Sports Promotion

Introduction:   Sports Promotion
The role of a sporting franchise in promotion begins with their understanding of the individual fan.   As such, it is imperative that any sports promotion plan be geared at clear communication with the fans in mind; “Communication is the foundation of all buyer behavior” (Irwin, Sutton & McCarthy, 2008, p. 13).   Fans are constantly bombarded with advertisements telling them why they need to use their discretionary income to purchase a ticket.   The snappy slogans and promotional items, when used correctly, will entice the average fan to purchase a ticket.   However, there is a fine line for what is appropriate and what is effective.   Fans are savvy; they have to be attracted to the promotions. “The recipients of a plethora of promotional content, today’s consumers have become very sophisticated about the type of messages that they will allow to affect them” (Irwin, Sutton & McCarthy, 2008, p. 27).   For a franchise to be promotionally effective, the key is in having a detailed plan and goals in order to reach the fan.
Promotional Strategies
Promotional strategies vary from sport to sport and from franchise to franchise. Differences in fan bases and their desires exist between fans of football, basketball, soccer, tennis, etc.; as well as the world (US, Europe, Asia, etc).   Promotional plans are primarily designed to increase fan attendance.   “In order to increase the number of spectators coming to stadiums, it is significant for sports marketers to be aware of the factors that influence the spectators’ attendance,” (Fallahi, Asadi, & Khabiri, 2011, p. 159).   A key component of marketing via promotions begins with knowledge of the fans and a system of analyzing their insights.   With this knowledge, the franchise will be able to develop an effective plan to meet the needs of all fans.   The promotions that the franchises employ will enhance the game day experience for fans.   Various strategies have shown to be effective at increasing...