More Sports Marketing Trends to Follow in 2011

Thomas Janca of Proximity Prague recently posted a terrific Powerpoint presentation on SportsMarketing20.com that details emerging trends in the global sports marketing landscape. The presentation featured some great insights that I wanted to share as key discussion points to monitor.

Ten (10) sports marketing trends highlighted in the deck for 2011 included:

1. Digital In-Game Experience
   1. YinzCam, FanVision
2. Social Gaming
   1. adidas' UEFA Champions game, FIFA Superstars, Nike's I AM PLAYR
3. Content Marketing
   1. Viral videos, digital program ads
4. Grassroots Marketing
   1. NJ Nets' Hoops and Pancakes, Sigma Olomouc's community efforts
5. Crowdsourcing
   1. St. Louis Cardinals' fan scouting reports, Boston Globe WC fan perspectives
6. Local-Based Networking
   1. Washington Redskins and Manchester City's Foursquare efforts
7. Group Buying
   1. Univ. of Colorado and Washington Wizards Groupon promos
8. Virtual Goods
   1. The Golf Warehouse's Facebook credits, Virtual appearances by pro players
9. Ambush Marketing
   1. Bavaria - World Cup, Nike - Berlin Marathon, Hugo Boss - 09 British Open
10. QR Codes
    1. Detroit Red Wings and Sacramento Kings' QR Code efforts

Check out Thomas' insightful document below:

Game, Set, Fans: 10 Sports Marketing Trends for 2011

View more presentations from Tomas Janca.

The Florida Panthers Offer a Good Time Guarantee to Fans

The Florida Panthers recently turned to a new ticket sales strategy to draw fans to the Bank Atlantic Center in January. The Panthers are offering a "Good Time Guarantee" that ensures fans that they will receive their money back if they don't have a good time at any of the team's nine (9) home games during the month.

The Panthers are leveraging the guarantee and appealing single game ticket offers (game ticket and free parking for $9) to attract fans to the arena and assure an unforgettable live game experience.  The Money Back Guarantee applies to up to four (4) tickets for one (1) game during the month of January. The refund guarantee does not incorporate issues due to service, maintenance, parking, or building fees. 

Sunrise Sports and Entertainment President and COO Michael Yormark commented on the unique promo by saying, "We have been saying all season long that Florida Panthers hockey at the BankAtlantic Center is one of the best live experiences in South Florida, and the professional sports industry. Now, we are putting our money where our mouth is and guaranteeing that incredible experience or your money back.”

A "Good Time Guarantee" serves as a creative, unique idea for sports organizations looking for ways to spike attendance during months of slow attendance or poor attendance. It's important to note that the Panthers have played this strategy right - only offering it for a month-long period. Organizations can offer the "Good Time Guarantee" as a general slogan/cause throughout a season but they would not want to consider making a full ticket refund available for fans purchasing multiple game ticket packages.

Thank You! - Runner-Up, Sports Social Media Professional of 2010

In mid-December, Lewis Howes and the SportsNetworker.com held a poll to gauge who was the Top Sports Social Media Professional of 2010. I was honored to be included among a number of noteworthy nominees (see below) and just wanted to say a quick thank you to all those of you who voted for me and have helped spread the word about the site.

The final results were announced late last week and CNBC's Darren Rovell was named the winner but I am honored to say that I finished as the runner-up with 370+ votes. There are so many terrific individuals doing amazing things in the sports social media/sports business space and I really do appreciate everyone's continued support for Partnership Activation. I had the honor of guest blogging for Darren Rovell on CNBC.com in 2008 and really consider it a privilege to be considered in the same class as him.

I wanted to send a quick note of congratulations to all of the other nominees that were considered for Top Sports Social Media Professional of 2010, including: Jim Bankoff (SB Nation), Matthew Higgins (NY Jets), Amy Martin (Digital Royalty), Darren Heitner (Sports Agent Blog/Dynasty), Russell Scibetti (The Business of Sports), Ben Sturner (Leverage Agency), Daniel McLaren (UK Sports Network), Jason Peck (JasonFPeck.com), Scott Phelps (Pittsburgh Steelers), Ash Read (FundSport.com), Sam Taggart (Vaynermedia), and Stephanie Bagley (Vaynermedia).

... And a special thanks to Lewis Howes for putting the promotional poll together to recognize a number of individuals doing great things in the space! Check out a great interview Lewis did with Darren Rovell by clicking the image below: