Project: Assessing audience perceptions of social media marketing for The Hundred
Responsible Researcher: Dr Wonsun Shin
Tel: +613 9035 3519
Email: wonsun.shin@unimelb.edu.au
Student Researcher: Spencer Liapakis
Tel: +61 490 035 670
Email: skliapakis@student.unimelb.edu.au
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in participating in this research project. The following few pages will provide you with further information about the project, so that you can decide if you would like to take part in this research.
Please take the time to read this information carefully. You may ask questions about anything you don’t understand or want to know more about.
Your participation is voluntary. If you don’t wish to take part, you don’t have to. If you begin participating, you can also stop at any time. Furthermore, if you cannot or do not provide informed consent, you will be unable to participate in the interview.
What is this research about?
This research seeks to examine the extent to which The Hundred, a cricket tournament in the United Kingdom, engages and communicates with its audience over social media. This is to help better ascertain what content strategies resonate most with cricket audiences in the United Kingdom. As social media becomes an increasingly important marketing tool for brands and organisations alike, digital marketers in the cricket industry need to understand what content engages and resonates with audiences. The objective of this research is to gauge audience perception in the UK of social media marketing communication strategies utilised by The Hundred. The findings of this research have significant implications for the field of sports marketing, informing strategies that apply for future cricket tournaments and brands, as well as the role of local culture in future digital marketing strategies for other UK-based organisations.
What will I be asked to do?
Should you agree to participate, you will be asked to participate in a 30-45 minute semi-structured interview over the Internet, on Zoom or another video chat application. This interview will comprise of approximately 10 focus questions, with associated follow-up questions driven by the conversation. This interview will be audio-recorded for the purpose of transcription. The questions in the interview will cover topics such as your use of social media, engagement with The Hundred on your preferred platforms, your perceptions of the brand’s strategies and how digital relationship marketing strategies from The Hundred influence your behaviour and attitude towards the tournament.
What are the possible benefits?
Contributions to this study will help further understanding of how audiences perceive certain social marketing campaigns in the field of sport. Analysis of your responses will examine your attitudes towards specific strategies in digital relationship marketing, which will provide insight into which strategies resonate with audiences. This research will inform future strategies for digital marketers of cricket in the UK and beyond, helping to create content that best caters for audience expectations by providing analysis on the most successful strategies amongst audiences of your demographic.
What are the possible risks?
You will be asked to provide your opinions on a selection of questions related to your perception of The Hundred and its social media content strategies. As this is a semi-structured interview, some follow-up questions may feel inappropriate or invasive depending on your personal preferences. Should you feel uncomfortable answering any question, you may choose not to answer and may cease participation at any time. All information you share is strictly confidential, will not be attributed to you and is not subject to evaluation.
Do I have to take part?
No. Participation is completely voluntary. You are able to withdraw at any time with no negative consequences. Any data collected to that point will be destroyed if you decline to participate further in the study.
Will I hear about the results of this project?
You can send an email to the student researcher if you would like to review the transcript of your interview. Upon completion of the thesis, the student researcher can send you a copy of the thesis via email or any platform of your choice (if indicated at the time of the interview). This can be expected in approximately November 2022.
What will happen to information about me?
All your responses will be treated as confidential and never associated with your name. A pseudonym will be used to protect your identity in the final submission. Only the student researcher and the responsible researcher will have access to the data collected, and it will be stored in a password-protected laptop. All participant data will remain confidential through the research process. Data may be used again for a journal article and/or for an academic conference paper. Data will be securely stored for 5 years and discarded carefully after that. You will have the ability to access the raw data you provide (audio, transcription) via an email request.
Where can I get further information?
If you would like more information about the project, please contact the researchers; Dr Wonsun Shin (Tel: +61 3 9035 3519, Email: wonsun.shin@unimelb.edu.au) or Spencer Liapakis (Tel: +61 490 035 670, Email: skliapakis@student.unimelb.edu.au).
Who can I contact if I have any concerns about the project?
This project has human research ethics approval from The University of Melbourne 23881. If you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of this research project, which you do not wish to discuss with the research team, you should contact the Research Integrity Administrator, Office of Research Ethics and Integrity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010. Tel: +61 3 8344 1376 or Email: research-integrity@unimelb.edu.au. All complaints will be treated confidentially. In any correspondence please provide the name of the research team and/or the name or ethics ID number of the research project. 