Michael Shear informs us that there are a lot of data points fans hit when they attend a game. They are hitting data points when they use their mobile devices to buy tickets, enter the building or come in through a particular gate. Data points also track where the crowd goes once the game starts, whether they stay in their seats during halftime or leave, if they visit the concession stand and what their food and beverage choices are. This information is all pertinent.
He tells us that one of the first questions he was asked when he started was how many people turned left when they came into the main entrance of the building. This seemed like an off-the-wall question until he realized that Budweiser asked it. They were asking because they had signage to the left of the main bar and wanted to know how many impressions they were getting right out of the gate.
The way that he figured out the answer to that question was by looking at the ticket scans. Out of all the people who had their tickets scanned at the main entrance, he could deduce how many of them went to the concession stands on the left-hand side. From there, he figured out the percentage.
Sports Management Improves With Technology
Years later, after gaining more advanced Wi-Fi systems and mobile ticketing devices, he and his colleagues were able to verify that the initial hypotheses and percentages they came up with were correct. This showed that things were only becoming more impactful. As we enter more of the mobile space, teams are now relying on these things. They include mobile ticketing, mobile transactions, cashless arenas and other items of that nature.
We’re talking about broader data sets and how to manage them. How are teams going to capitalize on that, whether it’s to drive ticket sales or sponsorship sales? These data sets are only getting more extensive and more complicated to manage. They continue to be a challenge because teams need to focus on the fan experience. In some instances, a data warehouse would be beneficial.
What separates going to a live event or game from watching it in the comfort of your own home? This is the challenge that teams have to figure out. The data helps to leverage the personalization aspect and help put fans in seats.
Michael Shear says that when he first started this job, he thinks it was right at the beginning of the trend of leveraging data and analytics in sports. For example, there weren’t many teams that even had an analytic team or an analysis department. He and his associates more or less acted as the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) for the team.
Some teams were just using their ticketing system as a CRM platform, so they didn’t really know that much about their buyers. They weren’t aware of who the ticket holder’s favorite players were or what size shirt they wore. These details can come into play as marketing tactics. Before mobile ticketing, it wasn’t possible to accurately know the fans. You could know who purchased the hard ticket, but you couldn’t know who they were bringing with them.
The Future of Global Sports Relies on CRM
Now, things are definitely more about the big data aspects. The advent of mobile technology has made a major difference. Teams now have entire departments devoted to analytics and business strategy. For example, the CRM of a sports team usually has to keep track of their fans. So, a fan buys a mobile ticket, and that sale goes into the CRM platform, which allows you to track that ticket’s behavior. For instance, you can follow what the fans are buying and what they like to buy, where they live, their geography, their demographics, if they’re married, if they have kids and things of that nature. This is a way for the service team to keep that line of communication open and try to either upscale the fan or personalize their experience.
