BOLOGNA vs PARMA (SERIE A)

 Advancements in technology during the last decade have transformed how the sports industry engages with fans. We look at how things have changed and how personalisation can help you win the race.

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Personalisation has become a buzzword in marketing circles in recent years and is a hugely important element of marketing in sport.

In simple terms, personalising the user experience on digital channels keeps fans engaged with brands and builds loyalty.

With that in mind, read on as we take a closer look at personalisation and assess some of the key elements that contribute to successful marketing in sports.

Laying the foundations for personalisation

Tailoring content on websites and apps to suit a user’s individual needs is the key to ensuring that marketing activities deliver tangible results.

By using the analytical tools on various digital platforms, sports organisations can gain in-depth insights into which content builds the biggest engagement with fans.

This allows them not only to tailor their future content more accurately but also provides a platform for advertisements to be personalised more effectively.

While personalisation is the primary driver behind engagement, it requires plenty of time, effort and resources to deliver the right content.

Keeping fans engaged

We have established that personalisation can boost engagement, although understanding how that manifests itself on a daily basis is no easy task.

Fans expect to see the latest news and updates from sports organisations, but it is the supporting content that provides the personal touch to them.

Building communities through social media pages, podcasts and the provision of exclusive content is amongst the ways sports organisations can personalise their output.

Personalisation can also be delivered by the players on teams – those that are prepared to offer a window into themselves are the ones who help organisations build fan engagement.

Maintaining trust with fans

Regardless of which sport is being marketed, it is essential for organisations to maintain a level of trust with fans if they want to keep them engaged.

A good example of an organisation failing to understand what makes their fans tick is Elite Ice Hockey League club Glasgow Clan.

The club has built up a loyal fanbase over the past decade but has increasingly taken that support for granted in recent times.

Club bosses have been accused of focusing on ‘selling’ rather than engaging, creating a dangerous level of animosity amongst many Clan fans.

The club’s social media channels are largely dominated by posts about tickets and merchandise while supporting content designed to keep fans engaged is virtually non-existent.

Having failed to listen to fan concerns, the issues were magnified when the club recently announced the signing of a player with a questionable background.

The pile-on from fans via the Clan’s digital media channels was far more brutal than may have been the case had previous engagement levels been where they should have been.