Sports_Promotion

Introduction: Sports Promotion The role of a sporting franchise in promotion begins with their understanding of the individual fan. As such, it is imperative that any sports promotion plan be geared at clear communication with the fans in mind; “Communication is the foundation of all buyer behavior” (Irwin, Sutton & McCarthy, 2008, p. 13). Fans are constantly bombarded with advertisements telling them why they need to use their discretionary income to purchase a ticket. The snappy slogans and promotional items, when used correctly, will entice the average fan to purchase a ticket. However, there is a fine line for what is appropriate and what is effective. Fans are savvy; they have to be attracted to the promotions. “The recipients of a plethora of promotional content, today’s consumers have become very sophisticated about the type of messages that they will allow to affect them” (Irwin, Sutton & McCarthy, 2008, p. 27). For a franchise to be promotionally effective, the key is in having a detailed plan and goals in order to reach the fan. Promotional Strategies Promotional strategies vary from sport to sport and from franchise to franchise. Differences in fan bases and their desires exist between fans of football, basketball, soccer, tennis, etc.; as well as the world (US, Europe, Asia, etc). Promotional plans are primarily designed to increase fan attendance. “In order to increase the number of spectators coming to stadiums, it is significant for sports marketers to be aware of the factors that influence the spectators’ attendance,” (Fallahi, Asadi, & Khabiri, 2011, p. 159). A key component of marketing via promotions begins with knowledge of the fans and a system of analyzing their insights. With this knowledge, the franchise will be able to develop an effective plan to meet the needs of all fans. The promotions that the franchises employ will enhance the game day experience for fans. Various strategies have shown to be effective at increasing attendance. “People seldom attend events alone; therefore motivations such as companionship with friends and family members and other social motives have a role in increasing the number of people attending stadiums,” (Fallahi, Asadi, & Khabiri, 2011, p. 160). It is not often that a single person buys a ticket and watches a game. According to Irwin, Sutton, and McCarthy (2008), “Sport is not often consumed independently, as exemplified by the fact that less than 2 percent or those attending a collegiate or professional sporting event in the US attend by themselves” (p. 50). All fans have friends in their social circles: family, school, business, church, etc. Many good promotions and public relations campaigns are directed at spurring a positive image in the community and allowing for fans to share their experiences and thoughts regarding a specific franchise or organization. If the promotions specialist can entice one person of a particular group to attend, the chances of getting larger groups raises exponentially. Irwin, Sutton, and McCarthy (2008) refer to techtainment as the “use of in-arena technology designed to entertain patrons” (p. 55). When fans pay for the experience of a particular venue, they want to be awed and have their events be memorable. The stadium must also be a comfortable environment for each individual; each venue should offer various opportunities for the fan to enjoy the atmosphere. For instance, multiple concessions stands, plenty of bathrooms, merchandise point of sales, etc. ought to be accessible. In fact, many fans will not attend an event at a venue that they do not find attractive and will not offer the opportunity for a pleasurable experience. In their study on attendance at sporting events, Fallahi, Asadi, & Khabiri, (2011) reasoned “Stadium facilities (stadium beauty, stadium cleaning, stadium comfort, drink and food) were the most important factors (of fan attendance),” (p. 160). While the promotional specialist can only control certain pieces of the overall marketing scheme of a franchise; ownership can take the lead on providing the best team possible. Fans want to see the most competitive team, complete with star athletes taking the field/court each night. “When the quality of the team competition satisfies a spectator, he/she most likely will attend the future games of team,” (Aminuddin & Lee Hooi, 2008, p. 137). Promotional specialists will have an easier time in selling their team to the public with star power. Consider the impact of the Miami Heat signing 2 key free agents (LeBron James and Chris Bosh) and retaining Dwayne Wade to create the truimverate ‘The Big Three.’ What did the Big Three do to the desire for people to have season tickets' Habib (2010) considered it “immeasurable!” The tradition of the home city and how a franchise is judged is based on the demand for tickets and merchandise. If the promotional specialist can create the demand for their team, in conjunction with ownership, the team can basically sell itself. “Team quality is associated with the following factors: your team’s quality, good team performance, players’ loyalty to the team, star players, watching favorite players, and your team’s traditions,” (Fallahi, Asadi, & Khabiri, 2011, p. 160). It should be the goal of a promotions specialist to have fans derive a sense of achievement from their team’s success. “Spectators are often attracted to sport because of a related motive: their need to enhance self-esteem vicariously through the success of an athlete or team” (Irwin, Sutton & McCarthy, 2008, p. 48). When a fan can feel attached to the success of the team or the individual, they will also want to attend more games and feel more a part of the success. Via ESPN and other media, viewers have become well-informed fans who have not only pride for their favorite team, but also feel the wins and loses like they were actual players. “Those seeking affiliation with a team often endeavor to bask in reflected glory, drawing a sense or self-identification fro the teams notoriety” (Irwin, Sutton & McCarthy, 2008, p. 50.) Fans will attend sporting events in greater numbers when the promotional items and giveaways are well thought out. Spoelstra recommends that giveaway items be meticulously selected based on their ability to add “equity” to the sales price. By liquidating excess retail inventory and using items of financial value, the sports promotion specialist can fill more seats and not operate at a loss. According to Irwin, Sutton & McCarthy (2008), promotional giveaways are a high priority among team marketing specialists with respect to their ability to favorably affect attendance. Successful Promotions and Consumer Perception Sports fans may be loyal, but they are extremely fickle with regards to promotions. As previously mentioned, the framework that sports promotions specialist should follow is to help fans develop a passionate connection with the franchise which will lead to greater sales of tickets and merchandise. This will enable a franchise to develop a sense of rapport with their fan base. However, Irwin, McCarthy, and Sutton (2008) argue that caution is in order when the promotion departments become too reliant on such price-based incentives for the core product (tickets). By discounting the price at the gate, there is a possibility of diluting the image quality of the brand. Following a trip to the stadium, it will be apparent that the promotion was successful if the fan has a strong desire to attend again (purchase a ticket) or support (purchase merchandise) a franchise. A major purpose of promotions and incentives is to help fans identify with their teams and build passion for them. Ticket and merchandise sales are a direct result. Franchises collect revenue from the sales of team merchandise. Shirts, hats, jerseys, programs, etc. are the common products that are sold. This concept is known as “branding”. Brands seek to build levels of identification for fans who will proudly wear their favorite team prominently displayed on their clothing. According to Wakefield (2006), “Capitalizing on fan passion, the organization develops licensed merchandise strategies to satisfy fans’ desire to identify with the team and its players. Incorporating all of these components, fans feel like they are part of a fan community intimately connected with the team and other fans”. Clearly, ownership will be happy with this phenoma: passionate fans will respond positively by buying more of the brand. Consider arguably one of the most popular franchises in any sport in the world: the New York Yankees. A report in Street & Smith's “Sports Business Daily” showed the Yankees with a 25.4% of market share for on MLB merchandise. The equally popular Boston Red Sox were second with an 8.2% share. Quite a disparity for brand recognition! Further, fans who attend events and purchase merchandise will begin to identify with the team. According to Hirt (1992) identification is when an individual reacts to events that occur to the team or player as if the events happened to him or her. Most fans then consider themselves to be part of the team, referring to the players in the first person plural “we”! How do people in each state represent the local college or professional team' With passion! Coakley (2009) refers to this as BIRG “basking in the reflected glory” of their team’s success. These fans become walking, talking billboards; something that shows the true impact of successful promotions. Promotional incentives as part of an overall marketing strategy will enable sporting franchises to yield positive results. These schemes ought to be driven by consumer perception and using various strategies that ensure that the products and services being used are effective. The promotional specialist that realizes the fan’s desire to be entertained at the event, experience a competitive game/match, and uses valuable promotional items will be successful. Thriving in these endeavors will also result in greater fan appeal in merchandising as well as ticket sales. References Aminuddin, Y. and Lee Hooi, S. (2008). Spectator perceptions of physical facility and team quality: A study of a malaysian super league soccer match. Journal of International Studies, 8(4), 132-140. Boyd, T.C. & Krehbiel, T.C. (2003). Promotion timing in major league baseball and the stacking effects of factors that increase game attractiveness. Sports Marketing Quarterly, 12, 173-183. Coakley, J. (2009). Sports in society: Issues and controversies. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Depken II, C. (2001). Fan loyalty in professional sports. Journal of Sports Economics, (2)3, 275-284. Fallahi, A., Asadi, H, and Khabiri. M. (2011). Matches in iranian professional league within age groups. World Journal of Sport Sciences, 4(2), 159-165. Habib, H. (2010). Impact lebron james could have on heat, nba and south florida: immeasurable. July 8, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/heat/impact-lebron-james-could-have-on-heat-nba-792946.html Hirt, E. (1992). Costs and benefits of allegiance: Changes in fans’ self-ascribed competences after team victory versus defeat. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(11), 724-738. Irwin, R. L., Sutton, W. A. & McCarthy, L. M. (2008). Sports promotion and sales management Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Wakefield, K. (2006). Team sports marketing. Waltham, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.