Jon Last

Articles by Jon All articles by Jon

• Optimizing Fan Experience: Lessons From An Afternoon Of 'Horsing Around'  in Marketing: Sports on 07/11/2017
  

  As a marketing researcher, I enjoy learning thing and observing my environs, even when "off the clock." I've never been shy about intertwining personal time with my chosen profession. That's partly why I love going places, whether it's to all 30 current MLB stadiums or 45 of 50 states. I continue to relish as much time on airplanes as my stamina and family will allow.

• Don't Rain On Our Parade! in Marketing: Sports on 06/13/2017
  

• A Tipping Point For The Era Of Custom Content  in Marketing: Sports on 05/09/2017
  

  One hundred audience-facing jobs weren't the only things lost, with the recent bloodletting at "The Worldwide Leader." We've heard for years in other verticals, that marketing to "the segment of one" is a fast approaching reality.

• Should Promotion Of 'Young Stars' Really Be Baseball's Differentiator?  in Marketing: Sports on 04/11/2017
  

  Longtime followers of this post know that when it comes to baseball, I'm kind of like the old Sy Sperling, Hair Club for Men commercials, where he implored, "I'm not just the hair club president, I'm also a client."

• Finding A Balance Between Innovation And Pragmatism in Marketing: Sports on 03/14/2017
  

  As marketing researchers, a good portion of our work involves being "informed pragmatists." By definition, we are tasked with questioning things, being skeptics and trying to separate fact from conjecture.

• Give Your Property Or Client A Brand Audit For Valentine's Day in Marketing: Sports on 02/14/2017
  

  On a day where we are supposed to recognize and appreciate what makes our loved ones special, it strikes me that sports marketers should pause to do the same for their clients or properties. Hopefully, we all subscribe to the truth that a fundamental strategic function of sports marketing is to properly align brands and properties that "fit together."

• Beware Of Echo Chambers in Marketing: Sports on 01/10/2017
  

  In today's world, we are inundated with incessant chatter, be it social media rants by friends, celebrities or athletes on Instagram or Twitter, or even special interest media outlets. By choosing to follow specific individuals, brands, or news stations, we are apt to surround ourselves with others whose opinions are similar to ours. These "echo chambers" can reverberate and reaffirm what we believe, and it's easy to lose oneself in the perception that these opinions are surrogate for those of a larger and more representative population.

• Drivers Of Activation Efficacy: A Researcher's Perspective  in Marketing: Sports on 12/13/2016
  

  One of the more enjoyable aspects of my job is that I get to see a lot of onsite sports marketing activations from multiple perspectives. As a researcher, I have the privilege of observing the "rubber hitting the road" on these programs through my own eyes as well as through the lens of the target audience. Efficacy testing is an important element of any sponsoring brand or property's ROI/ROO measurement.

• Wish I Had This When I Was A Kid-Huge Potential For Ivy League Sports Marketing in Marketing: Sports on 11/08/2016
  

  This being election day, I am going to resist the urge for political commentary, and strive to provide a needed diversion. In fact, the only political connection to today's posting will be a couple of interesting statistics about the Ivy League, from which one-third of all United States Presidents including the past four, and both of the major party candidates in today's Presidential contest hold a degree. And while Ivy League graduate success as professional athletes has paled in comparison to that of other major conferences, I couldn't help but chuckle when Chicago Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler, asked last week about what might have happened had he attended Harvard rather than gone on to University of Miami, responded that he probably would have wound up in the Cubs' front office.

• Sports Marketing's Magic Bullet: Creating 'Two Percent Moments' in Marketing: Sports on 10/11/2016
  

  A mentor and former boss once framed a wonderful metaphor in urging me and others in our organization to strive for greatness. He spoke of creating "two percent moments." It's something that all sports marketers should think about in designing the most impactful activations and touch points, but, as I'll elaborate on, only if done in a pragmatic and customer-centric way.

Comments by Jon All comments by Jon

• Goodbye To Surveys For Companies That Mine Social by Karl Greenberg (Marketing Daily on 01/02/2013)
  

  ....And "Web MD" meant the end of going to doctors?! I fully appreciate the sensationalistic spin of the headline and lead, but as a former national president of the US Marketing Research Association and head of a full service marketing research company, I take real exception to the assertion of this piece that formal research is defunct. We're fully engaged in social media sentiment analysis as a powerful "directional" feedback lever. It is but another tool in the qualitative research tool kit. But to eschew the necessity of careful sample design and management, the deployment of rigorous analytics that cut through the noise and the construction of sophisticated methodologies that derive embedded belief systems and perceptions rather than the rantings of a self selected vocal minority is as sure a recipe for insight disaster as it would be to self prescribe disease treatment. Please embrace social media analysis, but let's save the eulogies, please.

• Frugality, Authenticity ... And Luxury by Bob Deutsch (Marketing Daily on 09/25/2009)
  

  Nicely done...and very consistent with much of the research that we are doing within the "affluent" community. What Bob is describing is in lockstep with what we've seen among the cohort of affluent Americans aged 39-49 (we call them the sandwich generation..wedged between easy boomer or gen x definitions and with values of both groups). These folks are now factoring in this zest for authenticity with a scaling back of conspicuous consumption, heightened child-centricity and a "survivor's guilt" that has created new marketing challenges (and opportunities) for a number of luxury brands and services. Happy to forward a piece that I authored on this, to any who are interested. It's also on our website (www.sportsandleisureresearch.com)

• Consumer Insights That Don't Cost Much by Dianne Admire (Marketing Daily on 02/11/2009)
  

  While I can certainly appreciate the desire to find cost efficiencies in a challenging economy, recognize that the old adage, "you get what you pay for", certainly applies with do it yourself marketing research. As the current national president of the Marketing Research Association (MRA) and the owner of a full service research firm that strives to deliver exceptional market insight at fair pricing, I have to caution organizations that try to cut corners in gathering consumer feedback to make business decisions. Good marketing research is a combination of art and science. MRA has rigorous educational offerings for its members and has established the only accredited certification program in the industry. Professional researchers understand the pitfalls that do it yourself efforts often fall prey to. Professional researchers know how to ask the right questions that get at true insight, in the proper contexts and environments that bring real feedback (rather than just the answer your customer might think you want to hear). They can properly identify representative rather than convenience samples, and even more importantly apply analytical techniques that get past the "obvious" and identify true opportunities to build a business. Garbage in equals garbage out. Caveat emptor! Jon LastPresidentSports and Leisure Research Group914-358-3558jlast@sportsandleisureresearch.com

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