Marketing evolution of performance enhancing drugs in professional cycling
J. J. Prinsloo (hein.prinsloo@nwu.ac.za),
T. G. Pelser (pelser@ukzn.ac.za) and
P. S. Radikonyana (radikonyanap@yahoo.com)
Additional contact information
J. J. Prinsloo: NWU Business School, North-West University
T. G. Pelser: University KwaZulu-Natal
P. S. Radikonyana: Municipal Demarcation Board, Pretoria
No 10312491, Proceedings of International Academic Conferences from International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences
Abstract:
The use of performance enhancing drugs (PED?s) is prevalent amongst professional cyclists. Over the past 100 years, the use there-off went through different evolutionary periods. The products (PED?s) evolved since the 1900?s. During the early 1900?s products like tobacco and alcohol were used. Fifty years later, after WWII, amphetamines (developed during the WWII period) was the product of choice. Since the late 1980?s another product evolution took place. Erythropoietin (EPO) a product designed for cancer patients started surfacing amongst cyclists. Ironically this product have one primary negative side effect ? sudden death. However, this did not curtail or stop the use. Positive effects were and are massive in terms of athlete performance. This paper look at the historical time line of the use of PED?s. The use there-off as well as the various effects it had and have on cyclists. Marketing (push strategy) did and do not drive this phenomena. Based on its ?submerged or underground? nature of products and its use, a ?pull strategy? seem to be the chosen marketing channel application. Intermediaries does not fir the accepted marketing profile. Rather medical qualified individuals seem to become links in these distribution channels. A qualitative literature empirical approach was used. Literature was scrutinised based on a convenient and purposive nature. Because of the sensitive and ethical nature of this paper, a pure qualitative interview approach was disregarded. The aim of this paper was to structure the historical time line as well as the evolution of these products.The findings, although sensitive, is two-fold in nature. These recommended suggestions are highly speculative and should be treated as alternative suggestions to the current situation.
Keywords: Performance enhancing drugs (PED?s); Tour de France (TdF); Submerged markets; Marketing channel; ?Word of Mouth? communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 24 pages
Date: 2020-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his and nep-spo
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:
Published in Proceedings of the Proceedings of the 54th International Academic Virtual Conference, Prague, Jul 2020, pages 260-283
Downloads: (external link)
https://iises.net/proceedings/2020-international-a ... 06&iid=021&rid=12491 First version, 2020
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sek:iacpro:10312491
Access Statistics for this paper
More papers in Proceedings of International Academic Conferences from International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Klara Cermakova (iises@iises.net).