• by Jon Last , Columnist, Yesterday

 Sports marketing has broadened to accommodate and attract coveted event enthusiasts, continuing a boundless pursuit of more casual fans, not long ago on the tertiary of the ecosystem. Alongside this, the core fan has become less of a focus, because of the belief that this segment lacks attrition risk. 

Yet, as I’ve often noted here and that assumption can be dangerous, particularly if the fan experience becomes too watered down or too weighted towards superlative hyperbole that ignores the root of the relationships forged between franchise and core fan.

I’ve often remarked that one of the joys of conducting marketing research for a living is the pursuit of truth.  It has become markedly difficult in these days of media polarization to discern fact from conjecture and to understand where the line should be drawn amid the abundance of aspirational confirmation bias that pervades discussion about the state of the American consumer. 

So, what are the present truths?  A popular theme of many of my recent sports industry presentations has been that we are in a time of hyperlocal marketing, so these truths may well have many contradictions.

Value vs Aspirational Experiences

A first important truth in today’s sports marketing is to understand the desired experience that a particular fan or attendee is seeking.  I’ve written often about our current K-shaped economy of “haves and have nots.”  And our data continues to simultaneously show a growing majority of sports event attendees who feel that they are being priced out of the market, while others on the upper arm of the K are spending it forward and looking to actualize with bigger and more exclusive experiences. 

Who are your customers?  There are clearly vast differences in what these different segments want and what type of messaging and amenities will be most resonant.

High Tech vs High Touch

The other big contradiction that we need to sort out is the extent to which our audience seeks technology-enabled, frictionless experiences versus a more coddled and personalized human touch.  There continues to be a relentless push towards all things digital.  It’s “progress” and “the future” and it’s ostensibly operationally more efficient.  But is it bringing joy and positive memories for your customer?

When I attend sporting events, I really appreciate automated agents, access via facial recognition and self-checkout concessions.  But right beside me is a long-term season ticket holder, feeling overwhelmed and disenfranchised by an inability to speak with a human being and exasperated by a requirement to download yet another app and enter a plethora of personal information to do things that not long ago involved simply opening a physical wallet and receiving personalized customer service.

Who are your customers?  What are their truths?