Buzz Marketing for Sports Events
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For sports event organizers from the grassroots to the
professional leagues, developing and maintaining a base of loyal participants
and spectators is a critical concern. Historically, sports organizations have
done little if anything to develop new sources of fan support and participation
in their sports events, relying instead on the afficionado to bring their
interest in a particular sport to bear on deciding where they'll spend their
discretionary income. Savvy sports marketers, however, are coming to realize
the importance of steering their constituencies and working to further develop
them. While a number of marketing vehicles can be employed for this purpose, one
of the most powerful tools is probably one that sports marketers oftentimes
overlook: word-of-mouth marketing.
How can sports event rights holders harness the power of one
of the oldest and most valuable forms of marketing available when working to
attract ticket buyers, participants, sponsors and media coverage? Event
consultant Susan Friedmann offers the following suggestions for "buzz
marketing":
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Brainstorm all possible groups of people who
might be interested in your event. Include people who aren't necessarily
prospective individual ticket-buyers, such as the media, corporate incentive
groups and sponsors whose products are compatible with the demographic that
your sport attracts. And be sure to consider Internet chat rooms and newsgroups
populated by people who are fans of sports or events that are similar to yours. |
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Develop a clear and concise message highlighting
the features of your sports event that can be disseminated to people who might
be interested. Zero in on the uniqueness of the event you're marketing,
including such aspects as its entertainment value and location. Also include
information on the destination's other attractions, ancillary entertainment and
other events tied to your main attraction. |
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Look at special groups to whom you might offer a
discount opportunity or special introductory offer to attend. Target groups
where the experience of having been exposed to your event will help spread the
word about not only the event itself, but your sports organization as a whole
and the other events you organize. |
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Offer prospective attendees an incentive to
attend your sports event by initiating tie-ins or giveaways. People often jump
at the prospect of receiving something free—such as a ticket to another event
or a product provided by one of your sponsors—even if it means they must
purchase a more expensive ticket first. |
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Use press conferences for major announcements,
but only if the announcement is truly newsworthy. A promotional announcement
with no real news behind it doesn't give editors or reporters what they're
looking for and may even result in them being less likely to cover your event. |
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Time a wave of word-of-mouth marketing for one
event to coincide with developments related to other events. Encourage your
staff and volunteers to talk up your event with people who may not be familiar
with it. |
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Friedmann encourages event organizers to think creatively
when it comes to tapping into groups of current or prospective fans. For
further information, visit Friedmann's Web site at www.thetradeshowcoach.com.
Effective marketing for sports organizations will be a topic
of discussion at TEAMS 2005: Travel, Events And Management in Sports, November
2-5, in Fort Lauderdale.
Presented by SportsTravel and
sponsored by Best Western International, TEAMS 2005 is the world's largest
gathering of sports event organizers and includes one of the fastest-growing
trade shows in North America. For complete
information on TEAMS 2005 or to register, visit http://www.TEAMSconference.com
or call toll-free (877) 577-3700.
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By Timothy Schneider, Publisher, SportsTravel Magazine
© 2005 SportsTravel Magazine
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