My background has always been in entertainment, hospitality, and events. So I find myself reading the sports business press and the sports press with an eye towards how to improve the fan experience.
And, as has become a constant refrain, attendance is down in most sports and fans are finding that it is better to stay home and watch games from their living rooms.
So…the value proposition has to be shifted so that fans feel more engaged at the ballpark. Going to the game isn’t enough anymore for the modern fan.
Here are 3 ways I think you can shift the value proposition for fans, so they see the investment of time and energy as a positive and come to the ballpark instead of staying home or going to a sports bar.
1. Atmosphere is key: When teams moved away from all purpose stadiums that could host most any events, certain things were viewed as positives about the shift…sight lines, improved amenities, etc. In other words, an improved atmosphere. Now as the new car smell has worn off and fans aren’t as impressed with just going to the game, teams are faced with creating an atmosphere that will bring people to the stadium.
How can this be achieved?
In Seattle, they have the King’s Court. That’s unique to Seattle. In Seattle, they also have the 12th man. Again, unique to Seattle.
But the common theme here is that you want to create an environment that is unique and that can’t be matched at home, watching it in your boxers.
2. Get to know your fans: Big Data is huge right now. Data will save everything, seems to be the mantra. But, the getting to know your fans I mean is different.
When I lived in Seattle and owned Sonics season tickets, the Sonics took a great deal of time getting to know their fans. It was like going to the corner store, when you would go to the games you would see the ticket rep you dealt with, a fan engagement person or two that you had been involved with, and over the course of the season, met and were actively engaged with other season ticket holders.
Another example, I used to go to a lot of Mets’ games and every game the same gentleman showed me to my seat. Over the several years that I went the Citi Field, we knew each other and we would ask about our families and how things have been. In other words, we had a connection that went beyond just I bought a ticket and I am going to sit and watch a game. I felt like part of a community.
So the key here is to create a form of community and get to know your fans.
3. Remember that the event includes everything: When I talk to clients about events, sports, entertainment these days…I like to refer them to my thinking on marketing, which is that marketing is everything about your product, service, and company.
In regards to fans of your band or team, remember that everything is important. When you have a band or a team, you aren’t trying to make a one time sale. You are trying to create loyalty for life. Look at some really great examples like Pearl Jam, REM, or Bruce Springsteen in music. Or, if you want to look at sports, teams like the Steelers, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish are exceptional at creating lifelong fans.
To use the example of Pearl Jam, they started thinking about their fans and putting their fans first very early on. Their fan club allows them to sell out any tour almost instantly.
But it starts at the beginning with the connection to the music, flows through the fan club, or the fact that Pearl Jam goes out of their way to control their ticket sales so that they can make sure their fans are treated with respect…and concludes with their ability to extend the feeling by selling bootlegs and having live shows on their website and Sirius channel.
In the act, they control as much of their fan’s experience with the band as can be reasonably expected.
In the case of building a fan base that comes back for more and more…you can do a few things:
* Work to educate the fans about what the season ahead is going to look like. Don’t just release the schedule, but go the extra step of highlighting likely match ups, giveaways, how the game can function as a piece in a larger set of events during a period of time.
* Communicate with your fan base a little bit more. Fans are making an emotional investment in your team. So share with them. They are more than just consumers, they are also brand ambassadors and evangelists.
* Make the ticket purchasing process pain free and as simple as possible. Too much time invested on registering, re-registering, waiting for tickets to be selected, etc…and you start making a fan think about other things they can be doing.
* Atmosphere!
* Follow up after the game…not just with thank you for coming to the game. But find something that you can offer to get them to come back. Find ways to engage the areas that they most enjoyed about a day at the ballgame and extend that feeling.
This is sort of long and not laid out in a normal, outlined manner, but I was thinking about this.
What do you think about these things?