advanced theory and practice in sport marketing - Marshalls University

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE – Continued
laying the groundwork for sponsorship, season ticket sales, media connections,
charitable alliances and political influence all their lives. By aligning ourselves
with the ownership group we had some immediate legitimacy, though there
was a lot of work to do before we would be established. It became my job to
essentially build off of the foundation that was laid by the owners. Although
my position would require involvement in corporate sponsorships, media buying,
event planning, public relations and much more, there was never a day
that ticket sales did not play a major role in what I was doing.
Tickets are the lifeline of every team. Without the fans and consistent
attendance it is impossible to operate the business. A team’s season ticket
base is its bread and butter. Year after year these fans will not only attend all
of your games, but if treated right will act as ambassadors for your organization.
I would encourage anyone who is interested in a career in sports to
immediately learn about ticket sales. No matter what aspect of a front office
you are working for, there will come a time when someone will ask you a
question about tickets. A basic understanding of the process will help maintain
the professionalism that your team will inevitably strive for. This professionalism
is in essence customer service. The skills I learned during my tenure
at Disney had prepared me to deal with almost any fan problem or inquiry.
Even if I did not have the answer they were looking for or could not fix the
problem, I had been trained to make the person feel that they were extremely
important and do everything that I could to rectify the situation. This takes
good communication, planning, patience, and pride in ones organization.
Over the course of the off season it was very apparent that everything we
were doing was leading up to our first event. Having a well prepared and
properly trained staff was very important to our show. By “show” I mean the
ancillary things that go on during game days outside of the games themselves.
For our team the goal was not to provide eight home games but to
put on eight major events. Each event began with a free outdoor pre-game
concert. Also on the plaza was a 50-feet rock climbing wall that we acquired
by partnering with a local climbing gym. Upon entrance to the arena each
fan received a great giveaway item. From bobble heads to touchdown towels,
these items contained the logos of companies that had paid us to distribute
them to fans. Once inside fans were treated to face painting, balloon
animals and a number of games and amusements on the concourse. Team
introductions consisted of pyrotechnics, a light show and 20 Harley
Davidson’s escorting a professional dance team. During the game the video
board provided additional entertainment while a blimp flew over fans dropping
gift certificates and coupons. After the game fans were invited onto the
field to meet the players, coaches, and dance team members for autographs
and pictures. A field goal kicking station was also set up so that fans could
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MANAGING THE SPORT MARKETING MIX 37