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Grow Tennis ...welcoming, communicating and part of your communities. Lawn Tennis Association 18th October 2011 Svend Elkjaer Sports Marketing Network. Skål …the welcoming Retriever. Sports Marketing Network. provides thoughts, tool and to-dos on how to make sport
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Grow Tennis...welcoming, communicating and part of your communities Lawn Tennis Association 18th October 2011 Svend Elkjaer Sports Marketing Network
Sports Marketing Network provides thoughts, tool and to-dos on how to make sport vibrantthrough the activities and events it creates together with its community visibleby engaging and communicating with members, supporters, sponsors and the community viable – based on the above sport can generate sustainable income
Life is changing...is tennis adapting? • 25% of us work unsocial hours • The ‘family’ is disappearing • Wii Fit is now in more than 2 million UK homes • ASOS – Britain’s fastest growing fashion retailer (ONLINE) say their busiest time is at 9.30pm • The rise and rise of the ‘demanding’ customer • 24% of community sports clubs are making a loss
Adrenaline Alley, Corby…from chicken factory to mega urban sports centre
51.000sq ft of skateboards, BMX, inline skating, recreation room, IT suite, music practice room
Robby Sukhdeo...community tennis entrepreneur "Our mission is to offer low cost, high quality recreational opportunities for all, with tennis facilities and coaching which will offer an alternative to the traditional tennis club“
Welcoming clubs have more members and make more money • Focus on attracting new members, volunteers, partners, sponsors etc. and then make then them feel really welcome. • Your membership and revenue will then grow and long-term you will have a vibrant, visible and viable club/enterprise
Provide great coaching and consumer experiences Coaches listen and engage focus on fun and feedback vary the drills and exercises 81% of young people who left gymnastics said the clubs didn’t care 51% of Danish teenagers who leave a club keep playing that sport but in a more relaxed environment
So why are they leaving? • Boring and repetitive coaching Waiting around The same sort of activities in each session • Didn’t like the coach • No longer enjoyed it • No one listened to me • Not enough focus on the social aspects • £ = No 7
The three 2s 2 seconds 2 minutes 2 hours
What experience at your club/courts?
Enticing recreational players • Can your club be: • Flexible • Non-competitive • Cheap • Just like playing recreationally? • Need to think what else they would find attractive? How is your club better?
Customer service A Welcoming Club: • More than just a sports club • Would you have your birthday party at your club? • Note: change of pub landlord can mean 50% increase in turnover • Learn from Disney, Starbucks and Tesco • Greet and welcome newcomers
You are not ‘just tennis’ You are in the experience business
‘Ease’ them in... • Bring a friend- play doubles against another club member that has brought a friend along • Fancy dress days- eliminate worry about kit • Provide equipmentfor first month • Share lifts
Play and Stay… First visit Second visit First week Prospect gives contact info Put info in database Send email/text Phone call Ongoing First month Every 6 weeks Newsletter Birthday card Christmas card Newcomer support Follow up Prior/post visit
The WHOLE experience • Think of the whole experience of joining your club: (Moment Mapping) • Decision to attend • Seek information • Booking • Transport • Experience at your club • Do you make them love you • Follow up • Ask/listen
The customer profit Sporting experience x customer experience minus customer sacrifice = customer profit
Excellent customer service… passion or process or both?
For the community Schools Health sector University/ College Community Sports Enterprise Community groups Housing Association Police Fire Service Council Local businesses Other clubs
Develop relationships with • local residents • associations/groups (Faith, hobby, youth, arts, unions, school, health, activity, etc.) • local institutions (Schools, parks, libraries, police, health, businesses etc.) Use Connectors
Shared Value for sports clubs and other activity providers A new kind of partnership, in which both the club and the community contribute directly to the strengthening and development of each other
Gaelic sport for the community “GAA is a volunteer led, community based organisation that promotes the indigenous games of hurling and Gaelic football etc.” 1 million members
Tennis in a roundabout • in the park • on the beach • in the street • in the shopping centre • in the office • Go where people are, engage with them and then welcome them
The 13 steps for creating shared value • Open your minds • Discuss and agree what is your purpose • Be prepared to be challenged. • Be open to new skills, users/members, volunteers and partners • Do an audit of what you are doing with/for the community • Draw up a list of your current and potential community partners, their needs, your skills and contacts • Design activities around community needs • Identify Connectors both within and outside your club • Work out how to collaborate with other groups • Organise the Big Launch • Take your club to your communities • Set up a CSH steering group • Invite ideas and suggestions, set in action and then follow up
People trust, rely and act on advice from people they know • 90% spouses • 82% friends • 69% colleagues • 27% retailers/manufacturers • 8% celebrities
Korfball 1m views Underwater hockey 500,000 views
Ilkley Cycling Club – from 0 to 500 members in 4 months – all online
Stay in touch... • Anybody you get in contact with MUST be asked for contact details (raffle for restaurant vouchers etc.) • Set up contact management database ACT 10 costs approx. £ 175. Managed by local IT student • Edited programme notes are emailed to database • Mobile numbers are texted from computer • Campaign: Text your mobile number and win!
Create an online tribe where friends, members, fans, never-beens, community, etc. can chat, learn, get involved… whenever and wherever they want
SMN’s 4Com model Community Marketing– Packaging the passion COMmunity COMmunication WelCOMing COMputer
COMmunity Become a focal point within your community and go to the places, from schools to Women’s Institutes, wherever your target audiences are
COMmunication People are being bombarded with literally hundreds of messages every day Flyers in libraries or inside sports centres, have very little effect Develop strong and relevant communication programmes Speak their language