Sports Marketing Machine Podcast

Jeremy Neisser, an expert in data analytics, breaks down the crucial differences between first-party and third-party data in the sports industry. He explains how first-party data, gathered directly from fans, provides invaluable insights for sports teams. In contrast, third-party data offers broader demographic insights, enhancing targeted advertising efforts. The conversation emphasizes the importance of balancing these data types while prioritizing fan privacy and trust. Neisser advocates for transparency in data usage to strengthen relationships with fans.

Send us a textIn this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Kassidy Ellenby, the Executive Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications at DePaul University, about an open role for the Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Experience. They discuss the duties and expectations of the role, including overseeing marketing efforts for men's basketball, managing a budget, and coordinating sponsorship activations. They also talk about the game day atmosphere at Wintrust Arena, the importance of fan engagement, and the strategies for increasing student attendance at sporting events. The conversation highlights the collaborative culture at DePaul and the opportunities for growth and development within the athletic department.TakeawaysThe open role at DePaul University is for the Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Experience, with a focus on men's basketball.The role involves overseeing marketing efforts, managing a budget, and coordinating sponsorship activations.The game day atmosphere at Wintrust Arena is top-notch, with pyro towers, immersive video boards, and engaging in-game entertainment.Increasing student attendance at sporting events is a priority, and partnerships with campus organizations and targeted communication strategies are used to promote events and offer incentives.DePaul University offers a collaborative and supportive culture, with opportunities for growth and development within the athletic department.Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Overview of the Open Role03:02 - Creating an Engaging Game Day Atmosphere at Wintrust Arena05:48 - Increasing Student Attendance at Sporting Events08:51 - Collaborative Culture and Opportunities for Growth at DePaul UniversityTo review the job posting and apply - DePaul UniversityConnect with Kassidy on LinkedIn or through DePaul Athletics. Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a textIn this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses a team that was struggling to sell tickets despite their marketing efforts. He identifies three key issues: prioritizing single game ticket sales over season tickets and group sales, allocating the majority of the marketing budget for awareness activities instead of collecting email addresses, and not setting goals for major promotions. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of group sales as a fixer for teams and shares his experience with the Birmingham Barons. The takeaways include being intentional about selling tickets to specific games, collecting email addresses for future marketing, and leveraging group sales as a strategy.TakeawaysBe intentional about your prime games - have a focus of group sales on theseCollect email addresses for future marketingChapters00:00 - Introduction02:02 - The Importance of Prioritizing Season Tickets and Group Sales03:44 - The Power of Group Sales as a Fixer05:07 - Building Momentum through Intentional Marketing06:02 - The Key to Successful Ticket Sales: Collecting Email Addresses07:24 - ConclusionSports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Marketing directors face a major challenge in turning single-game ticket buyers into loyal fans. Only 33% return for another game! A strategic post-game email can be a game-changer. Thanking attendees while offering personalized discounts encourages repeat attendance. Personalized communication strikes when the excitement is fresh, boosting conversions. By implementing this approach, teams can transform one-time buyers into multiple attendees and even potential season ticket holders.

Jeremy Neisser, a customer service expert, stresses the crucial link between exceptional service and ticket holder retention. He highlights a notable decline in in-park attendance attributed to underutilization of mini-plans and season tickets. Neisser argues that marketing directors should pivot from acquiring new customers to enhancing the experience of current ticket buyers. By leveraging historical ticket usage data, teams can tailor strategies to boost customer satisfaction and attendance, ensuring that existing fans remain engaged.

Send us a textIn this episode, Jeremy Neisser and Emmanuel Elmajian discuss different strategies for selling group tickets. They explore the shift from traditional group sales to individual members of a group buying their own tickets at a discounted rate. They also discuss the benefits of this new approach, such as increased control for buyers and more data for sellers.The conversation covers various ideas for selling group tickets, including loyalty programs, thank you programs, special offers for events in town, and theme nights. They also touch on the concept of competition and gamification in group ticket sales, as well as the opportunity to sell fan experiences. The conversation explores the concept of unused fan experiences and the need for more customized VIP experiences in the sports industry. It discusses the potential of cross-selling sports to different audiences and the importance of targeting youth sports and traveling teams.The conversation also delves into the topic of fundraisers and how sports teams can sell tickets to raise money for schools and nonprofits. It emphasizes the role of groups in driving ticket sales and the need for flexible ticketing options. Spinzo is introduced as a platform that helps teams reimagine ticket sales and offers various services to enhance the ticketing experience.TakeawaysThe traditional approach of selling large blocks of tickets to a group leader is evolving, with more emphasis on individual members of a group buying their own tickets at a discounted rate.This new approach gives buyers more control and allows for more personalized ticket purchases, such as buying tickets for themselves, their spouse, and their children.Selling group tickets to events in town, such as conventions or career fairs, can be a great way to engage new audiences and increase ticket sales.Competition and gamification can be effective strategies for maximizing group ticket sales, with examples including battles between apartment complexes, schools, charities, and youth sports teams.Theme nights and fan experiences are opportunities to sell more group tickets, with the potential to bundle in special perks or incentives for groups that reach certain milestones. Unused fan experiences can be sold as last-minute opportunities, generating additional revenue for sports teams.Customized VIP experiences are becoming increasingly important in attracting fans to live games.Cross-selling sports to different audiences, such as targeting youth sports and traveling teams, can expand ticket sales opportunities.Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Overview03:25 - The Rise of the New Process of Selling Group Tickets07:45 - Special Offers and Gated Links for Future Games12:49 - Competition and Gamification in Group Ticket Sales16:08 - Theme Nights: A Strategy for Selling Group Tickets22:37 - Cross-Selling Sports to Different Audiences25:13 - Fundraisers: Selling Tickets to Raise Money27:24 - The Role of Groups in Driving Ticket Sales31:23 The Importance of Flexible Ticketing OptionsSports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a textIn this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Heather Doane from Destroyer Promotional Products about improving merchandise sales. They discuss 10 tips for teams to implement, including inventory management, understanding retail space, visual merchandising, competitive pricing, and more. Heather emphasizes the importance of knowing your inventory, organizing the back of the house, and conducting market research to set competitive prices. She also suggests asking for samples and staying updated on industry trends. Overall, the conversation provides valuable insights for sports teams looking to boost their merchandise sales. In this conversation, Heather Doane shares 10 tips to improve merchandise sales. The tips include knowing your inventory, understanding your retail space, visual merchandising, setting prices, researching items, organizing the back of the house, tracking sales, capturing customer information, and promoting brand awareness. Heather emphasizes the importance of creating a visually appealing store layout, conducting research on pricing and merchandise quality, and utilizing customer data for targeted marketing. She also suggests collaborating with other teams and attending retail buyers meetings to share insights and improve the overall league. Heather encourages listeners to reach out for personalized guidance and assistance.TakeawaysKnow your inventory and keep track of the quantity and size breakdowns of each style.Understand your retail space and how customers shop to optimize visual merchandising.Set competitive prices by conducting market research and comparing quotes from different vendors.Ask for samples to ensure the quality of the merchandise before making bulk orders.Organize the back of the house with racks, carts, and proper storage to protect and easily access inventory. Know your inventory and regularly spot check to ensure you have enough stock of popular items.Understand your retail space and optimize it by creating visually appealing displays and signage.Invest in visual merchandising to tell a story and make it easier for customers to find and purchase items.Conduct research on pricing and merchandise quality to ensure competitive pricing and high-quality products.Organize the back of the house to streamline operations and make it easier to restock and fulfill orders.Capture customer information to build a database for targeted marketing and personalized promotions.Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Overview00:26 - Tip 1: Inventory Management05:08  - Tip 2: Understanding Retail Space07:25  - Tip 3: Visual Merchandising09:46  - Tip 4: Driving Key Performance Indicators15:07  - Tip 5: Competitive Pricing22:17  - Tip 6: Organizing the Back of the House26:44  - Tip 7 Optimizing Retail Space and Visual Merchandising32:45  - Tip 8 Capturing Customer Information for Targeted Marketing35:41  - Tip 9 Incentivizing Customers with Loyalty Rewards Programs38:50  - Standardizing Visual Merchandising for Consistency46:21  - Tip 10 Driving Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)47:26  - Promoting Brand Awareness and Online Presence50:22  - Collaborating with Other Teams for League Growth51:01  - Personalized Guidance for Merchandise Sales SuccessContact Heather or the Destroyer TeamSports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a textIn this podcast episode, Joe Rixon from FanIQ shares insights on three key strategies for sports teams to improve their social media and content engagement. The strategies include leveraging influencers, user-generated content (UGC), and showcasing fan experience. Joe emphasizes the importance of matching content to the platform, engaging diverse audiences, and using influencer content for paid advertising. He also highlights the value of UGC in engaging fans and driving ticket sales. The conversation covers the importance of engaging and fun content in driving ticket sales and revenue for sports events. It emphasizes the use of user-generated content, influencers, and targeting new audiences to create engaging and authentic experiences. The discussion also highlights the impact of content strategy on revenue generation and the value of empowering mid-level staffers with data and resources.TakeawaysLeveraging influencers can tap into specific audience segments and provide trusted recommendations for teams' content.User-generated content (UGC) from fans can be a valuable source of engaging and authentic content for sports teams.Showcasing fan experience and exclusive offerings can drive engagement and ticket sales, regardless of the team's performance on the field. Engaging and fun content is crucial for driving ticket sales and revenue for sports events.User-generated content and influencers play a significant role in creating authentic and engaging experiences for fans.Targeting new audiences and empowering mid-level staffers with data and resources can have a positive impact on revenue generation.Content strategy has a direct impact on revenue generation and the growth of fan bases for sports events.Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Background of FanIQ and Joe Rixon02:18 - Leveraging Influencers for Sports Marketing Success13:10 - The Power of User-Generated Content in Sports Marketing22:56 - The Impact of Engaging Content on Revenue Generation25:41 - Influencers, User-Generated Content, and Fan Engagement29:49 - Targeting New Audiences and Empowering Staff for Revenue GrowthLearn more about Fan IQ or email Joe (joe@faniq.live)Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a textIn this conversation, Jeremy Neisser sits down with industry expert, Steve DeLay of the Ultimate Toolkit to discuss the importance of creating a marketing plan that drives revenue for sports teams, the alignment between ticket sales and marketing, the concept of the sellout matrix, and the strategies for collecting email addresses and increasing ticket usage. Additionally, he shares insights on the Ultimate Toolkit program for sports management students and the Unlimited Toolkit for teams.Takeaways:Marketing is essential for driving revenue in sports, including ticket sales, merchandise sales, and concession sales.Alignment between ticket sales and marketing is crucial for creating a well-oiled machine in sports marketing.The sellout matrix is a strategic approach to creating buzz and excitement around games, leading to increased ticket sales and fan engagement.Strategies for collecting email addresses and encouraging ticket usage are vital for maximizing revenue and fan engagement.The Ultimate Toolkit program offers valuable training and resources for sports management students, while the Unlimited Toolkit provides comprehensive support for sports teams.The importance of proactive communication and targeted marketing efforts in driving ticket sales and fan engagement.Chapters00:00 - The Revenue-Driving Power of Marketing in Sports04:47 - The Sellout Matrix: Creating Buzz and Excitement11:49 - Strategies for Email Collection and Ticket Usage34:39 - Comprehensive Support for Sports Teams with the Unlimited ToolkitLearn more about the Ultimate Toolkit courses & Sport Management Classes or email Steve DeLaySports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Send us a textIn this episode, Jeremy Neisser shares three optimization tips using Awarity for sports marketing. He discusses the importance of monitoring top domains, maintaining consistent ad design, and managing ad frequency to maximize conversions and budget efficiency.TakeawaysMonitor top domains for clicks and conversions to optimize budget allocation.Maintain consistent ad design with brand colors, fonts, and messaging for better recognition and engagement.Manage ad frequency to avoid banner blindness and optimize audience reach.Chapters00:00 - Introduction to Sports Marketing Optimization with Awarity01:27 - Monitoring Top Domains for Conversions and Budget Optimization05:13 - Managing Ad Frequency for Audience Engagement and ReachWatch the full video on Sports Marketing MachineSports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine