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.

Manchester City FC Unveils Its New Team Foursquare Page

Sports organizations looking for new ways to tap into the social media space should consider benchmarking a recent tactic implemented by Manchester City FC of the Barclays Premier League.

Manchester City unveiled its new Official Foursquare page, where the team is planning on posting a collection of tips and specials for fans to enjoy in the coming weeks and months. The official page provides a list of Manchester City destinations where fans can check in and receive special discounts and enjoy a variety of engagement tactics.

The page, which already boasts 350+ supporters, also features a collection of links to the club's other social media channels (Facebook, Twitter) and official team home page.

MCFC has been one of the most notable early adopters of Foursquare in the sports space. The soccer club teamed up with Umbro to generate buzz for their final match of the season against Tottenham Hotspur by asking fans to "check in" at the City of Manchester Stadium via Foursquare in an effort to set a world record for the most Foursquare check-ins in a single location at one time.

To generate awareness and interest, the team posted an announcement on its home page and offered fans the chance to win (1) of (11) limited edition Blue Moon t-shirts if they added the phrase 'Umbro Blue Moon Tee Please' to the tips section of their Foursquare check-in.  

Check out the page below and consider implementing this for your organization. After all, Foursquare is here to stay!