Couch Potato eats Live Stadium
Home v Stadium
Are you one those die hard sports fans that prefer watching
a cricket or footy game in the comfort of your own home? Well, while you think
you are sitting there alone, 57% of sports team’s fans are doing exactly the
same thing - watching games at home rather than attend a live sporting event
(Cisco survey of fans in US, UK, Australia & NZ).
Perfect Storm
For many sports fans the game experience is insufficient value
for their money. Put that together with
the fact that your teams sponsor is no longer satisfied with just naming a
stadium or its logo posted on the teams website. Sponsors now want more
engagement with the fans of the team. Your
sports clubs, teams and governing bodies are, therefore, facing a perfect storm
from both sides of the financial pool (or sea to keep the metaphor alive).
So, while you are watching
KFC T20 BBL cricket or the AFL or NRL from your couch, your favourite sports clubs
and teams are doing something about it.
What is the strategy you ask?
Brand Association
Thank you for asking – but in order to answer your very
insightful question I have to bore…I mean interest… you with a very short but
powerful fact. A JP Morgan Chase survey shows
that a fan will be more active in liking a brand if the brand is associated
with a team. It showed that 30% of fans
will go on to purchase a sponsor’s products because of that brands association
with the team.
Fan Engagement
Managers
This dilemma has led to some very positive outcomes. Job opportunities have arisen because sports
teams are now employing “Fan Engagement Managers” to drive not only membership
and attendance at a game, but also – and this is where you, the sports fan,
come in - to increase the fan engagement experience at every stage of the
journey from pre-visit to inside the match and leaving the stadium.
Fan Zones
What does that mean for you Couch Potato? You are now the focus of the whole game
experience. You are going to be getting
more bang for your buck. But you will have to get off your proverbial butt and
head on down to the sports stadium to experience this new Sponsor branded Fan
Zone which houses a number of fun and interactive sports games and activities
which are experiential and amazing fun for the whole family.
Giant Inflatables
Some great examples of the Fan Zones have been created by Giant
Inflatables who are the leading experts in sport activations, playgrounds and
installations that are fun for the whole family, allow for competition amongst
fans and increase fans skill levels and participation in the game before they
have entered the stadium.
Comments