Houston Texans – BaylorS3E

Happy New Year! What’s New?

kirk_wakefield 2014, About S3, S3 January 1, 2014November 1, 2018academics, Academy, AT&T, BAV Consulting, Baylor, Dallas Cowboys, growth, Houston Texans, S3, Schlotzsky's, social media 0 Comment

by Kirk Wakefield – January 2014

We hope you like the new look of the site that allows us to feature the most recent articles on top and to randomly display some of the 110 articles written in 2013 by leaders in the sports sales industry. You can pull up any month’s articles from the Archive pulldown menu on the lower left or use the search function or navigation bar for topic or author searches.

Sales Industry Survey. Thanks to those who completed our 2013 sports sales industry survey! The NBA, among others, is helping us distribute league-wide. We look forward to sharing the overall results throughout the spring. The survey is still open if you or your organization would like to participate. Click here to take the S3 Sports Sales Industry Survey.

By the numbers.You helped us grow together in our inaugural year in 2013 to attract over 71,000 page views from over 10,000 unique visitors from 114 different countries. We began last January with only 75 of the Baylor S3 advisory board registered to receive S3 Report updates and one year later you have helped us grow to nearly 600 registered users. If you’re not yet registered, we’d like to know who you are–you can register here.[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”350px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Top Attractions in 2013

Posts with most views in 2013.

Three Steps to Creating an Effective Entry-Level Sales Contest (August 2013)
Which comes first: Happiness or success? (June 2013)
The Sales Commandments According to This Disciple (April 2013)
No more cold calls: Three steps to making informed calls and increasing close rates (May 2013)
Sales Training: How to Handle Objections (May 2013)

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Lead partners. This past year has also seen our corporate and team support grow for the Baylor S3 program and the S3 Report. These organizations are leaders who partner with us in the classroom offering dedicated projects for S3 students and also lead the way in financially supporting the educational process for students and the industry alike. We’re proud to include Academy Sports + Outdoors, AT&T, BAV Consulting, the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Phillips 66 and Schlotzsky’s in this group. If you are interested in supporting education with a gift to the S3 academic program which produces the S3 Report, you may do so here.

Contribute. The S3 Report is an open forum for exchange of ideas and best practices in sports sponsorship & sales. If you have ideas or interest in contributing content for the common good, please email here. The S3 Report offers you a way to give back to others by sharing what you’ve learned to be successful and to receive help from so many others who want the industry to grow. Maybe your article will be in the Top 5 in 2014!

How’s your sense of sell? Defining your personal brand

kirk_wakefield 2013, Sell, Sponsorships, Tickets July 1, 2013November 2, 2018bow tie, brand awareness, brand identity, brand loyalty, branding, Houston Texans, New York Giants, personal brand, signature 0 Comment

by Brian George – July 2013

Much of your personal brand is on display via social media, as Ken Troupe shared with us in Establishing Your Personal Brand and What does your Twitter and LinkedIn say about your personal brand.

John Maguire

Within the context of premium and corporate sales, let’s explore more what it means to establish and grow your “Personal Brand.” A large portion of what I’ve learned and applied through the years came through a workshop facilitated by John Maguire, Sr. Vice President of Corporate Partnership with the New York Giants.

What Makes You Unique?

At any given time in a market there are perhaps as many as 1,000 professionals selling marketing and/or advertising to your competition.

What are you doing differently than your competition to make “You” stick out from the competition?

My “personal brand” started innocently enough at a store with my wife four years ago. I happened to pick up a bow tie and asked her opinion. Her disapproving look was enough motivation for me to purchase said bow tie and wear it the next day to work. I happened to have a meeting with one of the most notorious “bully clients” in the city of Houston. When I walked in, he said, “I like the bow tie, it makes you different.”

From that moment forward the bow tie was a signature of my “personal brand.” So I ask you:

What is your signature?
When people mention your name in conversation what association is made?
When you walk into a meeting, what is your go-to opening that breaks down the wall of conversation?

Whatever you choose to be the signature of your “personal brand,” ensure that your promise, pricing and results are in line. It does you no good to have a signature only to have someone think of it in a negative light. Just like you protect the intellectual property of the company you work for, you need to have a constant understanding of how the actions you take with everyone around you affect your signature; that is, what you leave with them.

3 Brand Relationships

There are three types of brand relationships:

Brand Awareness: I know you exist.
Brand Identity: I know who you are.
Brand Loyalty: I like who you are.

One of the key takeaways of the workshop was: “Industry leaders make the effort to convert brand awareness and identity relationships into brand loyal ones by offering new and improved features of their brands.”

Assuming you want to be the best at what you do: Take a look at individuals who are probably loyal to another personal brand or know who you are–but aren’t buying. Come up with a tangible action plan to convert them to be brand loyal to your brand.

[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”lifted-both” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Your personal brand

The question is, “Who’s buying?” [/dropshadowbox]

Understanding that the world of selling premium products and sponsorships has evolved so much in the past decade, relationships are still the most important part of what we do.

My relationship with others is based upon their personal brand perceptions. The question is, “Who’s buying?” For personal and professional reasons, I need to be conscious at all times to represent my own personal brand as best as possible.

Social media in the NFL: Strategy and tools

kirk_wakefield Digital Strategy, Relate, Social Media March 1, 2013November 2, 2018brand, Facebook, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Instagram, NFL, San Diego Chargers, social media, twitter, what works best 0 Comment

by Nick Schenck – March 2013

At the Houston Texans, we publish content on three times as many platforms as we did in 2010. Through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Foursquare and Pinterest, we collectively reach more than 1.4mm fans.

We’re not alone in allocating resources toward social. McKinsey found that 39 percent of companies use social media as their primary digital tool to reach customers. Within four years it is expected to grow to 47 percent.[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-bottom-right” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]What works best?

The use of imagery. The rise of both Instagram and Pinterest makes it clear visual storytelling has to be part of our social strategy. Photos posted to our San Diego Chargers Facebook page see an astoundingly higher percentage of fan engagement than a typical text-only status update. We now make every effort to combine images with content in innovative ways to foster engagement on all social networks. It’s been said many times, a well-chosen image is worth a thousand words (or more).

Joel Price
Senior Manager
Digital Content
San Diego Chargers[/dropshadowbox]

Beyond creating a Facebook page and opening a Twitter account, though, what does it mean to have a successful social media strategy? Our social media strategy centers around our brand, our fans and, ultimately, increasing revenue.

Brand: Building an authentic dialogue with our fans would not be possible without a strong social media presence. We aim to reach our fans where they spend the most time online, and more than 20% of time spent online is on social media. Also, Mass Relevance shows that 62% of respondents are more likely to engage with social brands.
Fans: Creating memorable experiences for fans is among our biggest goals. Many fans will first engage with us on social media, so meaningful interactions are crucial. Fans today intuitively contact brands more via social media than through other channels like phones or e-mail.
- Customer service is key in this environment: Fans discuss our brand on social media whether we participate or not. To ignore that conversation would be a lost opportunity.
Revenue: The more value we create via social media the better. However, it’s important we remain credible to fans in the process. Running sweepstakes, publishing discounts and promoting exclusive player appearances are a few ways to generate value for sponsors and fans on social media. Also, we try to facilitate purchase decisions (i.e. merch, tickets, events) where possible. In many ways, facilitating the growth of a relationship is the purpose of social media. Why? Because the majority (54% according to this survey) indicate that “liking” a brand increases purchase intent.

Other than creating a strategy, I don’t believe there is a holy grail to social media. Since the beginning of advertising, the most effective brands have employed talented writers that know their audiences well and can communicate succinctly.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-bottom-right” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]What works best?

It’s all about the fans. It sounds cliché, but social media is connecting with our fans and providing content they want to talk about. We have tested various promotions, posts and tweets throughout the season. The common theme is : What would you tell a friend about?

Overall, we curate content from our site, games, and fan-submitted-content to share with fans/followers to reinforce passion for their team, the Green Bay Packers.

Garrison Cummings
Marketing Analyst
Green Bay Packers [/dropshadowbox]

Of course, the tools change. I recommend the free tools available to measure your efforts (see below). Better perhaps than other forms of media, digital media lends itself to testing and measurement. Find out what works for your brand and audience and constantly optimize.

Bit.ly: Use a URL shortener to track click-thrus and discover which content resonates the most.
CircleCount/AllMyPlus: The best measurement tools for Google+.
Hashtracking: Track impressions and the reach of specific Twitter hashtags.
PicMonkey: Images drive engagement on social media. Use this tool. It’s easier than Photoshop.
Statigram: Instagram is growing rapidly. Track your progress and identify your best content.
TwitterCounter: Measure your Twitter growth and compare vs. other accounts.

Leveraging digital marketing and media strategies

kirk_wakefield Digital Strategy, Sell, Sponsorships February 1, 2013November 2, 2018activation, Danica Patrick, digital, drive sales, Houston Texans, leverage, media, social media, sponsorships, twitter 0 Comment

by Anita Sehgal – February 2013

As organizations continue to utilize sports sponsorships and activation within their marketing mix, they are also faced with the ongoing challenge of ensuring activation is relevant, measurable and engaging for consumers.

Leveraging digital marketing and media strategies will enhance sponsorship initiatives in three ways:[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”curled” width=”250px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]

Expanding the reach of your activation to a broader audience
Extending the activation beyond the actual event time
Engaging fans in relevant and measurable experiences[/dropshadowbox]

At Academy Sports + Outdoors, we’ve found sharing content and generating exclusive content supporting the partnership is a great way to extend the reach of activation initiatives. Our long time partnership with the Houston Texans greatly evolved this year thanks to both teams’ commitment to digital integration within core sponsorship assets. Leveraging our shared fan bases on multiple social media sites, executing a calendar of content that engages Academy customers and Texans fans, and tailoring that content to the various social media platforms is a win-win for both of us.

”Collaborating with Academy on social media promotions this season, including promoted posts on Twitter, generated a lot of interest for our in-store player appearances and raised the profile of our partnership with Academy” says Nick Schenck, Houston Texans director of integrated media.

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“Through my partnership with Academy, we’ve probably had the most fun with the digital components of our relationship”, says NASCAR driver Danica Patrick. “I’ve live tweeted with their fan base from one of our TV shoots, filmed behind the scenes footage and shared workout tips for use on their tablet app. Academy supports me throughout the racing season and even helped me get voted NASCAR’s most popular driver in 2012. I’ve helped to support their annual fitness campaign and drive new followers and entries into their Pinterest contest through my social media sites.” [/dropshadowbox]All professional sports partners are constantly innovating new ways to provide fans with insider access, and we are always seeking additional avenues to drive sales, traffic and deeper engagement with our customer base. In many cases, we’ve found a way to meet both goals through digital only events, which are spontaneous and often only shared via social media. Digital-only events are easy to execute, low cost additions to any activation strategy that (a) expand the reach for partners and (b) create opportunities for content generation.

Sharing content with consumers before, during and after an event is a great way to extend activation length. Live tweets, contests, and appearances all generate opportunities for our team to capture unique and exclusive content making the activation more powerful. We also take the approach of supporting our partners in their key initiatives and ask they do the same in return.

One of the major challenges sports sponsorships often face is relevant, measurable activations.

Third party profiling, audience attendance and participation at an event or over a season are key measurements that marketers use to measure value. Digital marketing brings another key dimension to the table as sponsors are continually challenged to not only drive customer engagement but also measure the benefit. While traditional logo and designation rights support brand awareness and often brand affinity, social media and digital media integration into fan initiatives drives customer engagement and allows both sponsors and sports entities to assess value of shared consumer bases and engage directly with consumers.