SGMA International and Sports Marketing Surveys has formed Sports Research Partnership, a joint venture expected to provide market research services to the sporting goods industry.
SGMA will partner with SMS, the worlds largest specialist sports and sponsorship research company. Established in 1984, SMS has offices in ten countries. The organization provides manufacturers with actionable research in many sports activities. This partnership builds on the experiences of both SGMA and SMS — and extends these services into different sports activities.
“After an extensive review of the US and international sports research markets, we firmly believe there are some significant unfulfilled research needs for the membership of SGMA, as well as unaffiliated organizations and those interested in the sports market,” said SGMA International President John Riddle. “This partnership between SGMA and Sports Marketing Surveys will fill that void.”
“We are very pleased to work with SGMA on this exciting project,” commented Stephen Proctor, CEO of SMS. “Our research expertise and SGMAs unmatched prestige and respect in the sports industry make a powerful combination.”
William Lawliss will join SRP as Director of Business Development. He has extensive experience in the sporting goods industry and was founder of Sports Research Inc., a market research company that was purchased by SMS in 1998.
“This new company is a classic win-win scenario. There is an unanswered need for timely and actionable research in certain segments of the sporting goods industry and this new organization is well suited to address those needs,” commented Lawliss.
The new company will initially offer research services in the team sports, fitness equipment and athletic footwear industry segments. In addition, the new firm will offer custom research services by using the consumer panel derived from its well-known sports participation survey and online research using a panel of active sports participants for ad hoc and continued research, based on software developed by SMS for its Sporting Insights panel.
