Research
Collaborating with sport organisations and fellow researchers, Aravind’s research focuses on:
- Market development: The geographic expansion and internationalisation of sport, including that of emerging sports and format innovations.
- Identity and brand dynamics: The influence of social identities on people’s relationship with clubs, leagues, and sponsors.
- The digital fan experience: How technology, particularly social media and retail platforms, redefines our engagement with sport.
Consultancy and public engagement
Aravind is open to industry consultancy in sport marketing. Recent collaborations include:
- A project funded by FIFA on the opportunities and challenges of women's club football in India.
- Fan insights and analyses, including for the England & Wales Cricket Board and for marketing agencies.
- An online activation of fan segments, supported by students, for AFC Bournemouth.
As a contributor in English and Malayalam media, he covers fan psychology, brand strategy, and trends in sport.
Aravind's professional journey began with managerial roles in retail banking and infotainment before he moved into academia.
He holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode. Prior to joining Loughborough University, he served as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sport and Event Management at Bournemouth University.
Aravind is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy and a Paul Lawrence Fellow of the North American Case Research Association.
Sport has been an integral part of Aravind's life since childhood and he considers himself lucky to engage with it at work also. He was an avid cricketer, but currently plays football occasionally and basketball regularly.