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Stade Français Paris rugby clubCASE STUDYHowever, the aesthete profile also refers to the qualityof the game and the beauty of the display, whichrequires a certain knowledge of the sport. This group,identified as connoisseurs, presents a different profileand is considered to be mainly male. This is based onthe fact that only a small proportion of women areinvolved in French rugby union.It is for this reason that we think that this segmentwas not targeted, although the relatively small size ofthe group might also have a bearing. Moreover, eventhough the club had highly talented players, SF Parisdid not produce the flamboyant style of play seen incompetitors such as Toulouse.Finally, we consider that the last segment, theopportunist profile, was also targeted. Even thoughthis segment is very small and would neither fill astadium, nor provide significant income, high-profilefigures such as politicians or celebrities in this groupcould arguably increase the level of awareness of theclub and affect its image.Therefore, it is considered that SF Paris employs amultiple targeting strategy, defined as selectivespecialisation, with a main focus on the interactivesegment. The choice of this segmentation strategymight be reinforced by the fact that very few, if any,professional clubs, are targeting these segments.The main sports club in the capital, PSG footballclub, had a relatively high average attendance for the2006-07 season of 39,774 (capacity 47, 428) (Liguede Football Professionnel). This was despite adisappointing on-pitch performance which saw theclub finish 15th in the league. PSG’s home gamesalso have an increased risk of violence due todisruptive fans. This factor, in addition to previousstudies regarding spectator attendance, led us to theconclusion that PSG fans do not belong to thesegments targeted by SF Paris. PSG fans appear toconsist of mainly of strongly attached fans, fromdevoted to disruptive, through fanatical, according tothe Hunt et al (1999) classification.Positioning relies on the product conception andimage in order to place it in the mind of targetedcustomers (Kotler et al, 2004).The first differentiation strategy is linked to both theimage of rugby in general and that of the maincompetitors to SF Paris. As mentioned, the south-westof France represents the bastion of rugby. It istherefore difficult for SF Paris to challenge thosecompetitors on historical/traditional values. Thetraditional image of rugby is of a grounded sport, withstrong, deep provincial, rural and inherited values(Augustin, 1999; Boure, 2004; Charlot, 2006).The club therefore decided to take the opposite routeand to play on the French capital versus provinceissue, implementing a modern, trendy, young,glamorous and fashionable image (Fraioli, 2005;Maignan, 2006; Perrin, 2007). As far as localcompetition with other Parisian sports and leisureactivities is concerned, the brand is positioned as‘entertainment’, ‘show’ and of ‘stars and sequins’,which corresponds with the overall image of Paris. Inaddition, because the club does not target the devotedor fanatical fan segment, it has underlined the ‘young’and ‘fun’ dimensions of the brand, and is positionedas ‘always family-friendly’.Marketing mixThe first element to be considered is the initiative runby SF Paris four or five times a year when the club‘invades’ the Stade de France (the French nationalstadium) and puts on an unusual and theatrical show.Obviously, this does not happen at every home gameat the Jean Bouin stadium, which might be onereason for the success. At normal home games, SFParis focuses mainly on the core product (rugby) andwinning. Very few peripheral elements are included,just cheerleaders and the remote-controlled car thatbrings the tee on to the pitch for penalty kicks. Theoverall home attendance for the 2006-07 season was8,385, and sold-out games were rare.The second initiative is very interesting because itconstitutes the basis upon which SF Paris developedits awareness brand image at a national level.Contrary to normal home games, the core product, i.e.what happens on the pitch, is not the most importantelement. Obviously it is not unimportant, because256 International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship ● APRIL 2009 ●