Title: Strategic manoeuvre: unveiling the influence of predatory pricing strategies on brand equity in the sports industry

Authors: Hossein Faridniya; Leila Moslehi; Ali Saberi

Addresses: University of Tehran, Farabi Campus, Qom, Iran ' Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran ' University of Tehran, Farabi Campus, Qom, Iran

Abstract: Various pricing strategies are employed in different businesses to achieve sales objectives. However, these strategies can only lead to goal attainment if they are chosen and executed correctly. One pricing strategy that has not received attention from researchers in the sports industry is the predatory pricing strategy. Therefore, this research aims to analyse the impact of this strategy on the brand equity of sports brands. In this study, the Daei brand was purposively selected as a representative sports brand. Employing a quasi-experimental research design, a pre-test-post-test approach was adopted, comprising both control and experimental groups, each consisting of 30 customers. Data analysis was conducted via covariance analysis. Findings demonstrated a significant enhancement in the equity of sports brands through the implementation of predatory pricing. However, due to the lack of empirical literature in this area, continued adherence to this pricing strategy to reduce customer dissatisfaction should be done with caution.

Keywords: brand image; brand loyalty; brand management; perceived brand quality; pricing; sport marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2025.148997

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2025 Vol.25 No.1, pp.71 - 88

Received: 04 Nov 2024
Accepted: 16 Jul 2025
Published online: 07 Oct 2025 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article