درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

The purpose of this article is to present a paradigm model for pink marketing and branding in sports equipment. This research has a "qualitative approach" and uses the grounded theory method. Since the review of previous researches showed that no exactly similar research has been done in this field; Therefore, the application of this theory with the method of Strauss and Corbin (1990) is justified. Theorizing in 3 states is open coding, central coding and selective coding. causal factors include social freedom, becoming an influencer in social media and  women's spontaneity; Background factors include the launch of social media marketing campaigns and increasing the power of influence and purchase of women; Intervening factors include social norms and women's self-branding and strategic factors including pink product (fit with women's taste and taste), pink price (ethical prices), pink advertisement (focusing on emotions in advertising) and pink distribution (external and internal design). Finally, by using the strategic factors of pink branding in sports equipment, we will witness social and cultural identification, targeted marketing and high acceptance. while it's common to find a product in multiple colors, pink is specifically used in gender marketing to make products available in a single version for women, providing marketers with added value.

This study investigates the impact of brand symbolism on brand evangelism behavior among Persepolis Club evangelists in Mashhad during spring 2024. As an applied descriptive-correlational research, data were collected from 320 purposively sampled participants using standard questionnaires: Osmanova et al. (2023) for brand symbolism and Becerra and Badrinarayanan (2013) for brand evangelism. The reliability and validity of the instruments were confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha, internal consistency, composite reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity tests. Structural equation modeling (SEM) via LISREL was employed for data analysis. Results show that brand symbolism significantly affects brand evangelism and its components, including purchase intention (path coefficient = 0.45), positive word-of-mouth (0.30), and negative word-of-mouth against competitors (0.12). Purchase intention further influences positive (0.51) and negative word-of-mouth (0.45), while positive word-of-mouth also impacts negative word-of-mouth toward rival teams (0.27). These findings suggest that brand symbolism positively drives evangelism behaviors such as purchasing Persepolis products and promoting the club while discouraging competitor support. Based on these outcomes, it is recommended that Persepolis Club enhance its brand symbolism through targeted marketing strategies—such as exclusive fan events, social media engagement, and branded merchandise—to deepen fans’ emotional connection and strengthen brand evangelism. Such initiatives are likely to boost positive purchase intentions and supportive word-of-mouth, benefiting the club’s overall brand strength.

The aim of this quantitative research was to examine and compare the retirement experiences of retired athletes from selected sports federations in Iran and Iraq. Using the snowball sampling method, 188 retired professional athletes (103 from Iran and 85 from Iraq) were selected from team sports and individual sports. The research data were collected using the Sport Career Termination Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. The results indicated significant difference between the sport career length of the athletes of both groups; there was a significant difference between the sport career termination reasons of two groups; there was a significant difference between the retirement problems in two groups; there was a significant difference between the two groups in the amount of support received by the athletes during the retirement period, and significant difference existed between the level of retirement satisfaction in the two groups. It is recommended that sports authorities in Iran and Iraq pay more attention to retired athletes, strive to address the issues and challenges of their retirement course, and provide programs aimed at developing skills and job competencies for retired athletes. In particular, it is recommended that Iraqi sports authorities maximize the utilization of retired athletes within the country’s sports structure and implement effective programs for the prevention and treatment of sports injuries among athletes. Future researchers are encouraged to employ both longitudinal and qualitative research methods to gain a better and richer understanding of sports retirement.

Consumer law is an innovative branch of law that began to develop in the second half of the 20th century. The creation and evolution of consumer law show the result of the political desire to develop and promote the rights and interests of consumers as the main players in the market. Therefore, the study aimed to identify and analyze the factors affecting the protection of Iranian sports products' consumer law. The research approach was qualitative with a grounded theory method. 13 experts including sports law and marketing experts, retailers, wholesalers, importers of sports goods, and manufacturers of sports goods and equipment, were chosen purposefully as participants. The sampling continued until data saturation. In addition to the interviews, 12 articles, 1 thesis, and 2 books were used to collect data. After data analysis, 59 initial codes, 9 subcategories, and 3 main categories (basic consumer rights, consumer's personal beliefs, and underlying elements of consumer protection) were identified. In general, the government's support and the supervision of the legal and regulatory institutions on the performance of manufacturers, suppliers, and sellers of Iranian sports products had a significant impact on the protection of the consumer law. Iranian consumers support Iranian sports products when they know that their rights are fully respected, and then they will buy and use Iranian sports products with more confidence.