CRM - October 2007 - (Page 17)

Insight MARKET FOCUS: SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT CRM Scores for Sports Franchises In a multibillion-dollar industry, teams aren’t playing around when it comes to connecting with fans hen it comes to managing relationships with customers, many sports organizations are looking at third and long. Two out and nobody on. An overpowering Soviet-era gymnastics team and a biased East German judge. (You get the idea.) Despite the size, scope, and revenue involved in both professional and amateur sports markets, franchises operate like midsized businesses, and they’ve traditionally made similar-sized investments—and similar missteps—in the management of customer relationships, says Paul Greenberg, president of 56 Group. Also like their midmarket brethren, franchises have only just begun to learn the importance of extending their brands and experiences beyond the hollowed halls of America’s oldest stadiums. “The industry is worth billions of dollars,” Greenberg says. “We’re not just dealing with fans filling seats. There are products, TV contracts—and all of this is part of CRM initiatives.” Until recently, franchises have used CRM products mostly for basic outreach to keep fans informed of promotions, schedules, and team events (email distribution, ticketholder customer databases, and fan clubs and loyalty programs). But it’s crucial that teams establish a two-way relationship with their fan bases to receive feedback and input. “It’s important that franchises pay attention to their fan base to uncover patterns such as purchasing habits,”says Chris Forrest, customer service coordinator for the WNBA’s L.A. Sparks.“With that sort of information, franchises can start offering their fans more relevant promotions, expanding their fan base at the same time.” W These basic best practices are now being extended to franchises’ third-party networks. The perfect example is Ticketmaster, a unit of IAC/InterActiveCorp. “By integrating their data with Ticketmaster, franchises are working with up- to-date, unified data that enables them to adjust their marketing messages faster than retooling a ticket drive on an annual basis,” says Chris Charron, an analyst and vice president at Forrester Research. “They’re receiving the data to see way beyond “responses” see your next move clearly for yourself … Vovici [vo-vee-see] – the future of online surveys Traditional surveys offer only retrospective, point-in-time snapshots. Vovici provides online survey tools and services that help organizations of all sizes turn feedback into immediately actionable intelligence that guides business decision-making. From customer and employee satisfaction to market research, Vovici puts true Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) within your reach. Visit Vovici.com or call 1.800.787. 8755 to learn more. WebSurveyor – Perseus – Raosoft are now TOP VENDORS IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: 3 Microsoft Onyx Software Oracle’s Siebel Systems Source: The 56 Group www.destinationCRM.com http://Vovici.com http://Vovici.com http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - October 2007

Contents Front Office Reality Check Customer Centricity Coupons Without the Clipping Something Special in the Air Oracle’s Name Game Market Focus: Sports & Entertainment: CRM Scores for Sports Franchises Statistically Speaking The Pulse Required Reading Are We There Yet? Help Them Help Themselves The Chain Gang Pay Day OutClick Media Gets a Second Opinion Best Kiteboarding Makes a Splash with NetSuite True-Blue Service Documentation Secret of My Success The Tipping Point Re:Tooling Pint of View

CRM - October 2007

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