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Above is an example of an ad that would follow Gamecock fans on the web!
Dear Faithful Readers,
Effective advertising is reliant on several different points of engagement throughout a campaign in order to move a consumer from learning about a team for the first time to actively engaging with the team on a regular basis. This is where retargeting comes into play. With the ability to stay in constant contact with highly targeted consumers, retargeting has the ability to take an initiative to the next level. The power of retargeting is not something new, but it's important for teams to understand the ability to leverage this power in order to increase their bottom line.
On a personal note, this will be my final Editor’s Note for “Selling It…” as I will be leaving the National Sports Forum to pursue a new opportunity. We’re currently working with a few exceptional candidates to potentially take over the Marketing chair at the NSF and I have no doubt that my replacement will provide great insight and direction to the newsletter moving forward. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the NSF and thank you for your readership, dedication, and feedback.
Enjoy the feature,
Chantelle Neep
[email protected]
P.S. - Want even more revenue generating ideas? Follow @NatlSportsForum on Twitter to get more helpful insights on #sportsbiz, #sponsorship and more!
PROGRAM TITLE
University of South Carolina: Predictive Fan Buying
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OBJECTIVES
With the continuous rise of technological advancement, it is essential for teams to understand the revenue opportunities available to them as a result of retargeting advertisements. New and innovative technology has the ability to gather key analytics on fans as they visit a team’s website. This information allows the team to gather information pertaining to specific consumer behavior across the web. The University of South Carolina recognized this opportunity and have begun to see powerful results. Continue reading to see how the Gamecocks are working with SportsDesk Media, a next generation sports marketing and media technology company, in order to get the best ‘bang for their buck’ and holster the power of their retargeting efforts as a way to monetize fan engagement online.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Entering the 2012 football season, the University of South Carolina wanted to reach new fans as a way to increase single game and season tickets for their football program. Eric Nichols, Assistant AD/Marketing for the University of South Carolina, approached SportsDesk Media looking for the solution to his question. As a response, SportsDesk media suggested the implementation of their Predictive Fan Buying display campaign.
The process begins once a fan visits the South Carolina website. At that moment, the platform put in place by SportsDesk has the ability to tag them with a small piece of code. Once an individual is tagged, the platform is able to ingest basic automated data about that person including their age, sex, geography, etc. This allows the leads captured to be segmented in the South Carolina database based on their potential interests. Next, the platform has the ability to implement its “Predictive Fan Modeling” algorithm. Basically, this algorithm allows South Carolina to seek out potential consumers that replicate similar behaviors as those members who already exist in their database effectively allowing them to grow their database based on a highly precise target audience.
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Now that the “Gamecock Fan Network” of highly targeted fans has been established, the Predictive Fan Buying display campaign has the ability to reach this network anywhere on the web. Through the platform, South Carolina is able to purchase available media inventory on sites that are visited frequently by their fans. These advertisements can be purchased across a wide range of media formats and platforms including online video, online display, e-mail, search engines, social networks, and mobile.
Basically, if the University of South Carolina wants increase ticket sales for football games, they’re able to reach their “Gamecock Fan Network” at any moment online in order to remind them to buy tickets. South Carolina will create advertisements and purchase available media platforms on sites their fans visit as a way to constantly remind fans where to go in order to purchase to tickets to a Gamecock Football game. These retargeting ads will direct fans to the South Carolina website where they will be able to purchase their tickets.
Eric Nichols, Assistant Athletic Director/ Marketing for the University of South Carolina, adds, “This platform is a ‘one-stop-shop for our ticket sales campaign. With the Predictive Fan Buying display campaign, we are able to accomplish this initiative with a very targeted and efficient audience.”
More examples of the retargeting banners for the University of South Carolina!
PARTNER
Eric Nichols was introduced to SportsDesk Media through his relationship with Dan Migala, Founding Partner of the Property Consulting Group and Partner of SportsDesk Media. Through Dan, Eric was introduced to Eric Fernandez of SportsDesk Media. Nichols states, “These two individuals are what sets SportsDesk apart from the rest based on their knowledge of their industries and their background as sports marketers. They’re able to consult not only on using the media platform, but also in making different strategic decisions.”
RESULTS
The University of South Carolina saw astounding success as a result of their work with SportsDesk Media. The Predictive Fan Buying display campaign generated 35% of season ticket leads and 17% of single game transactions. Overall, it delivered $3.60 in revenue for every $1.00 spent on media, resulting in a 260% ROI. Additionally, the platform created a network of over 120,000 Gamecock fans for future campaign executions and a new asset for sponsors.
LOOKING AHEAD
In the future, the Predictive Fan Buying display campaign will allow South Carolina to capitalize on hot market opportunities. For example, if their football team is able to reach a BCS Bowl game, they will be able to use the campaign to reach fans anywhere online when their excitement is at its highest peak. Furthermore, the Gamecocks will be able to expand on the success seen by ticket sales and use this campaign to push their merchandise more aggressively this upcoming school year.
Eric Nichols states, “The Predictive Fan Buying display campaign was an unbudgeted experiment for us this past year. Now that we have the data to prove it was a good buy, we will begin to put more of our resources behind it.”
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