running SPORT

E.

Sport Marketing

Ko taku rourou Ko tau rourou Ka ora te tangata

 Supporting Sport

The Hillary Commission is the public funding agency that encourages

New Zealanders to participate and achieve in sport, fitness and leisure.
We support around 100 national sport organisations and the 17 regional
sports trusts, encourage more people to be more active more often, help
athletes compete at top levels, and improve the way sport and physical
activity services are delivered.

We increase the number of people involved in sport and physical leisure

activities through Push Play, help people reach their potential and
succeed, and recognise the worth of coaches, sports officials and
2 volunteers of all kinds.

The Community Sport Fund, delivered in partnership with local

authorities, supports training and community activities in over 4,000
sports and active leisure clubs.

A special focus is giving young New Zealanders an active start to life.

Our programme, called KiwiSport, is a New Zealand phenomenon that
holds the key to our future as an active and sporting nation. KiwiSport
teaches primary school children a wide range of basic skills and
motivates them to stay involved in active leisure in the years ahead.
Sportfit is our programme for those of secondary school age. It
encourages healthy active lifestyles for people moving into adulthood.
Leadership, outdoor activities and fair play on and off the field are big
parts of our junior sport programme.

Hillary Commission programmes are supported by the NZ Lottery

Grants Board.

© 2001
The resource Running Sport is published by the
Hillary Commission for Sport, Fitness and Leisure
PO Box 2251, Wellington, New Zealand
Phone (64-4) 472 8058 Fax (64-4) 471 0813
info@hillarysport.org.nz
This resource is one of a series produced by the Hillary Commission for
Sport, Fitness and Leisure. Topics in the series include:

A. Legal Obligations of Boards

B. Strategic Planning

C. Policy Development

D. Financial Management

E. Sport Marketing

F. Public Relations

G. Recruitment and Selection

3
H. Volunteer and Staff Management

I. Strategic Leadership

The series targets board members and executive officers of national and
regional sports organisations. The topics were developed following a
needs analysis of the Commission’s client organisations.

Acknowledgements

The Hillary Commission thanks those from national and regional

sporting and leisure organisations who contributed to the development
of these resources for Running Sport 2.

Algate Enterprises - these resources are based on an original

product developed by Algate Enterprises.

Terry Kilmister

Richard Rudman

Glenda Hughes

Leslie Brown
 Strategic Planning
Contents page
Introduction 5
1. What Is Marketing? 6
— Marketing Orientation 6
— Activity – Where is your sport’s market orientation? 7
2. Marketing Mix – 5 Marketing Ps 8
How The 5 Ps Are Related 8
— Product 9
— Price 10
4
— Promotion 11
— Place 12
— Public Relations 12
2. Model For Developing A
Market Strategy 13
Analyse the Market 14
Step One. Study the environment and your position in it. 14
Identify and describe the stakeholder. 15
Analyse your current Marketing Mix 16
Step Two. Segment the Market 18
Databases 19
Step Three. Analysing the Competition 21
Sample Action Plan – Analyse the Market
Use this as a guide for your own action plan. 23
3. Prepare a Marketing Strategy 24
Step Four. Put together a plan. 24
Step Five. Monitor and Evaluate 26
4. Sponsorship 27
Sponsorship Proposal 28
Looking after Sponsors 29
5. Technology – Using The Internet 30
Sport and the Internet 31
Building and Retaining Traffic 31
Summary 33
Introduction
Sport is changing rapidly as it competes for the consumer
entertainment dollar and leisure choices become more varied and
complex.

Sport is different from the regular consumer products or services, such

as stereos and dental services, in that it involves people. And people are
inconsistent and unpredictable. This difference is what attracts people
to sport whether they want to play, have an official role in running the
sport, or watch from the sidelines.

5
Marketing sport is different from marketing regular products and
services, but some modern marketing techniques can be used in sport.

Effective sports marketing can bring many benefits. These include

raising awareness of the sport, persuading people to try the sport for the
first time or to switch from another code, build confidence, loyalty,
commitment and warmth, offer incentives and build knowledge.

Marketing can also influence tasks such as raising funds, recruiting

members, ensuring a positive perception and maintaining loyalty to a
sport. And there are benefits from marketing in attracting and
benefiting sponsors.

Before drawing up a marketing plan and programme, you need to

identify what you are trying to achieve. Do you want to increase
participation or to get bums on seats at games/events?

Have your purpose clear before starting to market your sport.

[This module on sports marketing is closely related to another in

the Running Sport series, Module F on Public Relations. These
resource guides should be read together for the best value].
 1. What Is Marketing?
Marketing is a process – it involves finding out stakeholder needs and
responding to them to achieve the best performance for your sport.
Marketing aims to build more awareness and loyalty with those you are
trying to serve.

Marketing should provide value for both parties and is most likely to
succeed when seen as a means of communication.

Marketing Orientation
6
Successful marketing programmes are market driven. In other words,
you must find out what your stakeholders want from their sport and
respond to those needs.

To be market driven means developing client information surveys,

including client information in planning and decision making,
investigating the competition and developing market strategies.

Benefits of being market driven are:

having an innovative and responsive organisation

keeping up with the competition

retaining full membership numbers

having a high level of involvement and loyalty by the consumers or

members – as a result of you listening and responding to their needs.

Challenges from being market driven are:

the time and commitment it takes to find out what consumers and
members want.

the result sometimes clashes with what you think they should want.

If your sport is not market driven, it will take time to change. You will
need to involve, encourage and advocate the consideration of the
stakeholder. Being market driven is an ongoing process - not just a one-
off activity.
Activity – Where is your sport in terms of market orientation?
Think about your organisation and rate it in terms of how market
driven it is. Use the following scale:

0% 100%
No consideration to the All decisions and actions
market in any decisions are market-driven
7

Now give reasons for your rating. Include descriptions of market-driven action:
 2. Marketing Mix – 5 Marketing Ps
The marketing mix combines the five elements of marketing – known as
the 5 Ps:

Product

Price

Promotion

Public relations

Place (distribution).

8
How The 5 Ps Are Related
Elements of the marketing mix operate as related elements.

An example. What is the potential public relations fallout from a pricing

error? And how can this be proactively dealt with through public
relations?

The related nature of these elements must be incorporated in a

marketing control plan. Sound control plans are a central feature in
successful marketing. They should be incorporated into the board’s
strategic plan and be consistent with the organisation’s mission and
values

Example of a control plan: A large sport has strict requirements for how
and where sponsor logos are worn on player uniforms.
Product
The product is the game or event itself – the sport. Sport has tangible
and intangible elements, which is what makes it a unique product to
market. The tangible elements include such things as the type of sport it
is, who plays – the participants, the make up of the team/s and the type
of competition. The intangible, and therefore subjective, are the
impressions, experiences and interpretations from participants and non-
participants.

Sport is inconsistent and unpredictable due to injuries, emotions,

momentum and the weather, all leaving the outcome uncertain.

The intangible elements that affect sport ensure that the contest is
9
different every time. These, in turn, impact on the excitement and
satisfaction experienced by fans (and participants).

Sport is subjective and based on the experience a person has in

sport. People see and interpret different things; other products are
not open to such a wide array of interpretations by their consumers.

Sport is a perishable commodity – it is produced and consumed at

the same time. Players, fans, officials, coaches and members all help
to create the game or event that they consume. Newspaper accounts
and videotapes give the sport a different life but sport is fleeting -
yesterday’s game, last weekend’s ski lift pass and last night’s court
time slot cannot be resold. You should not rely on gate sales for
revenue as they can be affected by weather and other factors. Pre-
sales guarantee minimum revenue.

Product Extensions
For supporters, sport also involves the venue, facilities, entertainment,
atmosphere, comfort and so on. These are known as product extensions.
Players will also consider other factors such as the type of competition,
physical considerations, other participants and social reasons. Other
participants, such as coaches and officials, will consider factors such as
type of competition, training available, support offered and social reasons.

The total package is a key to success and all factors should be considered
when planning.

Ensure that the marketing plan for these extras incorporates

considerations for the needs of all involved.
 Price
Pricing sport effectively is difficult and complex. Consumers make
decisions about whether to ‘buy’ the sport based on perceived value,
comparison with other competitive products, what friends think of it,
whether it is unique or a copy, and other factors. Players, coaches and
officials also have to consider the cost of their sport against the benefits
of being involved.

Consider these factors:

Like any business, sport has production costs – what it takes to put
the sport package together. Consider all of these factors when
10 determining a pricing formula or pricing policy.

Market research has found that price does not generally have a
major influence on the decision of the passionate consumer to attend
a fixture. But pricing must be in line with the pricing of other
similar events.

Consumers also equate price with value: discounted or free products

can be equated with little or no value, so run the danger of
‘cheapening’ the product. Consider this whenever applying a pricing
formula, particularly if you are thinking about offering freebies as
incentives.

Players, coaches and officials will weigh up the benefits of being

involved against the cost. Look at this from their point of view, and
think about what is in it for them rather than what is in it for your
sport/organisation. There are many competing leisure activities for
the active participant nowadays, so consider how cost might
negatively affect their involvement in your sport.
Promotion
Promotion is often seen as the exciting part of the marketing mix but
can be confused with marketing itself. This occurs because promotion is
the most visible part of the process. Promotion is often wrongly
portrayed as being advertising only.

The main aim of promotion is to inform those you are targeting

and to encourage involvement in the sport.

Sports promotion methods include:

advertising (print, television, radio, internet)

sponsorship 11

direct marketing

special deals

special packages involving other goods and services

pre-match entertainment

media

corporate boxes

merchandising (caps, key rings, collectibles, posters, clothing, etc.)

game programmes

meet-the-players days

exhibition games

old-timer days

autographed photos

competitions

coaching clinics.

[See Module F on Public Relations in this series for more detailed

information about public relations and promotions components
of marketing].
 Place
Place relates to where and how consumers buy the product (also called
the distribution function.) How do your target market get tickets or get
involved in the sport?

Your sport’s ‘place’ concerns the facility (location, layout, access, and
amenities), rather than the physical channels of marketing (wholesales
and retailers) which is primarily the sport spectator marketing area.

Public Relations
Public relations help determine the position of your sport: it is a long-
12
term means of building the desired image for your sport or organisation.
Public relations play a crucial role in the way your sport is received by
consumers.

Building good relationships with the media are vital in public relations.

[See Module F on Public Relations in this series for more detailed

information about public relations and promotions components of
marketing.]
2. Model For Developing A
Market Strategy
The marketing process needs to be managed. Information is the
foundation of successful marketing - particularly information about the
stakeholder. You need to know what your competitors are doing. You also
need to understand the sports that are complimentary to yours – are
there any benefits to be gained from working with other sports?

This section outlines a useful model for developing an effective

marketing strategy. Five steps in achieving this are covered in detail:
13

Analyse the Market

Step One. Study the environment your sport operates in and your position
in it. Do some stakeholder research to understand whom you want to serve
and their needs. Do you want to attract more players? Bring in more people
to watch the top game each Saturday afternoon? Study your own organisation
and analyse strengths and weaknesses.

Step Two
Segment the market. Be aware of each of the different groups with which
you will be interacting.

Step Three
Analyse the competition. What are others doing, what are your advantages
and disadvantages?
Analyse organisations you have an affinity with and consider joint strategies.

Prepare a Marketing Startegy

Step Four
Put together a plan. Develop policies, practises and programmes to achieve
the goals set in the plan.

Step Five
Monitor and evaluate.
 Analyse the Market

Step One. Study the environment and your position in it.

Understanding consumer behaviour is fundamental to marketing.
Sports consumption is complicated - watching and participating are
often intertwined.

Success will come from wide consultation, and from meeting the needs
of your stakeholders:

Do you understand the needs of those you want to serve/attract?

14 Start by knowing what stakeholders value and consider important.

Then communicate how you are going to meet their needs.

Don’t tell them things that you believe should be important.

The first step in defining your market is answering this question:

To whom do we have to market our sport and our strengths?
Identify and describe the stakeholder.
Understand and be clear about who you are targeting – potential or
current consumers (spectators) or active participants. Active
participants will include players, coaches, officials and administrators.
Consider all relevant social, economic, demographic and geographic
variables, which may affect stakeholder needs. The initial questions to
answer are:

1. What general information do you have about your stakeholders?

2. What current information do you have on New Zealanders who

participate in or follow your particular sport?
15

3. Who has access to this information and what is it used for?

4. What are the gaps in stakeholder information that you think need to
be filled?

5. What do your stakeholders need or want from your organisation?

6. How have the wants of your stakeholders changed since your

organisation or sport began?

7. What reasons have been given for stakeholders leaving or not

participating?

8. Who are your potential stakeholders? Who wants or needs the

service, but not in the way in which it is available today?

9. How many of your stakeholders also have an interest in another

leisure or sporting activity?

[See the database section of this guide.]

 Analyse your current Marketing Mix
To do this, answer these key questions:

Product
What is your core business?

What are the range of products and services you offer?

How often is the range of products reviewed and by what means?

How regularly do you monitor/evaluate the quality of these products

and services?

Price

16
What is the cost of your sport, including membership?

How does this cost compare to other sports or alternative non-sport

or leisure activities?

How have you arrived at these prices? (For example, historical,

market rates ability to pay?)

What ideas or practises/policies have you regarding a graduated

pricing system for spectators? Are there different rates for different
participant segments? Are there benefits for volunteers, such as free
entry to big events?

Promotion
For each part of your sport list the ways in which they are currently
promoted to the various stakeholders?

Have these strategies been developed as part of an integrated

promotional plan, or on a more arbitrary basis?

How often are these promotional methods evaluated and adjusted as

a consequence?

Does the promotion change if the on-field performance does not

match the promotional material?

[For more detail, refer to Module F on Public Relations in this

series.]
Public Relations
How is your organisation perceived by its different stakeholders?

Is this perception due to a carefully structured strategy, or is it for

reasons beyond the control of the organisation?

Are there any other organisations that could offer any of your
products or services?

Where are your products and services aligned? List like

organisations and like products and services and consider their
image (which by association will affect your image also).

Place
Are there any barriers to access? 17

[For more detail, refer to Module F on Public Relations in this

series.]

Questions relating to your organisation’s internal systems will also help

you to analyse your marketing mix:

Internal Systems
Who ensures that the work of your organisation is carried out (think
of all levels)?

What sorts of support mechanisms are in place to assist these people

with their work?

What ideas do you have for improving these?

Are the people in your organisation fully used in creative and

management decisions?

How are decisions arrived at in your organisation?

Are there any systems in place to allow for the flow of information in
and out of the organisation?

Are there any barriers to this communication flow?

 Step Two. Segment the Market
Segmentation means being aware of the different groups you are going
to interact with and targeting the groups you want to serve. When you
have different market segments, you go after them differently,
developing a different marketing strategy for each group. You should
develop and maintain a membership database for your information.

e.g. A low-income family with children will need a different

“recruitment” approach from the high-income single young person.

Sport takes in a wide market and consumer demographics can be as

broad as the general public. Making sense of this for your sport and
18
subsequently doing some effective market segmentation is important.

A public swimming pool is a good example to illustrate market

segmentation. The different users of a swimming pool are:

sauna and spa users

fitness programme participants

team sport members

competitive swimmers

children

parents with children

social clubs

learners.

From this example (that centres on participants) you can see how it is
possible to generate a list of sub-groups/special needs groups/
membership sectors that may exist within your consumer base.
To use this information to develop marketing strategies you will need to
evaluate how your services match your market. eg. If consumers living a
long distance away say they want the facility to be accessible, your
marketing strategy must explore ways of letting people know about
services such as bus routes/times and parking space.

The process must define the market – and the manner in which it is to
be satisfied. A season ticket holder is more valuable than a one-time TV
viewer, and should be considered as such.

Databases
Databases come in all shapes and sizes and are now usually 19

computerised. It does not matter what the database looks like – the key
is what it contains and how you use it.

Ask yourself: Have you got a useful database – or just a very expensive
mailing list? Is your database a marketing tool?

The first step is to define what you want your database to do:

Player retention

Segmentation

Identifying trends

Telemarketing

Internet marketing

Gaining revenue - sponsorship

Don’t assume that everyone on the database has the same needs,
interests and wants. Look to include segmentation variables in your
database - these will provide a mine of information about people as
individuals or as a collective group (or segment).
 The questions you asked from the earlier section regarding stakeholder
information will be relevant when developing an effective database. You
should also ask:

What information do you have on New Zealanders who take part in,
or follow, your sport?

Who has access to this information and what is it being used for?

How many of your members also have an interest in another leisure

or sporting activity?

From this, you can determine what information your database will
contain and how it will be used.
20

New Zealand has 150 registered leisure activities and more than 100
organised sports. All have databases of some kind, which usually feed
through the hierarchy of the sport or activity.

Sporting Databases:
Sports may be best served by a combined database operation, similar to
the SportPort concept that is being investigated by the Hillary
Commission.
Step Three. Analysing the Competition
Sports marketing is as competitive as sport itself. But the sports market
in New Zealand is a small one. Competition may come from other sports
and the many other leisure opportunities on offer. There are benefits to
be gained from analysing the competition and, increasingly, from sports
working together more effectively.

These benefits include:

Improving the quality of your service.

Picking up on new popular trends/innovations.

Avoiding duplication of services if the market cannot sustain it.

21
Staging co-operative events with other agencies – pooling resources,
running events together.

Pricing policies.

Identifying your strengths and limitations in comparison with

others.

Businesses constantly gather information and make comparisons with

their competitors. Examples include mystery shoppers, gathering
annual reports, brochures and information about new products, and
using industry networks. Sport can – and should – use similar
strategies. Answer these questions:

1. How much do we know about our competition or people who offer

similar services?

2. How do we find out this information?

 Sports are not always competing with each other for consumers or
participants. In many cases, the sporting environment is increasingly
co-operative - for mutual benefit. The potential for sport and leisure in
this area is enormous, provided sports are prepared to talk, build
relationships and work together.

The arts have long been operating successfully in a co-operative

environment when it comes to attracting the audience share. Opera does
not compete with ballet for an audience but only because they schedule
and package their events so that the audience can attend them all.

Sporting examples include rugby and netball working together when

22 scheduling Rugby’s Super 12 final and Netball’s Coca-Cola cup semi-
finals. These events were managed so there was not a clash over
television time or live audience.

Other examples are similar sports being curtain-raisers to major events

such as the Tall Ferns women’s basketball match versus China being
played before a Capital Shakers netball match – to promote basketball.

New Zealand’s major sports attract significant interest in NZ – rugby,

cricket and netball command large audiences. If your sport is not one of
these, it makes sense to check that your events or promotions do not
clash with these sports and their scheduled events.
Sample Action Plan – Analyse the Market
Use this as a guide for your own action plan.

Step One: Study the Market and your position in it.

Look back at the information you have gathered in analysing the five Ps and the
internal systems and note of further action you need to complete this analysis.

23
Step Two: Segment the market
Note actions you can take to further identify and respond to the needs your
organisation’s specific stakeholder groups.

Step Three: Analyse the competition

Note action you can take to gather or analyse information about your
competitors to improve your own service.

Further are there any co-operative actions you could take with your
competitors to improve your own (and their) sport.
 4. Prepare a Marketing Strategy

Step Four. Put together a plan.

Developing policies, practises and programmes targeted at satisfying
consumers and gaining their loyalty is essential for sport. Consider
carefully the information you have gathered, particularly the ‘wants’ of
stakeholders. Take time over this – it is tempting to assume that
information gathered confirms what is already being done (when it is
not), or that it is not so important (when it is!)

Marketing plans should be written, reviewed and revised regularly.

24

[Module B on Strategic Planning in this series covers goal setting so they

are mentioned only briefly here.]

Process for developing a marketing plan

a. Developing Goals

Responding to market demand with new goals and strategies must fit
into the mission and strategic plan of your organisation. It should also
fit the environment in which your organisation works.

Your marketing goals will show how you intend to stand out. Develop
marketing goals by:

Identifying how we put ourselves across to the stakeholder we want

to attract.

Identifying our uniqueness or competitive advantage/s.

Cultivating strengths and articulating them meaningfully to the

market.

Identifying needs which are not being satisfied.

Respecting stakeholder values and satisfactions, rather than

reflecting the executive’s or organisation’s own views and egos.
b. Identifying Objectives

Develop targets or results that focus on specific market segments, and

aim to reach the objective you have identified. These should be SMART:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Time – framed

c. Planning for Action 25

Illustrate how the objectives will be achieved. What marketing

strategies will be applied to reach these objectives? Consider resources,
skills, time and priorities necessary to achieve the objectives.

Who has to do what, when and with what results?

What tools do they need?

What resources are required to meet the goals?

How will progress be measured?

There is not much value in trying to attract different market segments

with the same approach. It is better to think widely while considering
the implications on resources and time.
 Step Five. Monitor and Evaluate
Developing ways to measure your progress is essential in judging the
success of marketing strategies. Consider these points:

How are you doing in relation to your timetable?

Set in place feedback mechanisms – is everyone doing what was

planned, how do they let you know?

Link the targets to clear and measurable outcomes – which have

been set at the planning stage.

Were the targets met or exceeded?

26
Developing Evaluation Processes

Consider the examples you developed for the action plan. Plan an
evaluation process for these based on the following table:

Evaluation:

What measure?

Who?

When?

How?

Interpretation of results?
4. Sponsorship
Corporate supporters (also known as sponsors) need to be encouraged or
convinced to buy or join up in the same way as other stakeholders.
Asking for sponsorship is not enough; you have to offer something in
return.

The benefits that sponsors are looking for will be different from those
sought by other stakeholders. Members seek immediate service such as
competitions and social activities. Sponsors, however, will want to use
the sport to promote its product to the market the sports organisation
appeals to.
27

Promotions should be pitched at highlighting the commercial value to a

sponsor: the more a sports organisation can attract an appropriate
market, the more attractive they will be to a corporate sponsor.

Sports sponsorship is the support of a sport, organisation, event or

competition by an outside body or person for the benefit of both parties.

Additional funds, or a wider market, are the obvious benefits to the

sports body. The benefit to the sponsor is often less tangible. The
sporting body usually makes the sponsorship approach, not the
potential sponsor. To establish what you could offer a potential sponsor,
consider the following:

name

image

goodwill

personality

symbols/logos

synergy

audiences

a market

heroes.
 Consider also the tangible benefits:

direct sales – exclusive selling rights

special offers to members

image building – naming rights

political benefit – opportunity to entertain business or government

clients

media coverage – indirect advertising

product demonstration – at events.

[For further detail about your image and media information, see
28 Module F on Public Relations in this series.]

Sponsorship Proposal
Once you have established what you have to offer, you will be able to
identify and target potential sponsors. These guidelines may help:

Define the market - aim to attract sponsors who may have potential
customers among your sporting market.

Don’t disregard the unlikely sponsor – some may not have an

obvious relationship with your sport, but others (‘eccentric’ sponsors)
may draw publicity.

Assess the images associated with current advertisers - there are

numerous opportunities through national or local advertising.
Review messages that potential sponsors are aiming to get across
and this may help you identify ways of putting together a proposal of
mutual benefit.

Use the Yellow Pages and newspapers - see which businesses are
advertising locally and who their competitors are so you will be able
to know the type and range of competitors you may be able to
impress as potential sponsors.
 Relationships Between Sports and Sponsors

Connect what you want to achieve with what the sponsor wants to
achieve – are you targeting the same market? Is there a link
between your aims for your sport or event and those of your
sponsor and their products?

Examples include Gilbert (Balls) and rugby league; Desso (artificial

turf) and hockey national squads.

Looking after Sponsors

29
Looking after sponsors is as important as signing them up in the first
place. A successful relationship with a sponsor builds a long-term
relationship so you do not have to keep seeking new sponsors.

Once a sponsor has been secured, you should have a plan to maintain
and develop the relationship and ensure you are delivering on any
promises you have made. Remember that a sponsorship proposal is
considered a legal contract and any failure to keep your end of the
bargain may not be viewed favourably.

The first step is to appoint an appropriate person to act as a sponsor

liaison. Their role is to make sure the sponsor receives maximum benefit
for their product and services. They will need to maintain close relations
and keep up to date with the sponsor’s own marketing initiatives.

To maintain and develop sponsor relationships, your organisation

should:

Send copies of reports, newsletters, photos etc as appropriate.

Seek their advice – they may have useful contacts and expertise,
which could benefit your organisation.

Make them feel wanted – provide them with tickets and so forth.
Keep them informed of match and event dates and times.

Send copies of all press cuttings and promotional material, keep an

up to date media clippings book – make it look smart and
professional.
 5. Technology – Using The Internet
The Internet satisfies the human hunger for information and instant
gratification. It crosses geographic and industry borders. As a marketing
tool, it has special and unique uses. It makes sense to use it!

In 1993 the world-wide-web did not exist; in 1998 there were 113 million
users; today the number is estimated to exceed 160 million. In developed
nations 10-15% of adults are a consistent user of the Internet. New
Zealand’s rate is greater than 15%.

Consider these points:

30
The Internet is a gateway into the very heart of the organisation,
event or business. Because the recipient controls the receipt of the
content, sports/organisations need to consider carefully the way they
release their information and make sure it is easy to access.

Marketers should grab the opportunity to communicate their

messages to consumers and participants on every medium available.
The Internet has the potential to change the business dynamics of
sport along with many other sections of society.

The Internet allows two-way communications; it allows us to track

people’s activity and behaviour. A user leaves a fingerprint in the log
of the server - these fingerprints can be tracked – how they got there,
what did they do when they arrived, what they looked at, what they
bought and where they went afterwards. With this information it is
possible to target these potential consumers’ future movements with
messages and activities we know they want.

The Internet gives us the ability to communicate to many people as

individuals. This opens up opportunities for market segmentation
and highly focused communication.
Sport and the Internet
Sport, with its universal and ‘tribal’ nature, can thrive in this Internet
age. Sport for many is a passion, and divides us (for better or worse)
along tribal lines. Sport pervades the online space even more
extensively than it pervades the old media.

More than 30 sports websites have more than one million visitors every
week. The key difference between the online world and other media is
the availability of the Internet – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days
a year.

This availability allows sports to do more than provide information.

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They can build intimacy – a sense of belonging and participation with
the consumer/audience. Sports can build a community around the
content, allowing the audience to interact within that community. The
ultimate goal is to give people the sense that they are actually involved
in the sport – from observation to participating.

Building and Retaining Traffic

The quality of the information is essential in attracting people and
keeping them coming back for more. Also vital is the ease of access.
People won’t spend hours trawling through irrelevant information to
find what they want. If they can’t find what they want easily, they will
give up and go elsewhere. Once you have someone on line, real effort
should be put into retaining their attention and making them return
again and again….
 tips for setting up a (sports) website?

examples of good New Zealand sports websites? – coming from Carl.

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Summary
Sport, with all its colour, drama and tension, has plenty to offer
consumers in the race for the entertainment and leisure dollar. But it
can’t just sit there. It has to give people a reason to play, get involved as
an official or volunteer, or go along to watch. In other words, sport has to
market itself.

Effective sports marketing can bring many benefits. These include

raising awareness of the sport, recruiting new members, raising funds,
signing sponsors, building a positive image and maintaining loyalty
among members.
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The module has outlined some strategies for effective sports marketing.
We suggest it is used in combination with the Public Relations module,
which includes a detailed section on media management – one of
modern sport’s most useful marketing tools.

The key to successful sports marketing is identifying what you want to

achieve, then establishing a clear plan for reaching those goals.
Attracting people – and keeping them interested – will be one of the key
challenges of the next decade. Those who listen closely to what people
want and go about responding to these needs will be the winners. The
rewards are there for those who go after them. Good luck!