Heather Kennedy

Heather Kennedy, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Management at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph. Her research interests include the use and impact of technology with respect to sport business and sport consumer behavior, with a particular interest in the dark side or negative impacts of technology.

Dr. Kennedy's research has appeared in top-tier outlets including the Journal of Sport Management, Event Management, Sport Marketing Quarterly, and International Journal of Sport Communication. Her research has been presented at numerous conferences such as at the annual conferences for the North American Society for Sport Management and Sport Marketing Association. Dr. Kennedy is a member of the research team building Sportacle, funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) through its John R. Evans Leaders Fund, which will accelerate analytics research at Lang and with sport industry partners.

Ph.D., Business Administration, Fox School of Business, Temple University

B.Comm, Information Systems, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University

Sport business

Sport consumer behaviour

Technology

Analytics

Recent Publications

Wanless, L., Kennedy, H., Davies, M., Naraine, M.L., & Pegoraro, A. (2024). Look what we have here: Exploring brand-related sport consumer Twitter conversation topics. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 33(2), 150-156. https://doi.org/10.32731/SMQ.332.062024.04

Kennedy, H., Bakhsh, J.T., Pegoraro, A., & Taks, M. (2024). Bounded impacts: Measuring residents' social (media) event impacts from a major sport event. Event Management, 28(1), 129-150. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599523X16907613842129

Kennedy, H., Bakhsh, J.T., Pegoraro, A., & Taks, M. (2024). The dominance of fandom: An analysis of how gender and fandom impact live and non-live sport event consumption behaviours. Leisure Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2024.2335916

Kennedy, H., Bredikhina, N., Athanas-Liden, G., Kunkel, T., & Funk, D.C. (2023). Managing social media through crisis: A content analysis of Instagram posts before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 32(4), 284-301. https://www.doi.org/10.32731/SMQ.324.122023.02

Kennedy, H., & Funk, D.C. (2023). Habitually scrolling: An examination into how sport consumers use social media. International Journal of Sport Communication, 16(2), 187-201. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2023-0001

Kunkel, T., Kennedy, H., Baker, B.J., Doyle, J. (2023). The state of quantitative research and a proposed research framework in social media. International Journal of Sport Communication, 16(3), 344-351. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2023-0123

Overview of a Recent Publication

Dr. Heather Kennedy, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management, specializes in sport management. In her recent paper, "Managing Social Media Through Crisis: A Content Analysis of Instagram Posts Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Dr. Kennedy examines consumer-based brand equity dynamics and the strategies employed by sport organizations during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Using rigorous content analysis of Instagram posts, she investigates how organizations adjust their brand image portrayal and consumer interaction amidst uncertainty.

Dr. Kennedy's research utilizes the context, content, and process framework to analyze adjustments in brand image portrayal on Instagram for two sport organizations, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL), during the pandemic. The study reveals that the NBA, facing the loss of their core product, utilized a need-based adjustment, whereas the NFL exhibited an opportunity-based adjustment. The analysis of consumer responses found that the NFL increased engagement, while the NBA experienced a decline, which has persisted since the pandemic. These findings highlight the importance of effective digital branding strategies during crises.

Dr. Kennedy's work fills critical gaps in understanding how sport organizations navigate crises and adapt digital branding strategies to maintain consumer engagement. Her findings have practical implications for sport organizations aiming to enhance their digital presence and sustain consumer engagement in challenging times. Through interdisciplinary approaches and innovative methodologies, Dr. Kennedy's research enriches our understanding of digital branding in crisis scenarios and guides organizations in cultivating strong consumer relationships through social media platforms.

Current Courses

SPMT*2020 The Business of Sport and Event Tourism (W23, W24, W25)

SPMT*3020 The Impact of Business on the Sport Industry (F22, F23, F24)

SPMT*4140 Advanced Sport Analytics (W25)

Past Courses

SPMT*4020 Advanced Concepts in Sport and Event (W23)