by Troy Kirby
Part of sales culture in sport is activating the idea that fan support through membership is a necessary component of team success on the field and organizational survival off the field. It is also sending the message that, by treating the fan through the entire touch point experience in the stands, there is a further intimacy between the two constituencies. This translates into an economic financial support ecosystem which reflects on the field of play as well as the experience in the stands.
Touch Point experiences are one of the easiest ways for any club to initiate a great sales culture in sport. This is about creating a dynamic system of revenue generation through the experiential model of what the fan receives when entering the building. Consider that each touch point is not the same, but it's the engagement with the fan inside that fosters the possibility of a lifelong memory, enabling each member of the community who enters through the gate to build a connective moment with the organization.
Stadia Touch Points are, in many ways, universal. They rely on the fan experience to be engaged through brand ambassadors: ushers, ticket takers and other fans. It is how each fan is welcomed into mixed-use areas inside the stadium concourse, concessions, team store or reception areas, that help grow the experience. If the bathrooms are dank and dirty, instead of clean, welcoming and well-lit, the fan perception's of the entire game experience is changed.
The old sports franchise set-up of standard event presentation no longer works within the fan experience. It may have never been acceptable, but had permeated through the mismanagement of “gear heads” who simply thought people came to the game to view a game. That is rarely the case with fan experience. And the more is less marketing schemes in a stadium, replete with nothing but pipe organ music, tend to cost clubs more in revenue than they gain by eliminating the marketing expense.
This is where fan membership plays into the fan experience. There is more than a 12-15 match Rugby season, or 30-40 matches for soccer, or 81 games for baseball. This is about building a cohesive brand, an ecosystem where throughout the year, regardless of the time or event, the fan feels as if she is a part of the organization. The club’s sport executives should consider what can be done with an empty stadium in the off-season. The goal should be to envelop fans further into a lifetime commitment of support beyond just the days when the team plays its matches on the field.
The sport executive needs to rely more on the development of fan sport sales culture. Financially supporting the organization goes beyond merely attending the games. It is about creating and fostering a core meeting place where fans cannot see carrying on large portions of their lives without the surrounding environment. This means that the fan relates his lifetime experiences, personal relationships, and memories, around the sport environment.
Fan memberships extend this entire experiential process. The goal is for the fan to see the organization as a reflection of themselves, as stewards for future generations, as well as a key component to both the legacy of the stadium and backers of the club’s roster. This only occurs as long as there are connective tools, such as year-round experiences, during non-event dates, at venue. This is where the club, stadium and fan grow into a cohesive environment where they interact into a greater dynamic experience.
