Showcasing Sports Facilities

Showcasing Sports Facilities:

Creative Marketing Strategies and Best Practices for Sports Media Companies

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Unit 1

The Fundamentals of Sports Facility Marketing

Unit 1

The Fundamentals of Sports Facility Marketing

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of sports facility marketing.
• Learn to craft compelling stories that resonate with target audiences.
• Develop and implement a marketing strategy for a sports facility.

Scenario:

Imagine you are part of a sports media company tasked with creating a comprehensive showcase of a newly renovated sports facility. Your goal is to highlight the facility's state-of-the-art features, historical significance, and the overall experience it offers to athletes and fans.

1.1 Introduction to Sports Facility Marketing

Introduction to Showcasing Sports Facilities

Inside a Facility

First, let's think about your own experiences with sports facilities. Click through the images to see popular areas people enjoy in collegiate athletic facilities.

1.1 Introduction to Sports Facility Marketing

Introduction to Showcasing Sports Facilities

Marketing a Sports Facility requires us to understand key marketing concepts to ensure its effectiveness. Read below for these five fundamental ideas:

VALUE PROPOSITION

TARGET AUDIENCE

BRANDING

ROI (RETURN ON INVESTMENT

ENGAGEMENT

A value proposition is a statement that highlights the unique benefits a sports team, event, or product offers. It emphasizes the emotional experiences, community engagement, exclusive offerings, and brand values that set it apart from competitors and fulfill the specific needs of fans, sponsors, or athletes. Key components of a value proposition in sports marketing might include Emotional Experience, Community and Engagement, Unique Offerings and Brand Value.

A target audience is a specific group of people that a business aims to reach with its products, services, or marketing efforts. This group is defined by various characteristics such as demographics, interests, behaviors, and needs. Understanding the target audience helps businesses tailor their messaging, product development, and marketing strategies to better connect with the people most likely to be interested in what they offer.

Branding is the process of creating a unique identity for a company, product, or service in the minds of consumers. It involves developing elements such as a logo, name, color scheme, and messaging that reflect the core values and personality of the business. The goal of branding is to differentiate a company from its competitors and create a consistent image that customers recognize, trust, and feel connected to.

In sports marketing, ROI measures the financial return or value generated from marketing activities related to sports, such as sponsorships, advertising campaigns, or events, relative to the costs incurred. It helps determine whether the money spent on these marketing efforts is yielding a positive return in terms of revenue, brand exposure, fan engagement, or other business objectives. ROI in sports marketing helps assess the effectiveness of campaigns and guide future spending.

Engagement refers to the interaction and involvement that an audience has with a brand, product, or content. In marketing, it measures how actively consumers participate in or respond to a brand's messages through actions like liking, commenting, sharing, or attending events.In the context of sports, fan engagement might include attending games or interacting on social media. The goal is to build a strong connection between the audience and the brand.

1.1 Introduction to Sports Facility Marketing

Introduction to Showcasing Sports Facilities

Branding Excellence

Shaping the Future of College Sports

The five key marketing concepts all work in unison and will help you to cultivate your facility marketing strategy at the end of this course. Read the article below to discover a real life example of how strategic and creative stadium branding can forge a unique identity for college sports, captivating students, alums, fans and recruits.

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Knowledge Check

The Fundamentals of Sports Facility Marketing

Knowledge Check #1

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1.1 Introduction to Sports Facility Marketing

Introduction to Showcasing Sports Facilities

An Eye for Storytelling

Now let's practice developing our eye to identify how the marketing concepts are brought to life through creative storytelling. In this video, you'll see how the interviewers of Sports Dissected, take you through the facility of UNC Football. Look for unique storytelling pieces in the video that make the UNC Tar Heels' facility stand out from others.

1.1 Introduction to Sports Facility Marketing

Creating an effective S.W.O.T. Analysis

S.W.O.T. Analysis

Opportunities

Strengths

As an initial step in the marketing strategy there's one important process that needs to take place and that is creating a S.W.O.T. Analysis which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Think of a S.W.O.T. Analysis like a yearly personal health check-up you take at the doctor's office:

Similar to advice from a doctor on how to improve health (e.g., exercise more, eat better), SWOT highlights external opportunities that can benefit your business.

Strengths: Like identifying areas of good health (e.g., strong heart, good stamina), you identify what you're doing well in your business.

Threats

Weaknesses

Just as a check-up might warn of potential health risks (e.g., family history of disease), SWOT points out external threats that could impact your business. Both processes provide a clear, holistic view of where you stand and what you can do to improve or protect yourself in the future.

Just as a check-up reveals areas needing improvement (e.g., high cholesterol, poor flexibility), SWOT identifies internal challenges or areas of weakness in your organization.

Activities

Now it's your turn! Think back to the initial scenario we thought about at the beginning of this course. Today you will Imagine you are part of a sports media company tasked with creating a comprehensive showcase of a newly renovated sports facility. Your goal is to highlight the facility's state-of-the-art features, historical significance, and the overall experience it offers to athletes and fans. Click the activities below, in order, and together we'll create the foundational pieces for a compelling and engaging showcase of your favorite facility.

2.Storytelling

Click for Instructions

1. SWOT Analysis

Click for Instructions

Lesson learned!

Gear Labs

The creative ways sports display their game day apparel are endless and reflects the brands style like a fashion show! Innovative gear labs can showcase:

• Endless shoe variations
• Technology that allows athletes to try on different outfit combinations by uploading a photo
• Sports equipment at disposal.

Threats

Contextualize your topic

• Plan the structure of your communication.
• Give it a hierarchy and give visual weight to the main point.
• Add secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow through the content.
• Measure results.

Indoor Practice Fields

Indoor practice field have become vital to college athletics programs giving athletes optimal conditions to be supported in their training, performance and recovery. Some of the benefits of an indoor practice field include:

• A place to practice all times of the year despite the weather conditions.
• Can include amenities like nutrition, strength and conditioning, rehab, and recovery all in one place.
• Allows teams to work on plays and strategy in a private setting, separate from games.

Opportunities

Contextualize your topic

• Plan the structure of your communication.
• Give it a hierarchy and give visual weight to the main point.
• Add secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow through the content.
• Measure results.

SWOT Analysis

Create your own SWOT

In this activity, you will complete your own S.W.O.T. Analysis for your favorite sports team. Refer back to our lesson on this subject in case you forget anything.Minimum requirements:

• There should be four aspects for each section of the SWOT graph.
• Use complete sentences.

Download SWOT Template here

Locker Rooms

Incorporating features like LED lighting in school colors, school logos on furniture, and custom carpeting can foster school pride. A team with a strong locker room brand might also create designated areas for post-game celebrations, player awards, special guest visits, or coaches’ speeches, enhancing the overall experience. Today’s collegiate locker rooms often double as lounges, study areas, and meeting rooms. Crafting a comfortable and visually appealing space encourages players to spend time together, fostering camaraderie among teammates and coaches.

• Portable charging stations.
• Mood changing lights.
• Surround sound speakers.
• Adjustable locker room seating.
• Personalize placards that display a player’s number and nickname for them to take home after graduation.

Unique Storytelling Angles

Storytelling is the star of the show when it comes to great branding and marketing strategy. First, check out the video for a deeper look into how storytelling is cultivated in sports. Then you'll tell your own story with your chosen sports team. Yes, you will be an author today writing your own narrative in detail and flavor! Okay so maybe not a story, but a storyboard document.

Fill Out Storytelling Elements Here.

• The story should be one page.
• Include unique details in the story using your SWOT insights.
• Include digital mediums you plan use .

Strengths

Contextualize your topic

• Plan the structure of your communication.
• Give it a hierarchy and give visual weight to the main point.
• Add secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow through the content.
• Measure results.

Game Day Stadiums

Sports architecture is crucial in defining the experience of both athletes and spectators, extending beyond basic functionality to create iconic venues that embody sports culture and celebrate athletic achievements. The design of stadiums and sports facilities not only affects how games are played but also plays a significant role in boosting community pride, driving economic growth, and fostering social connections. Here are some other bold features inside a sports venue:

• VIP suite and lounge options
• Unique tailgating experiences and traditions
• Insanely large 4k screened scoreboards
• Electrifying game day tunnels

Wellness Centers

Wellness and recovery centers are a necessity to the holistic health of an athlete. With the constant strain on the to perform at a professional level, wellness centers can include many different things:

• Cold and hot plunge pools.
• Underwater treadmills.
• Physical Therapy rooms.
• Massage chairs.

Weight Rooms

In an athletic facility, weight rooms are the hub for hardcore energy and pushing your strength goals to the limit. Features that help bring the weight room to life are:

• Audio enhancing speakers that fill the room
• Top of the line weights and racks connected to the latest strength training technology
• Ample amount of space for stationary workouts and velocity based workouts.

Weaknesses

Contextualize your topic

• Plan the structure of your communication.
• Give it a hierarchy and give visual weight to the main point.
• Add secondary messages with interactivity.
• Establish a flow through the content.
• Measure results.