Q: What are some of the toughest challenges you’ve had to tackle since games have been paused, and how have you overcome them?
This isn’t been unique to our industry, but the human element has been the most confronting. A significant proportion of the AFL industry – across clubs, grassroots and head office – was stood down at the end of March, and a significant proportion are yet to return to work. Those that remained have been on reduced hours, which has presented a challenge in navigating what we can deliver for the organisation without the full team and hours to use. There’s been no shortage of enthusiasm and ideas as to what we could do through the shutdown, but the focus has been on prioritizing what we can deliver, and what is going to have the most impact in two of our key strategic areas through this time – engaging and retaining our members and fans; and driving revenue outcomes through providing value to our commercial partners. Integrating our commercial partners further into our digital content and activations further has been a slow-burning project for us, but through necessity, this was accelerated in a matter of weeks. Operationally there has been the adaptation to remote working, but we’ve found our rhythm through Teams and Zoom to keep communicating and collaborating while physically apart.
Q: Explain your proudest/most successful fan engagement campaign or strategy you’ve activated since games have been paused; what were the results?
A: Working with creative agency Spike Creative, and Tradable Bits we launched our Virtual Cheer Squad initiative, providing our members with the opportunity to have a cardboard cutout created in their likeness to be placed behind the goals at our home games while there are no crowds. With the generous support of our partner PEDIGREE, we were able to offer this free and exclusive to our members. Through a five-day social and direct promotional campaign, members were encouraged to upload their photos via the Tradable Bits platform using the photo contest activation. We had some tight deadlines to ensure we could get to print and ready for our first home game, but filled all 1000 places, were pleased with the conversion rate on traffic to the activation (~13%) and provided a substantial brand integration opportunity for one of our newest commercial partners both in the communications to our members and peripheral branding through the match broadcast.
Q: What’s valuable advice you’ve heard from someone you think might resonate with your sports marketing peers?
A: Through the isolation period I have been completing ADMA’s Marketing Masterclass with Mark Ritson, and a quote of Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter that was shared is one that has really resonated with me:
“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.”
At a time when in many industries there is a scarcity of resources, the way this was framed really cut through. Determining what content you don’t create, which tactical activations you don’t do, what audiences you don’t communicate with, and what objectives are deleted. We can’t do it all, and having a framework or guide that clearly articulates what you do and don’t do will be really important to ensure the work you are doing is most meaningful and driving outcomes that impact the whole business.
During uncertain times, it can be tricky to engage fans. It has been incredible seeing how sports organizations have been able to engage their fans despite games being on pause and league openings delayed.