Jon Last

Articles by Jon All articles by Jon

• The Case For In Person-Immersive 'Listening' To Understand Sports Fan Behavior in Marketing Insider on 03/12/2019
  

  In-venue observational research under trained eyes and with appropriate moderator interactions can capture emotional connections or frustrations in real time.

• Why You Should Care About Fan/Customer Intensity in Marketing Insider on 02/13/2019
  

  A sports talk radio debate about the importance of "fan attendance" versus "fan intensity" got me thinking about my long-held belief that pure reach is secondary to engagement.

• Finding Balance Between Serving Core Fans And Broader Market in Marketing Insider on 01/08/2019
  

  A marketing and activation plan focused on tertiary potential fans demands significant human and financial resources, while risking dilution of the core product,

• Double-Edged Sword Of Tech Innovation In Sporting Goods Marketing in Marketing Insider on 12/11/2018
  

  The pure science and engineering that go into product development often fly over the heads of target consumers, sometimes confusing them.

• Short And Sweet Analysis Needn't Be Short On Value in Marketing Insider on 11/13/2018
  

  How do we strike a balance between deep dives into data, versus soundbytes, when communicating research results?

• Fan Satisfaction: It's About More Than A Happy Face in Marketing Insider on 10/09/2018
  

  What's wrong with those 75 "Happy or Not" kiosks at The Wells Fargo Center as a way to measure fan satisfaction?

• Growth Strategy For Sports: Broaden The Experience While Maintaining The Core in Marketing Insider on 09/12/2018
  

  We've seen this consistently in a variety of sports venues that have emphasized the build-out of various interactive features and social spaces.

• Don't Leave Sports-Fan Sentiment Analysis To A Machine in Marketing Insider on 08/14/2018
  

  Machine learning, AI and web scrapers that identify language patterns are not a substitute for the human element.

• Access Gone Wild in Marketing Insider on 07/10/2018
  

  Adam Buckman's June 29 "TV Blog" post struck a chord with me in its assertion that the expression "breaking news" is perhaps the most overused terminology in today's 24-7 information overload cycle. I concur, and lament the fact that sports coverage seems to have also devolved into a similar battle for attention, that has resulted in a cacophony of sensationalistic, "supersized" reportage on the every breath of a handful of athletes. The noise is deafening, and may be doing ourselves as sports marketers more harm than good.

• Opening The Floodgates Of Legalized Sports Gambling in Marketing Insider on 06/12/2018
  

  In the middle of May, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the 1992 federal law that effectively banned commercial sports betting in most states, opening the door to legalizing an estimated $150 billion in annual illegal wagering on professional and amateur sports. As states contemplate their go-to-market strategies, bettors will soon have myriad legal options, beyond Las Vegas casinos and offshore wagering operations, leaving lots of "footprints" along the way.

Comments by Jon All comments by Jon

• More Americans Deem President Trump The 'Enemy Of The People' by Joe Mandese (Marketing Politics Weekly on 08/17/2018)
  

  Interesting, and one might say misleading, spin on the headline and lead, given that the incidence of those selecting the president and the media were statistically equivalent (the difference is within the standard margin of error).  To me, the more compelling take-away is that equal groups of those surveyed picked each choice, which shows the uncertainty and distrust of both.  To me (a former national president of the Marketing Research Association) without passing my own judgement on the topic, a survey like this seems leading and is only apt to fan the flames of divisiveness. I guess I'll stick to writing about sports marketing, but just wanted to level set from a researcher's perspective.

• 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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