Marketing

The main aim of marketing is to sell an idea and involves:

• Finding your market
• Positioning and promoting your product to that market
• Selling your product.

Sports club marketing initiatives include open days, advertising, sponsorship and events. Club members and officials also indirectly contribute to the marketing of your club in their day-to-day role.
 
A team in uniform playing fairly contributes to the good image of your club as much as a club director providing information about club membership over the phone.

From increasing membership numbers and opportunities to boosting your reputation, targeted marketing is a value for money approach to promoting your club; one that avoids the scattergun approach of neighbourhood letterbox drops. Well-planned, effective marketing can:

• Increase sales and drive membership
• Enhance image and reputation
• Create value for money
• Create new markets, sponsorship opportunities and long-term alliances
• Raise awareness and credibility in the community.

To help identify and use target markets effectively, it’s important to understand key marketing concepts.

a.    Market research
Good market research is the foundation of all effective marketing. It can tell you who your members are and why, as well as identify the market and competitors. There are two areas of market research: analysis of existing information and new research

b.    Analyse existing information
Your membership database is a wealth of information. Analysis of this can reveal basics about your customer and identify where your new members will come from:

• Look for large groups of customers with similar characteristics - location, school, university or other institution.
• Check your registration figures for the last 12 to 24 months. Do the numbers differ for different age groups? Have the numbers fallen? Is it gender differentiated? Is it geographic?
• Research your local area for schools, institutions, organisations, sporting grounds and other facilities that may support your club to get general data on age groups, education, marital status, income and interests within the local area.
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics has a range of publications that can provide more information about potential members.
• AusPlay is a national population tracking survey funded and led by Sport Australia. It provides national and state data on the number of people participating in sport and physical activity and how they participate.

c.    New research
By interviewing past, present and potential future members, along with researching other clubs, you can start to define your target market:

• Survey current members on why they joined your club - social, facilities, proximity to university, school or transport?
• Find out why lapsed members didn’t renew their registration.
• Research local clubs and recreation centres about their membership base. Your association may also have information about national members.
• Interview potential members about what would get them to join your club or attend an event.

d.    Target marketing
Target marketing is an efficient, cost-effective activity that focuses on groups of people who are most likely to become a member. Unlike mass marketing, target marketing doesn’t assume everyone is alike or wants the same thing. Target markets are made up of groups of people with common characteristics, such as address, age group, sex, occupation, education and interests. By continuing to refine your target market using specific or multiple characteristics, you can further focus your marketing activities.

When selecting your target market, consider:

• Market research builds a profile of existing and potential members and market segment
• Club objectives and business strategies often set out target markets
• Your club constitution may define membership classes.

This process is two-fold. As well as defining current markets to improve marketing effectiveness, you’re also looking for new target markets to grow your membership.

e.    Competitors and market positioning
What sets your club apart from other clubs is your competitive advantage. It creates value for your club and is an important point of difference when targeting members, spectators and sponsors. 

To help position your club, these questions can help:

• How does your club compare to other organisations?
• What makes your club different from other clubs?
• What are parents looking for in an activity?
• What do participants want in an event?
• What would a potential sponsor look for?
• Does your sport have the right image to recruit new members?

f.    The 5 Ps of Marketing
Identifying your target market, what your club offers, and your market positioning are all factors that determine your club’s marketing mix. This mix is generally made up of a combination of elements known as the 5 Ps:

• Product: Your sport, the club, the competitions, stalls or other activities on offer.
• People: Customers or people using your service or products, including employees, volunteers and members
• Price: Including membership fees and structure, discounts and cost of member’s time.
• Promotion: Activity to make customers aware of your product, including advertising, publicity, sponsorship, brochures, posters or cold calling.
• Place: Where your product is and includes where you train, compete (home and away) and other facilities on offer.

g.    Marketing plans
A marketing plan sets out your club’s marketing strategy and activities. It links with your club’s business plan, which sets the overall direction for your organisation.

There are two types of marketing plans:

• Strategic: A three to five-year plan based on your business plan and used to develop ongoing programs and approach sponsors for large investments or commitments longer than one season or event.
• Tactical: An offshoot of your strategic marketing plan and based on short term action plans, like ways to increase the number of club members this season.

Media coverage is one of the best ways you can attract attention for your club and its activities. Not only can it generate positive publicity, it can also lead to an increase in membership, volunteers, funding and sponsorship.

With no shortage of newsworthy stories, events, achievements and activities at your club, its important to learn how to attract attention to get coverage from local media channels – social media, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, digital and online.

a.    Sample and template media releases
Here are a series of sample media releases and templates your club could use:

• Sample release – registration (DOCX, 20.54 KB)
• Sample release – team results (DOCX, 21.75 KB)
• Sample release – human interest (DOCX, 20.32 KB)
• Sample release – individual results (DOCX, 17.69 KB)
• Sample release – talented athletes (DOCX, 21.56 KB)
• Template – talented athlete profile (DOCX, 19.7 KB)
• Sample release – event (DOCX, 21.66 KB)
• Template – event (DOCX, 19.96 KB)

Social media (including platforms such as: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) have altered the relationship between consumers and service providers, harnessing peoples’ desire to belong and linking communities and networks of interest across the world. It has changed, and continues to strongly influence, the way in which millions of people (including ‘fans’) engage with sport.

Social media can have both positive and negative impacts on sporting organisations. Awareness is key to recognising and exploiting new opportunities, maintaining relevance in a new social media order, and avoiding common traps and costly mistakes.  

• Get to know your local print, radio and online media, the stories they cover and how to get information to them. Check their deadlines and requirements.
• Attract attention. The media is more likely to publish or broadcast a news or human-interest story that will appeal to their audience. 
• Listen to the radio and check the local papers to find out what types of articles interest the editor, readers and listeners. 
• Work out ways to make your information more interesting and find an angle that will attract attention. For example, three sets of twins in one team, a celebrity opening your fundraiser or your sport attracting singles keen to socialise.
• Send media releases. Media releases are the standard way of providing information to the media. Journalists and newsrooms receive hundreds of media releases every day.

Your state or national body is a good first port of call for advice and assistance.

• The Clearinghouse for Sport connects people in sport to a world of ideas, experiences and knowledge including marketing, media.
• The Clearinghouse for Sport - Market Segmentation for Sports Participation
• AusPlay is a national population tracking survey funded and led by Sport Australia. It provides national and state data on the number of people participating in sport and physical activity and how they participate.
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics has a range of publications that can provide more information about potential markets and members.
• For direct marketing tools and tips, including database templates, media contacts, research, image generators and more, head to Our Community.
• For practical ideas to successfully market and promote your club, Club Help can help.
• Head to the Australian Government Business site for a step-by-step guide to marketing