Creating and Growing Fan Loyalty
Challenge
A professional sports team known for its focus on fan engagement sought to understand the evolving needs of their fans, starting with a key audience – their season ticketholders.
Approach
- A series of in-person focus groups on game days, with participants arriving two hours before the start of the game.
- Participants included a variety of season ticketholders, from those who have the full season to those with a smaller number of games. In addition, the groups included a range of ages, genders, and newer season ticketholders as well as those with a longer relationship with the team.
- Team merchandise was given for participation.
Outcome
- M/A/R/C® found that there were negative perceptions of food quality and variety offered at the venue. The team worked with their food/restaurant partners to enhance the food experience, bringing in award-winning recipes and exciting culinary collaborations.
- To provide more pre-game excitement as well as the desire to have unique experiences, the team periodically sponsors pre-game events featuring live bands, food and drinks, interactive photo opportunities, and giveaways. These events also help the brand realize one of their key business priorities: having ticketholders in their seats at game time.
- With fans’ desire to have an enhanced digital experience with the team, the team launched an updated app to create a more engaging and personalized experience for their dedicated fan base. This app provides easy access to season ticketholder discounts, game tickets, exclusive content, video highlights, player stats, tickets, and in-venue experiences.