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Click the image above to learn about the Golden State Warriors!
Dear Faithful Readers,
Every now and then we like to reflect on past programs... and today we're revisiting one of the year's top read stories.
Back in March, the Golden State Warriors found a way to increase in-game satisfaction once fans were already in the arena. All of this came with the perk of bringing in incremental revenue. How'd they do it? The Warriors partnered with Pogoseat, a mobile app provider, to gives fans the opportunity to control where they sit through live seat upgrades. This off-season Pogoseat is continuing to make additions to the app to generate even higher dollars while giving fans the power of seat selection.
Continue reading to "re-discover" what made the Warriors in-game seat upgrade app such a hit!
Enjoy the feature,
Erin Mooney
[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
Golden State Warriors: Pogoseat App
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OBJECTIVES
With the advent of the smartphone and the growing consumer obsession with mobile devices, teams are harnessing mobile technologies to drive fans to their venues instead of opting for the increasingly appealing at-home experience. Recognizing the advantages of mobile in terms of instant access, location, and personalization, marketers utilize the mobile marketing channel to enhance the game experience by keeping fans engaged and interconnected at all times. Many executives have implemented team-specific mobile applications for fans--in which they aggregate scores, schedules, statistics, news, and content from social media outlets. The Golden State Warriors--an organization that tends to tap into the immense technological resources available in the Silicon Valley—has once again positioned itself ahead of the competition and taken the next step forward in the sports digital age. By partnering with Pogoseat, a San Francisco based tech startup offering an innovatie mobile application, the Warriors have accomplished two initiatives: giving fans the opportunity to view the game from a different perspective and increasing revenue from ticket inventory that would have otherwise gone unsold.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
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The Golden State Warriors, one of the first teams to offer Wi-Fi throughout their arena, continue to prove their commitment to technology. By integrating Pogoseat into their own mobile application for the 2012-13 NBA season, the Warriors now give fans the ability to upgrade their seats during the game using mobile devices.
To launch this service, the Warriors sent a digital seating map to Pogoseat, which was uploaded onto the mobile application platform. The map is completely customizable in terms of price points for a seat upgrade. Pogoseat has developed a pricing algorithm that is based on a variety of factors that takes into account the number of available seats, the amount of time remaining in the game, the score, and more; however, teams have full freedom to choose how they want to price seat upgrades. The Warriors decided to create their own price points, and have systematically experimented with this feature in order to determine the optimal prices fans are willing to pay for an in-game seat upgrade. Pogoseat also provides their clients with a comprehensive dashboard that enables them to pull real-time data regarding fan behavior and upgrade stats.
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The data provided by the Pogoseat app supplements the Warriors with valuable information that is used to make educated pricing decisions for in-game upgrades. All in all, the Warriors seem to have found the perfect way to improve the fan experience while simultaneously capitalizing on “dead” revenue through a simple and effective digital application. As Kevin Cote, Director of Digital Marketing for the Warriors, states, “The process with Pogoseat is on-going, and we’re constantly working together to refine the system and improve the fan experience. Even though we have less available inventory than in years past due to an increased number of sellouts, giving fans the option to upgrade their seats from their mobile device is something we feel is imperative, especially as it comes to be expected in today’s venues.”
Click above to learn more about Pogoseat!
MEDIA
The Warriors promote their mobile application heavily through social media channels, giving fans digital demos of the built-in Pogoseat feature. Pogoseat was highlighted at the Warriors Social Media Night, at which fans were encouraged to send in a picture that would visually demonstrate why they were deserving of a seat upgrade. In addition to social media, the Warriors use e-mail and digital signage at Oracle Arena to let fans know about the seat upgrade feature on their official mobile app. On top of that--Pogoseat representatives often take advantage of a direct marketing opportunity, setting up a table at Warriors home games to teach fans about their product and foster increased adoption of the seat upgrade feature. Tables have been set up on the lower level for prime exposure, as well as the upper level—where they have access to high volumes of fans in search of a better view and more intimate game experience.
PARTNER
The Warriors have thoroughly enjoyed their relationship with Pogoseat who believes prime seats should never stay empty and that fans should have the freedom to maximize their experience. The convenience of the partnership cannot be undermined--having Pogoseat located locally in the Bay Area gives the Warriors the ability to maintain consistent in-person contact, as well as quickly address technical support issues related to the system. Cote adds, “Pogoseat has been great to work with every step of the way. They have a strong desire to make their product better and better, which has been the key to their success to date. They have a great story to tell and a unique ability to connect with fans on a personal level.”
RESULTS
Golden State is very pleased with the product Pogoseat has provided despite the limited availability for fans to upgrade due to the team’s increased number of sellouts. Because of this, their work with Pogoseat has not been a huge revenue booster to this point--but it has allowed them to slowly dive-in to the new technology. Cote goes on to say, “Pogoseat has given us the ability to improve the overall fan experience by meeting and exceeding their expectations. Their product has given us the ability to discover new ways to improve the fan experience, which will bode well for us moving forward.”
LOOKING AHEAD
The Golden State Warriors and Pogoseat will continue to evaluate the ideal way to provide in-game seat upgrades for fans. Pogoseat is already fully integrated with Ticketmaster’s Archtics ticketing system and is avidly working to make its program fully integrated with all other ticketing systems in the sports industry. In the future, technology like the Pogoseat app will be something fans expect to have at their disposal when attending a sporting event. Through this partnership, the Warriors will continue to progress with their pursuit to stay ahead of the game by leveraging innovative technologies to improve the fan experience.
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