Transcript:

In sports, success is achieved more than just on the field but also off the field. Therefore, strategic optimization of commercial activities throughout the sports club's annual cycle is necessary. By aligning all efforts with the different phases of the annual cycle, clubs can capitalize on opportunities and drive value creation. So in today’s episode, we are discussing the different phases of a sports club’s annual cycle and the type of commercial activities that can be leveraged in those phases to drive revenue, fan engagement and maximize long-term success.

So the five phases we are talking about are: pre-season, season, season breaks, playoffs, and post-season. Now of course this looks different depending on the type of sport your club is active in and the region of the world you play in, however, there is plenty that you can take from this episode and apply to your individual case.

Let’s talk about the pre-season first, this is the period of time immediately preceding the main play season. In this stage, it is crucial that you set the tone for the season right by getting your fans fired up! Sports clubs must focus on key initiatives such as targeted campaigns for the season. Examples of these can include, birthday campaigns for those celebrating their birthdays on any of the match days. You can give fans who buy tickets and have their birthday on the upcoming match day a voucher to buy merchandise online and/or food and beverages in-stadium.

Another example of pre-season targeted campaigns is offering upgrades to your most loyal fans. Not all fans can afford a season ticket. But if you notice that certain fans have been consistently buying general tickets to individual matches, why not offer them an upgrade at a discounted price? Speaking of season tickets, this is the time to run campaigns to the right supporters to ensure that you sell those out as quickly as possible.

The key is to ensure that you are laying the groundwork for the most successful season you could possibly have. 

Now on to the season - this is the longest and most intense part of a club’s annual cycle. During the season, sports clubs have a prime opportunity to capitalize on match-day revenues and maximize sponsor activation. Instead of just dumping tickets on your website and through social media, once again, targeted campaigns are necessary. More so because, once the game is played, you cannot sell tickets to that game ever again. So a missed opportunity here can have huge repercussions on revenue outlook.

This is the time to ensure that you are selling out all your tickets. You can do this by:

1. Creating granular segments of fans that you can target with the relevant ticket type - e.g. family tickets, general tickets, VIP tickets
2. Running last-minute campaigns to ensure that any empty seats you might have been sold
3. Sending out merchandise and food and beverage vouchers to the supporters who have bought tickets
4. Creating special offers that you send to supporters who are about to churn - that is supporters who have not bought tickets for an extended period of time

Apart from ticket sales and food and beverage sales, another revenue stream can be sponsor activation offers and programs. For the highest return-on-investment for your sponsors, you have to:

1. Place the right sponsors in the right stands - e.g. if stand A is where most families are seated, that is where you should place your family-friendly sponsor. This will brand awareness for your sponsor and encourage fans to buy. Never underestimate the power of placing the right message in front of the right audience.
2. Send relevant campaigns to the relevant supporters prior to the game - a typical example of this is running competitions. You encourage fans to buy tickets and engage with your sponsor's content in the hopes that they can win something worthwhile.
3. Create immersive match day experiences for fans in partnership with your sponsors. This can look different depending on the type of fan you are targeting. A simple example is face painting for kids. 

So far we have mentioned VIP supporters, segments, supporters who are about to church, families, and so on. But how can you accurately find these segments? By using a Customer Data Platform, and not just any customer data platform, a Sports Customer Data Platform. Sign-up for our demo today to find out how you can do all this and more. Join us again next time as we go through the rest of the three seasons of a club’s annual cycle and give you inspiration for other activities you can undertake during those phases for maximum revenue, fan engagement, and long-term results.