demands, work hard in sustainable development (including ecology, economy and society in the entire production and operation) and build a long-term relationship with consumers. According to Sun et al. (2014), businesses can execute SMAs to keep appeal to prospective customers, gain long-term growth and make contentious societal contributions. Following the sustainable development goals, SMAs involve four main aspects: economic, social, environmental and cultural activities (Jung et al., 2020). Specifically, economic marketing activities share benefits with customers, stakeholders, employees and partners in the community (Jung et al., 2020). Social marketing activities include implementing an organization’s purpose other than commercial profit-making behavior (Sun et al., 2014). Environmental marketing activities represent all activities designed to generate and facilitate exchanges to satisfy human needs or wants. Meeting these needs and wants occurs with minimal detrimental impact on the natural environment (United Nations of Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2021). Cultural marketing activities are “the consideration, preservation, and presentation of tangible and intangible heritage, artistic production, as well as the knowledge and skills of various social groups, communities, and nations” (Stylianou-Lambert et al., 2014, p. 570).

Sun and Ko (2016) find that SMAs will affect customer equity. Jung et al. (2020) confirm that the four aspects of SMAs can improve customer satisfaction and trust by changing the brand’s image. Trivedi et al. (2018) report that SMAs can help companies generate a competitive advantage. Sheth and Parvatiyar (2021) present that sustainable marketing drives sustainable consumption. Murphy (2005) clarifies that sustainable marketing promotes customer behavior by offering suitable products.

2.2 Sports tourism event image

Gwinner (1997, p. 148) proposes that event image is “the cumulative interpretation of consumers’ meanings or associations attributed to events.” In other words, the event image is associated with a function of the type of event, event characteristics and individual factors. Kaplanidou (2006) defines sport event image from the perspective of the event participants based on Keller’s (1993) theoretical framework on brand image. The sports event image is conceptualized as attitudinal elements from the perspective of active sports tourists (Kaplanidou and Vogt, 2007). These elements are subdivided into six aspects: emotional, historical, organizational, physical, environmental and social (Kaplanidou, 2010). Many academics have discussed the similarity between event and destination image. The event can be viewed as an attraction to a tourist destination (Aguado et al., 2017). Event image could have similar components to the destination image, including affective and cognitive elements (Kaplanidou and Vogt, 2007). In 2012, Kaplanidou and Gibson pointed out that “event image can have a parallel structure to the concept of destination image and can be processed holistically.”

The CSR programs of a tourism organization can positively influence event image (The World Tourism Organization, 2017). Jung et al. (2020) uncovered that perceived SMAs (economic, social, environmental and cultural) positively impact brand image. Girish and Lee (2019) prove that brand experience or brand image indicates a positive effect on positively affecting sport event image. Also, Drengner et al.’s (2008) findings reveal a positive relationship between participants’ perceived event image and brand image on the connotative image dimension. Moreover, Deng et al. (2015) emphasize that event image is generally regarded to share the same theoretical foundation as brand image. In addition, according to the similarity between the attributes of sports tourism event image and related image (e.g. brand image and destination image) mentioned above, the following hypothesis can be reasonably given:

2.3 Tourists’ perceived value

Jiang et al. (2018) define perceived value as the outcome or advantage consumers experience about their efforts. Zeithmal (1988) believes that perceived value is a comprehensive evaluation of products or services by consumers based on their perceived views of what they get and provide. Consumers will buy the goods with the most significant perceived value. Quality, price, the status of the good or service, and emotional response (how the good or service makes you feel) are suggested as the four elements of perceived value in Zeithaml’s (1988) study. Perceived benefits and costs are the two categories into which Morrison and Vancouver (2000) separate perceived value. Kunkel et al. (2017) suggest a multidimensional tourists’ perceived value of sports games scale consisting of economic, social, emotional, functional and epistemic values.

Currás-Pérez et al. (2018) analyze the impact of CSR from a sustainable development approach (i.e. social, environmental and economic aspects) on consumers’ perceived value (i.e. utilitarian, emotional and social value). Their results demonstrate that the functional significance of consumers’ perceived value depends on CSR’s social and economic dimensions, and the three CSR dimensions can enhance emotional importance. Also, Abdulalem and Abdullah (2019) explore the influence of CSR on the environment, society and stakeholders on customers’ perceived value. Their findings indicate that CSR related to the environment and stakeholders positively affects customers’ perceived value, and CSR related to society is not positively associated with customers’ perceived value. Thus, according to the endogenous connection between CSR and SMAs mentioned above, the following hypothesis can be reasonably given:

2.4 Tourists’ behavioral intentions

According to Oliver (1997), behavioral intentions are the assured likelihood of engaging in a particular behavior. According to Triantafillidou and Siomkos (2014), there are two different types of intentions: those with short-term behavioral effects (e.g. word-of-mouth, criticism or praise, and recommendations) and those with long-term behavioral values (e.g. loyalty). Following Yang et al. (2011), behavioral intention is a group of behaviors that predict whether consumers will purchase the same product or service in the future. TBIs also have considerable research (Wang et al., 2012; Lam et al., 2007; Kaplanidou and Vogt, 2007). Lam et al. (2007) report that TBIs can be assessed using a cognitive-affective-conative framework. In other words, the three measuring categories for TBIs are cognitive, emotional and conative.

The influence of environmental CSR activities on the development of behavioral intentions is confirmed by Su et al. (2014). González-Rodríguez et al. (2019) investigate the impact of customers’ awareness of CSR related to environmental practices on behavior intentions, and the result shows that the effect is positive. Kim et al. (2017) probe the impact of four CSR dimensions (economic CSR, legal CSR, ethical CSR and philanthropic CSR) on customers’ behavioral intentions, especially revisit intentions. In addition, the relationship between CSR activities and purchase intentions has been confirmed by multiple studies (e.g. Sharma et al., 2018). Neumann et al.’s (2020) case tests the relationship between sustainability and purchase intentions in the fashion industry and depicts that sustainable activities can directly predict purchase intentions. Thus, according to the endogenous connection between CSR and SMAs to customer purchase intentions mentioned above, the following hypothesis can be reasonably given:

2.5 The mediating role of sports tourism event image and tourist’s perceived value

Previous research supports that destination perception influences behavioral intentions favorably (Kaplanidou, 2006). For example, Kaplanidou (2006) shows that affective perception directly impacts TBIs. In the study by Sharma and Nayak (2020), they find that a tourist’s destination image significantly affects intentions for visiting and recommending to others. Zhang et al. (2020) demonstrated the impact of event image on behavioral intentions in the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games context. Kaplanidou (2006) shows that affective event and destination images positively connect with Olympic travelers’ behavioral intentions. In 2009, Kaplanidou further testified the relationships among cognitive event and destination images and behavioral intentions in different geographic regions of Olympic Games spectators.

Further research concerns the brand image mediation role in marketing practices. For instance, an international sporting event context investigation by Kim et al. (2016) indicates that destination image fully mediates the effect of tourists’ satisfaction on word of mouth (WOM) and revisit intentions. Moon et al. (2013) confirm that destination image mediates the relationship between event quality and behavioral intentions. Also, Vafaei et al. (2019) demonstrated the connection between sustainable marketing strategies on customer satisfaction. Fatimah and Tyas (2022) revealed the connection between sustainable marketing and service quality in meeting customers’ demands. Thus, considering an inclusive interaction between even image and destination event and the previous findings mentioned above, the following hypothesis can be proposed:

Several studies propose an association between tourists’ perceived value and behavioral intentions (Chen and Chen, 2010; Yang et al., 2011). For example, Chen and Chen’s (2010) findings demonstrate that perceived value directly affects behavioral intentions. Wang et al. (2012) explore the impact of tourists’ perceived value on behavioral intentions from a mega-events perspective. Koenigstorfer and Preuss (2018) conclude that tourists will perceive distinct Olympic values based on their discrepancy in perception of events. The national and urban differences will also influence tourists’ perceived values about the Olympic Games (Koenigstorfer and Preuss, 2018).

Also, previous researchers have demonstrated the mediating role of perceived value in sustainable marketing practices. The direct evidence from Chang (2017) supports that perceived value significantly mediates between CSR activities and sustainable consumption. Hanaysha (2018) finds that perceived value mediates the relationship between social media marketing and customer retention and the CSR and customer retention relationship. Chen and Lin (2019) propose the effect of social media marketing activities on purchase intentions via the mediation of perceived value. Minton et al. (2012) refer that social media involvement plays a crucial role in sustainable marketing. Thus, perceived value may mediate the relationship between sustainable marketing and purchase intentions. Thus, the following hypothesis can be given:

3.1 Context

This study collected data during the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. According to Mathew et al. (2016), the context is suitable as the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) (and its Olympic Movement) has a CSR-related aim in line with its inherent characteristics as a member-driven non-governmental organization. Four practices (promotion of women in sports, protection of athletes, human development assistance and sustainable development) constitute the BOCOG SMAs (The Chinese Olympic Committee, 2022). The objective of the Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee is in line with similar sports events. It includes spreading the Olympic spirit to all levels of society and building a better world through sport (Bayle, 2016).

The article investigates the TBIs regarding the Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen. The high ratings in media (TV, social media and mobile video) and the advent of short-form video-sharing apps (like TikTok) have made the Bing Dwen Dwen widely known and set off an upsurge in buying Olympic commemorative goods (International Olympic Committee, 2022).

3.2 Research design, data collection and sample

This research adopts the form of an online questionnaire through the WeChat platform. The items of the original questionnaire are extracted from English literature and then translated into Chinese. No wording issues occur through back-translation. To ensure the respondents can fill in each item accurately, the beginning of the questionnaire described the definitions and some professional terms (e.g. carbon neutrality and multichannel advertising). The respondents could also ask questions about the items they need help understanding with the message function of the electronic questionnaire. The questionnaire components comprise the measurement scales of the above four independent variables in the Beijing Winter Olympics settings. This investigation adds some preset conditions for the respondents to ensure the validity and accuracy of the questionnaire (Fowler and Fowler, 1995). First, the respondents should not be limited to where the Olympic Games are held, namely Beijing and Zhangjiakou, because geographical convenience will strengthen the behavioral intentions of local tourists. Second, the respondents have access to short video platforms, TV terminals, PC terminals and social networking platforms because such channels will increase the exposure of events in the audience. Third, the survey object of this study is only for local Chinese tourists because the peripheral products of the Olympic mascot are mainly oriented to the Chinese market, and its sustainable market behavior is also designed for the characteristics of customers within that market. The questionnaire survey was conducted from February 1, 2022 to April 30, 2022. A total of 320 questionnaires were distributed, and finally, 315 valid questionnaires were recovered (98.44% response rate). A high response rate appears as all respondents receive a monetary reward through the Alipay application software after completing the questionnaire. Table 1 presents the respondents’ profiles with information on age, marital status, education, gender, household income, time spent on shopping and geographic origin. More specifically, the age category includes mainly respondents of 31 years and older to get the responses from the population of potential buyers with paying ability. Thus, most of the respondents are expected to be married and have high education, which is typical for individuals in China. Also, most of the respondents are of middle to high income, which is consistent with China’s economic development. To avoid a significant gender gap, the proportion of male and female respondents is almost equal. The geographical distribution of respondents is also relatively dispersed, covering major regions of China. Finally, most individuals spend little time shopping. The above sample parameters are proportional to the population statistics of China and are representative.

3.3 Instrument and measurements

The questionnaire was designed using a 5-point Likert scale with four latent variables containing 20 items. This paper adjusts some measurements from the existing literature to fit the research context and achieve a more targeted questionnaire (Hair et al., 2021). This study adapts the measure of SMAs from Jung et al. (2020). It retains the main content of the original items but redesigned them in the context of the Beijing Winter Olympics. For example, the original item “Return some of the products to society” is adjusted to “Part of the revenue from Olympic tourism products will be returned to society.” The designed items cover all four components of SMAs (economic, social, environmental and cultural). This research extends the measurement of sports event image from Kaplanidou and Vogt (2007), Kaplanidou (2010) and Deng et al. (2015). The previous items, which only offered some keywords such as “Valuable-Worthless,” were embodied as “Do you think it is valuable to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics” for respondents’ better understanding. Tourists’ perceived value scale refers to Chen and Lin (2019) and Currás-Pérez et al. (2018), who measure it from three aspects, including “Utilitarian value,” “Emotional value” and “Social value.” The determination of the measurement indexes of TBIs refers to the behavioral intentions measurement scale of Oliver (1997) and Yang et al., (2011).

3.4 Analytical procedure

The study employs exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), recommended by Kyriazos (2018), to test the consistency of the adjusted scales. The application of EFA to characterize the construct’s fundamental structure is reasonable and verified by literature (Kautish et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2020). In this study, EFA was applied using SPSS 26.0 software. This article selected Eigen roots greater than 1 and performed the principal component analysis method. Amos 23.0 statistical software was used to conduct CFA on the measurement model (Shek and Yu, 2014). Five thousand samples were set for bootstrap performing, and the model was run at a 95% bias-corrected confidence level. To test the mediating effect between sports tourism event image and perceived value, this study uses the bootstrap method of AMOS 23 software proposed by Collier (2020). The sample size is chosen to be 2000, and the mediating effect is judged to be significant based on whether the indirect effect included 0 at the 95% confidence interval.

4.1 Model validation

The EFA results show that the sample is suitable for factor analysis (KMO test value of 0.928, approximate chi-square value of Bartlett’s spherical test (Hair et al., 2021) of 5,763.819 and significance level of 0.000). Using Kaiser normalized maximum variance method (Shrestha, 2021) for factor rotation (Table 2), the item factor loading in each dimension is higher than 0.7 and lower than 0.3 in other dimensions, the common factor variance is greater than 0.6 and Cronbach’s α is all above 0.9. These four factors explained 80.813% of the total information.

Table 3 shows the CFA results. Among the four constructs, the standardized factor loading of 20 observed variables ranges from 0.806 to 0.922 (Table 3), which meets the standard that the factor loading is more significant than 0.5, indicating that each observed variable has a robust explanatory ability for latent variables.

Also, Table 3 reports the reliability and validity of the measurement model. Firstly, Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability (C.R.) are used to test the measurement indicators’ internal consistency. The results show that Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranges from 0.915 to 0.966, higher than the minimum standard of 0.6; the lowest C.R. is 0.916, higher than the reference standard of 0.5. Therefore, the observed variables in the measurement model have good internal consistency. Secondly, the measurement model’s convergence validity is tested using the average variance extraction (AVE). The results range from 0.684 to 0.828, indicating that the observed variables can better measure the latent variables they belong to.

Table 4 presents the significantly close correlations between the latent variables. The discriminant validity of the scale is shown in Table 5. The average extraction variance of each variable is greater than the correlation coefficient between this and other variables, indicating that the scale’s discriminant validity is also acceptable.

To verify the impact of SMAs of the BOCOG on sports tourism event image, tourists’ perceived value and TBIs, this study uses covariance-based SEM to analyze. The results of the fit analysis show that CMIN/DF = 1.175, less than 2; GFI = 0.942, AGFI = 0.926, NFI = 0.967, RFL = 0.962, IFI = 0.995, CFI = 0.995, all above 0.900; RMSEA = 0.015, less than 0.050, all within the critical standard range, indicating that the structural model has a good fit and can be used for path analysis (Mulaik et al., 1989).

4.2 Testing of the theoretical model

The results of the theoretical model analysis (Table 6) show that SMAs have a significant positive effect on sports tourism event image and on tourists’ perceived value (SMAs-- > STEI:0.520 and SMAs-- > TPV:0.318, p < 0.001). Thus, H1 and H2 are supported. Also, SMAs positively impact TBIs (STEI-- > TBIs:0.222, p < 0.01). Thus, H3 is supported. Additionally, the impacts of sports tourism event image and tourists’ perceived value on TBIs are significantly positive (STEI-- > TBIs:0.222 and TPV-- > TBIs:0.156, p < 0.01). So, H4 and H5 are supported.

4.3 Testing mediating effects

Table 7 reveals that sports tourism event image and tourists’ perceived value play an overall mediating role in the impact of SMAs on TBIs with 95% confidence intervals of (0.014; 0.160) and (0.029; 0.132), respectively, excluding 0. The mediating effect of sports tourism event image is 0.081 (p < 0.05). The mediating impact of tourists’ perceived value is 0.068 (p < 0.01). Therefore, hypotheses H4b and H5b are both supported. Even though the results suggest that individual-specific indirect effects are low, the total indirect effect is 0.148 (p < 0.01).

Figure 1 presents the analysis results of the supposed model and the mediating effects of STEI and TPV.

5.1 Theoretical implications

This study contributes to a ground-breaking investigation into the relationship between SMAs, sports tourism event image, tourists’ perceived commemorative product value and tourists’ behavior intentions (TBIs). The research focuses on the novelty of sports tourism events in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games context.

Specifically, the results demonstrate that SMAs positively impact sports tourism event image. It confirms past findings on the positive effect of CSR activities on brand images (Girish and Lee, 2019). Also, the data proves that SMAs positively impact tourists’ perceived commemorative product value, which remains consistent with the previous findings of Currás-Pérez et al. (2018). This article also shows the positive influence of SMAs on TBIs, which extends the research findings of Kim et al. (2017), who only focus on the CSR effect on TBIs.

Moreover, this study clarifies that sports tourism event image can positively impact TBIs. It indicates that the promotion of event image helps organizations enhance consumers’ trust in their products and services, increasing consumers’ propensity to purchase. This analysis expands on Kaplanidou’s (2009) results, revealing a direct and significant correlation between destination image and behavioral intentions. Also, tourists’ perceived commemorative product value significantly affects their behavioral intentions, which verifies the conclusion of Chen and Chen (2010). The higher the perceived value, the stronger their purchase intentions.

Furthermore, the analysis confirms the mediating roles of sports tourism event image and tourists’ perceived value in the relationship between the SMAs and TBIs. Specifically, sports tourism event image mediates the relationship between SMAs and TBIs. The research shows that SMAs, in addition to the direct positive impact on TBIs described above, can also have an indirect impact on TBIs through sport event image, which is a supplement to the conclusions of Mohamad et al. (2012). Also, there is a mediating effect of tourists’ perceived value in the paths between SMAs and TBIs, which suggests a similar relationship mentioned above. The individual-specific mediating effects are not high, but the total indirect effect is high. The reason may be that brand image and perceived value always go together in the intentions study (Moon et al., 2013). Also, a similar situation has occurred in other literature. For example, the research of Kim et al. (2016) proves that destination image mediates the relationship between spectator satisfaction and behavioral intentions, but their mediating effect is also very low. The synergetic effect of event image and perceived value can translate SMAs’ effectiveness toward positively influencing TBIs, especially purchase intentions.

5.2 Managerial implications

This research also provides some valuable knowledge for practitioners. Specifically, it shows that the company can realize the effectiveness of SMAs by proceeding from its environmental, economic, social and cultural objectives (Junget al., 2020). The results suggest that the managers could actively implement SMAs to establish a favorable event image through the publicity of environmental protection ideas and the display of social responsibility. A good event image among customers may further positively affect their decision-making process, stimulate their behavioral intentions and help improve organizations’ performance.

Additionally, implementing SMAs may significantly expand the events’ commemorative products’ popularity and make their value more deeply rooted in people’s hearts. SMAs implementation in multichannel communications may motivate consumers to perceive more about the intrinsic and extrinsic value of event-related products. For example, through diversified social media communication, organizations can trans pass the specific sports spirit represented by the commemorative products, their traditional cultural symbolic significance and aesthetic design. These values may become the purchase attractions and enhance the customers’ desire to buy.

Moreover, the research implies that when implementing sustainable marketing practices, managers should consider the supporting role of favorable event image and good perceived value. Managers should focus on brand management practices to reach additional impact on tourists’ intention to buy or share about the commemorative products. Also, the more substantial total indirect effect suggests that managers can have a more significant impact on TBIs due to the synergy of sports tourism event image and product perceived value.

5.3 Limitations and future research agenda

As with any other research, this study has limitations that may stimulate future research lines. The article focuses on the supposed framework in the context of the sports tourism Olympics event. Its applicability in other event types needs further demonstration. The research only tests the mediation effects of sports event image and perceived product value. Further research may consider other mediators, such as customer engagement (Abbas and Shah, 2018). Also, this study does not intensely discuss the impact of each specific aspect of SMAs on its outcomes separately. Future studies can test the effect of environmental, social, economic and cultural strategies, respectively, (Manrai et al., 2020). Finally, the method design included only the survey conducted in the Chinese market. To generalize the results, future studies may consider testing the model in an inter-country context (Butkouskaya et al., 2021; Salcedo, 2021). For example, the Latin America region may be a good market for data collection due to its various demographic, geographic, economic and institutional characteristics related to the promotion of sports tourism (Aguinis et al., 2020).