Marketing – Page 2

How Can Teams Use Social Media To Build Brand, Develop Fans & Tell Their Story?

kirk_wakefield 2014, Digital Strategy, Marketing, Relate, Social Media February 1, 2014November 1, 2018digital, Dodgers, fan base, personality, social media, super-fans, tell a good story, twitter, University of Miami 0 Comment

by Neil Horowitz – February 2014

Before the days of social media, the frequency and avenues of touch points between brands and consumers, and teams and fans, were few and far between. Beyond media broadcasts and ads, team slogans printed, and in-venue experiences, the concept of building a brand and using it to develop fans and partnerships was an afterthought. But times have changed and the ubiquity and depth of social and digital media in sports has made brand building not just a possibility, but a necessity. Teams and their brands are live entities, speaking to, and interacting with, fans on a daily basis.

Why should sports teams care about their brands?

The most successful teams in terms of marketing have fans with whom they’ve built emotional ties. These fans understand:

What the team stands for,
Why they support them, and
The need to evangelize on their behalf.

Do your team’s fans understand their roles in the community? Have you intentionally empowered them by clearly communicating the core values of the team and engaging them in the task of building the fan base? Without a strong brand purpose, this very real and effective value is lost.

Go ahead, make their day

“If we [interact with a fan on social media], 99% of the time we’re making their day, said University of Miami Associate Athletic Director Chris Yandle (@chrisyandle).”Small stuff like that can make fans feel part of the program and that’s ultimately how we build brand ambassadors who help (further) build our brand…They’ll help amplify our message and fight for our cause.”

While brand ambassadors can deliver direct return by convincing a friend to go to a game, talking up the experience with the team, and generally just promoting awareness and interest for the team, there is more. These super-fans proselytize and spread the team brand even more, developing more fans in the community and defining the team. The Dodgers used social media with great effect to this end, as they sought to win back a fan base that had felt alienated.

Tell a good story

“I’m trying to tell a story and it’s the Dodgers brand story,” explained Los Angeles Dodgers Coordinator of Social Media, Josh Tucker (@joshbtucker). “It’s having a voice…but staying on brand. You can still have a personality on behalf of the brand; it’s just understanding and finding that voice.”

There is a proliferation of teams trying to cultivate a “personality” on social media, often of an irascible variety, pioneered primarily by the Los Angeles Kings Twitter account. Ultimately, the most effective brand building for teams comes down to trust – developing a lasting, emotionally invested and trusting relationship between fan and team.

Trust doesn’t just happen

Trust cannot happen with a shower of marketing messages and one-way broadcasting; it takes proactive, two-way engagement. Tampa Bay Lightning Director of Digital and Social Media James Royer (@jamesroyer) spoke of the importance of forming this relationship in order to get the most out of social.

“We saw [social media] as ‘Let’s interact and engage with our fans,’ said Royer. “Let’s earn the right to market to our fans, by engaging with them first.”

What about you?

Think about your favorite pro sports teams. Think about the team you work for. Do you have an emotional attachment? Can you define the brand? Tell the brand story? Are you a fan evangelist? Are your fans brand evangelists?

Social and digital media bring the brand to life, opening opportunities for fan development like never before. Understand its value, use it correctly, and use it strategically. Then that’ll be a story worth telling.

Richard Sherman, The Craziest Player at the Super Bowl?

kirk_wakefield 2014, Marketing, Relate January 30, 2014November 1, 2018media, NFL, NY Times, PR, Richard Sherman, Seahawks, Seattle, strategy 0 Comment

by Deven Nongbri – January 2014

We’re all probably a bit tired about hearing of Richard Sherman and his outburst in the NFC Championship game. His seemingly angry rant rankled a lot of folks and stirred endless debate both online and offline. But let’s look at what he did.

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=K7n7PiwYKag

Did he curse? No. Was he incoherent? No, not really.

He was cornered for an interview immediately after making a big play and was pretty amped up. And it showed. That’s called passion for what you do for a living and that’s a great quality to have.

As Ben Shpigel (@benshpigel) of the New York Times points out, Sherman’s own family thought this level of celebrity was “‘destined to happen'” as he was a firecracker growing up, with a 4.2 high school GPA, and then graduated from Stanford. He came out of the school with a degree in communications, so he knows his way around a mic. Look at his post game interview (below), bow tie and all. He knew what he was doing.

httpv://youtube.com/watch?v=aXp7wl2beaU

Things aren’t always as they seem. This was not your average player running at the mouth and caught in the act on national TV. The NFL still seemed to think that was the case and handed down a $7,800 fine. But this all may have been a calculated risk as he’s about to ascend the biggest sideline of them all at the Super Bowl this weekend. What brand wouldn’t want to align themselves with passion like that?

Yeah, that Richard Sherman is crazy. Like a fox.

Cover photo courtesy of Aimee.

Six Differences Between Working in College versus Pro Sports (and why they may change)

kirk_wakefield 2014, Careers, Lead, Learn, Marketing, Relate January 1, 2014November 1, 2018Arizona State University, career choices, NCAA, Oliver Luck, pro, sports, West Virginia State University 0 Comment

by Rocky Harris – January 2014

The first 12 years of my career were spent working in professional sports and corporate America. I made the move to collegiate athletics two years ago because I was given an opportunity to work for my alma mater, Arizona State University.

Before shifting over to collegiate athletics, I assumed working in sports, regardless of whether it is pro or college, would be the same. However, that has proven not to be the case. There are distinct benefits and drawbacks of either career path. I have spoken with other industry experts who have experience working in both collegiate and pro sports to develop what I see as six primary differences.

Difference #1 – Opportunity

Because of the low supply of opportunities working directly for professional sports franchises, it can be difficult to land a full-time job. The NFL only has 32 teams, NBA has 30, MLB has 30, NHL has 30 and MLS now has 20, so that if someone wants to be a PR director for a pro sports team, you only have 142 job opportunities. Whereas there are 1,066 NCAA member institutions, including 340 Division 1 schools. If you want to be the sports information director at a collegiate institution, you have 1,066 job opportunities.

Difference # 2 – The Athletes

The biggest difference between collegiate and pro sports is the role of the athlete. Professional athletes are employees. In college, they are students first and athletes second. Because of this, we are able to impact collegiate student-athletes’ lives in a more meaningful way.

Many times, student-athletes never dreamed of graduating from college or completing internships, but we provide that opportunity and are able to shape their futures and impact the trajectory of their families for generations. A select few are able to continue their careers at the professional level. We are able to impact a much larger population and build the leaders of the future.

Difference # 3 – Sexy Factor

The majority of people entering the sports industry want jobs in professional sports. Unless you are working for a top-10 collegiate sports brand, working in pro sports is more attractive. But, this will change significantly over the next 10 years because college athletics departments are beginning to be run like businesses where they build strong local, regional and national brands.

Difference #4 – Clutter

At ASU, we have 400,000 alumni, 70,000 students, 40,000 season ticket holders, more than 15,000 faculty and staff, 550 student-athletes and 22 sports with overlapping schedules that we have to promote and monetize. When I worked in pro sports, we had one team to focus on year-round, while occasionally hosting other events like soccer matches or concerts.

The biggest challenge working within the university system is making sure your messaging is coordinated and in-sync with the university’s priorities and goals. In pro sports, you have one message that is consistent because you are only marketing one product and one team.

“Although our priority is revenue-generating sports, we still have to service the other sports with the same intensity, with fewer resources than pro teams,” said Kate Brandt who worked for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and now oversees digital media for Arizona State University

Difference #5 – Layers

In pro sports, the approval process is simple. If your team owner approves, you can move forward. The hardest part about working in collegiate sports is the multiple layers of constituents and approvals that need to be accounted for before a decision can be made. This includes the board of directors, administration, and compliance, among others.

“In college, we have more constituency groups (i.e. faculty, faculty senate, parents, student-athletes, state legislators/government, alumni, boosters, etc.) In the pro leagues, you deal with fans and your owner and everybody else really doesn’t matter in the same way,” said West Virginia Athletics Director Oliver Luck, who spent the majority of his career working in pro sports.

Difference #6 – Business Structure

Twenty years ago pro sports owners decided to change the business structure to focus on generating revenue and improving the fan experience.

Before they made the change, former coaches became general managers and they were responsible for running the team and the business. It was a flawed model.Once the forward thinking owners started hiring experienced business executives to run the organization, the revenue grew exponentially.

Collegiate athletics is about 15 years behind the curve. School presidents and leaders are beginning to understand the value of hiring business executives rather than former coaches to run their multimillion-dollar businesses. Because of this change in the college space, look for significant growth in both revenue and job opportunities.

What’s your conclusion?

Take your pick.

The biggest benefits of working in collegiate athletics are the enormous business potential, the professional opportunities that will be available over the next 20 years and the ability to impact student-athletes in a profound way. In pro sports, the biggest benefits are the speedy approval process that allows you to accomplish your goals faster, the esteem that comes with working in pro sports, and the proven business model.

Cover photo courtesy of ASU Enrollment Management.

Why you should go to the Digital Sports Fan Engagement Conference

kirk_wakefield 2014, Digital Strategy, Marketing, Relate, Social Media January 1, 2014November 1, 2018Dallas, digital conference, engagement, experts, fans, interactive, sports 0 Comment

by Kirk Wakefield – January 2014

The Digital Fan Engagement Conference to be held March 3-4, 2014, in Dallas (TX) looks promising.

Q1 Productions, a leading organizer of research-based, education program content, shared some content with us from some of the leading presenters. These interviews are posted in full on the Q1 productions blog and highlight the conference content.

Why should we go?

1. Best practices. The conference will highlight best practices in connecting with sports fans through advanced digital and social media strategies. The upshot is you’ll be more likely to develop content applicable and engaging for fans.

Speakers for the program represent leading experts among teams, universities and brands.

Tyler Tumminia, Senior Vice President of the Goldklang Group notes, “I am most looking forward to hearing and sharing the best social media practices, industry-wide. From Adidas to Nascar and everywhere in between, the Digital Sports Fan Engagement Conference will feature an array of experienced organization that leverage social media to create valuable content.” Tyler continues, “The conference is a tremendous resource for both fans and industry professionals to learn valuable practices on engaging fans via social media. Conferences where everyone is a creative sponge often lead to the best new ideas and adaptations.”

2. Interaction. All presentations will incorporate time for dialogue between the presenters and audience. So, the conference is, well, engaging. Brainstorming and knowledge sharing will allow for the opportunity to discuss and learn from shared experiences.

As Chris Yandle, Assistant Athletics Director, Communication at the University of Miami Athletics notes, “Social media is a telephone, not a megaphone. To be a successful brand, you can’t stand on your soapbox and just scream what you want to convey. You have to actively listen and communicate online. In order for your brand to be successful you have to provide customer service and give the digital sports fan content they can’t get anywhere else.”

We can learn from each other on what we’ve found works best in communicating with our fans.

3. Unique focus. With so much to discuss on trending topics, the conference will offer value and interest to teams and organizations throughout the sports industry. Focusing directly on fan engagement will allow for a unique and targeted discussion unlike any other conference program in the industry that we’re aware of. Here’s a look at just the first morning of the conference:

See you there

Who else plans to be there? Let me know (@kirkwakefield) and we’ll get together. For more information regarding the Q1 Digital Sports Fan Engagement conference, visit the Q1 website at www.q1productions.com/sportsfanengagement.

About Q1 Productions:

Q1 Productions designs and develops webinars, training courses, conference programs and forums aimed at specifically targeted audiences, including the life science and sports industries. Through a highly structured production process focused on research calls with end-users and key stakeholders in the industry, our team is able to understand the immediate business concerns of today’s leading executives. Whether focusing on new or pending legislative and health policy issues for the life science industry or upcoming marketing trends in the digital and mobile space for sports organizations, our programs provide solutions to the urgent educational and information needs of our attendees.

How can sales & marketing get along?

kirk_wakefield 2014, Lead, Marketing, Relate, Sell, Tickets January 1, 2014November 1, 2018analytics, communication, data collection, getting along, listening, marketing leads, sales leads, serving 0 Comment

by Lynn Wittenburg – January 2014

I’m often asked how sales & marketing should work together and if they can. There always seems to be tension between the two in most sports organizations, even though fundamentally they should be integrated.

Since I spent eight years selling tickets before crossing over into the world of marketing, the answer seems pretty simple to me. So here goes…..

For the Marketers

Remember you are there to SELL. That’s it. Pretty simple. No matter what industry you are in, you are selling something. In sports, it’s tickets, partnerships, merchandise, your brand (and on and on). You serve SALES. PERIOD. END OF STORY. In fact, you serve your entire organization. So,

Step 1: Understand their goals and objectives.
Step 2: Meet with them regularly in case their goals/objectives change. And not just with the managers. Get to the people ACTUALLY answering the phone.
Step 3: Repeat this until you get it and adjust accordingly.

For the Sales People

Remember YOU are there to SELL. So, focus on your job. In sports, sales is still a numbers game.
Track every sale you can. This really helps marketing since DATA DRIVES DECISIONS.
Give Marketing constant feedback on what is working and what makes the phones ring or makes your job easier.
Know the Marketing Campaign and incorporate it where you can.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”400px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

My sales pet peeve

Often, sales people go by gut. Here’s a sample conversation:

Salesperson: “The phones were ringing like crazy today”
Me: “Really, how many calls?”
Salesperson: “I don’t know; a lot.”
Me: “Well, what made them call?”
Salesperson: “I don’t know. I didn’t really ask.”
Me: BANGING HEAD ON DESK UNTIL I NEED ASPIRIN with thought bubble rising to the ceiling, “You think it could have been marketing?”[/dropshadowbox]

To sum up for both: CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATE

I can’t promise if you’re in sales you will always get someone in marketing who understands selling and truly knows their job is to help you. And I can’t promise the marketing department that sales will ever get the big picture and all you are tasked with. When you are focused on building the BRAND, not every message will be a sales one. That’s a good thing that salespeople don’t often get.

But, I do know this: Organizations cannot survive without these two departments aligned and working as one team. So, start talking. Tweet @LynnWitt below or post to your LinkedIn page!

Cover photo courtesy of Certified Su.

Sponsorship Success is Defined by the Numbers You Measure

kirk_wakefield 2013, Marketing, Sell, Sponsorships September 2, 2013November 2, 2018activation, CMO, energy, engagement, innovate, leader, measure, ROI, sponsorships 0 Comment

by Tom Hughes – September 2013

“If I had a dollar to spend on marketing why would I spend it on sponsorship?”

–Typical CMO

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked a variation of that question over the years, I could probably afford a nice presenting sponsorship somewhere.

One of the many challenges facing CMO’s these days is how to best deliver a return on investment on their marketing spend. Unfortunately, sponsorship marketing is one of the least understood marketing channels and it is often one of the first channels to be asked to take a cut when those are necessary.

We marketers could potentially avoid that cut if we’re able to effectively capture (and communicate) our sponsorship return. In order to do so, we have to collect and measure numerous direct and indirect variables. We’ll need to measure the various elements included in exchange for our spend and the broader impact of your activation programs while also having a solid understanding of your market share, target customer, annual & lifetime value and a variety of other internal metrics.

Ultimately, since every sponsorship has different entitlements and each business has different metrics, there’s not one easy way to measure a return. It’s not like some other channels where $1 spent will get me xxx impressions or xx click-throughs.

No Soup For You! Next…

The result of this complicated sponsorship measurement process is that many companies have shied away from trying to truly measure their sponsorship return. In this era of short attention spans and “just bottom-line it for me” management it’s often easier for a Marketing Exec to justify to a CEO that we’re going to spend $XX get this many impressions/clicks or this TV rating or hit these listeners than to try explain the many different variables that should go into capturing sponsorship return.

But I Was Told There Would Be No Math…

If you’re looking for a short, easy response to the question of why sponsorships are valuable, then choose any one (or all) of these: Sponsorships…

Provide our brand with a way to break through the clutter in ways that traditional media can’t do.
Result in getting our customers to buy more product at a higher prices and stay with us longer.
Offers our business a completive advantage and force our competitors to spend more to keep up.
Amplify the results of all our other marketing channels leading to better results overall.

It’s Not Just Tickets and Signs?

No. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some really smart people and together we’ve defined, redefined and refined the various elements that go into measuring sponsorship return for the brands we’ve worked with.

While every business is different there are some “typical” elements that you should be capturing when measuring a return on your sponsorship spend. Here are just a few:

Brand Metrics (Awareness, Preference, Selection) – Numerous studies over the years have shown than sponsorships can move the needle for brand metrics when consumers are aware of the sponsorship. You need to figure out how an increase in any or all of these metrics impacts your revenue?
Traditional Media (TV, Radio, Print, etc.) – What’s the traditional media value of the assets and how did they perform against expectations? This may be the most straight-forward of all of them…
Digital Media (Online, Social, Mobile) – Brands have increasingly stressed the need to engage consumer beyond the stadium. Online, Social and Mobile elements should be part of any activation plan but you should also have a plan for not just tracking but also placing a value on the engagement you get from those elements.
Sales Metrics (Both New & Retained) – How many direct sales did your sponsorship deliver, how many customers did it help to retain? How much money are you saving by keeping the old customers? How did your sponsorship impact the broader market – the people who knew you were a sponsor but didn’t buy directly or right away.
Hospitality – We often measure this in how much did a ticket or the access cost, but you should also consider how valuable the people you’re inviting are and how much additional business you are able to generate from them.
Customer Engagement – None of the other metrics matter much if people don’t know that you’re a sponsor of the property. You should be working to develop activation programs that try to engage the largest possible, relevant audience.
Employee Engagement – Do you use you sponsorship to motivate employees? How much more productivity to you get from employees with higher morale? Does it have an impact on employee retention?
Property Alignment – The property itself can make a difference. You don’t have to be aligned with the biggest and most popular property in your target market but you should be aligned with the right property. You need to understand how the property lines up with your target customer, how you’ll fit in with the property’s other sponsors and how good (or difficult) they are to work with. Any or all of these can impact overall performance.

Again, this list isn’t meant to be an all-inclusive list or the right list for every business. Hopefully, it’s gotten you thinking about how you’re currently measuring your sponsorship ROI and given you some additional ammunition to answer the “$1 to spend” question the next time you’re asked.

This Is Great But How Does This Apply to the Property Side?

Having worked with hundreds of properties and reviewed thousands of proposals, I can probably count on two hands the number of times a property asked me about how we’re going to measure the results. By asking the question and gaining an understanding of exactly what the sponsor is going to measure, properties can help themselves by delivering the assets that are going to drive the best results for the sponsor. A sponsor that can point to a positive ROI on sponsorship spend is more likely to renew or increase their spend than a sponsor that doesn’t have any results to speak of. Just saying…

Thanks for reading. Now it’s your turn. What elements are you measuring to capture sponsorship return?

Market (Sell) Like a Rock Star!

kirk_wakefield 2013, Experiences, Lead, Luxury Suites & Premium Tickets, Marketing, Relate, Sell, Sponsorships, Tickets August 1, 2013November 2, 2018crazy, Grateful Dead, lead, Madonna, marketing, personality, rock star, Sales, Steve Jobs 0 Comment

by Lynn Wittenburg – August 2013

I got this headline “Market Like a Rock Star” in an email after I read the book Radical Marketing. They were trying to sell me a book about the Grateful Dead. No sale, but it caught my attention.

What if I really did market like a rock star? What would that look like? Here are four ways I’ve come up with so far. Feel free to tweet more to the list (@lynnwitt) or comment below.

1. Rock stars have larger than life personalities.

Most rock stars (think Ozzy & cats, Bon Jovi & hair, Madonna & sex) have VERY large personalities. Some trait or characteristic they exploit to the fullest becomes their trademark.

We can do that in sales & marketing. Figure out the one thing you can hang your hat on and roll it out big time. Go with the largest “personality” your company has. For you personally, what one thing do you want customers and colleagues to know you by? Don’t hope they catch it. Make it central to who you are and what you communicate.

2. Rock stars are considered crazy.

You hear about it all the time. Rock stars are nuts. Troubled. Deemed crazy. And in this case, usually they are.

But in marketing, we can be crazy in a good way. We can dare to do things that people deem unconventional. I watched an old video of Steve Jobs. The commercial at the end of the video is what sticks with me. Look at people like Jobs that the world called “crazy” and look at what they accomplished because they didn’t listen to the World.

3. Rock stars love what they do.

In Radical Marketing, the Grateful Dead talk about their passion for their music. They grew bigger than life but it was always about making music.

Do you love what you do in sales & marketing? Because if you don’t love it, how can you expect your customers to love it. Passion is contagious.

4. Rock stars dress the part.

When it comes to attire, rock stars GO BIG or GO HOME! When you are a rock star your “outfit” is as much of your personality as you are.

I attended an Aerosmith concert and Led Zeppelin opened for them. Those dudes STILL have the outfits, the beards and the long hair long long after they hit 60 years old.

When it comes to marketing your product, what is the packaging? How are you presenting it? Are you putting your best foot forward and giving your audience something to remember you by?

What about you?

Well, that’s it. I don’t want to be a ROCK STAR but I’d like to market like one. If you’re going to be a rock star in sales & marketing, what other tips do you suggest? Click the tweet button below and let me know (@lynnwitt)!

Photo cover thanks to KennySun. Led Zeppelin picture thanks to Jonathan Bayer.

Are you the best around?

kirk_wakefield 2013, Careers, Learn, Marketing, Sales Training August 1, 2013November 2, 2018best, culture, define value, goals, promotions, unique 0 Comment

by Jeff Eldersveld – August 2013

What does “best” mean?

The word “best” is interesting. While clearly defined in sports with crowned champions, MVPs, medals and trophies, the business side of sports is a little harder to understand.

Who is the champion of website marketing? What was the best in-game promotion?

Sure, there are awards for these types of things, but they are voted on by members within the industry – based more on gut and feel rather than stats and numbers.

If I ask you who’s the best hitter in baseball, you should reply with the league leader in batting average (don’t say Yasiel Puig!). If I ask you to name the best promotion in Minor League Baseball, you could reply with a variety of answers from Brittany Spears’ Child Safety Night with the Newark Bears to Free Gas Night with the Fort Myers Miracle. Different promotions are the “best” in their own unique way.

Best in class

A characteristic of the best salespeople and managers I’ve known is that they have a clear vision to be the “best” wherever they are. If people in this business are satisfied with middle of the pack or bringing up the rear, odds are it won’t be long before they’re realizing their vision of work somewhere else. Here are some tips that have helped me stay focused on the right path.

Define what value means to your organization–>especially your boss.

Not everyone has the same idea. You should constantly present data, statistics, or examples that prove your worth to the organization. For those already employed, this is a great way to solidify your position within the organization. For those seeking employment, this is a great way to get a foot in the door. Dan Migala, Founding Partner of Property Consulting Group, could not agree more:

“Iowa State University Associate Athletic Director, May Pink, just reminded me at NACMA this year that hiring decision-makers look for candidates that show they want the job the most. I think this is great, timeless advice. I would encourage any applicant to find multiple opportunities during the interview process to show vs. just tell why you want the job the most.”

Always encourage others. Go out of your way to compliment a job well done.

You can’t get anywhere in your career by yourself. The people who can propel your career development are the ones with whom you work most closely.

Take time to cultivate those relationships; it will strengthen the chemistry within your team and positively affect the culture within your organization.

The faster you embrace your company’s culture, the better, says Migala, “Understand that the culture and people you work with and learn from are more important than the logo on your business card.”

Be unique

You are your own person. “Be yourself, ” says Oscar Wilde, “Everyone else is taken.”

“Legendary Notre Dame SID Roger Valdiserri taught me early in my career that each person is the sum of their own experiences,” explains Migala. “The minute I realized this, I stopped trying to guide myself into the box of what I thought the industry wanted me to be and focused instead on carving my own path.”

Start now

So start being the best around. And if you are the best, share it. Shout if from the mountaintops, market the heck out of it, or more literally, leave your comments below. Remember, we make each other better. The worst thing that you can do is keep your “best” to yourself.