Mod 5: Communication and Sport

Marketing communications

•Marketing communications are the “voice” of the brand

•Needs guidance on

•What to say

•How to say it

•When to say it

•Where to say it

IMC

•“The coordination and integration of all marketing communication tools, avenues, and sources within a company into a seamless program that maximizes the impact on customers and other stakeholders as a minimal cost.”

IMC is a strategic focus that must pervade all aspects of the organization.

Think of it as speaking in “one voice” across all touchpoints and through all medium so that fans and other stakeholders receive the same message and one that is consistent

Synergy: working together towards a shared objective

Why IMC?

• Audience fragmentation

• Competition for consumer attention

• Need to maintain consistency

  • In brand message

  • Across media

• Benefit is synergy in communications

• Challenge to coordinate multiple agencies and departments

Customers don’t distinguish between message sources like marketers do. They experience and consume it as one brand. This connects back to the Keller CBBE model where every interaction builds brand associations in memory.

IMC builds brand identity and strong customer relationships by tying together all of the company’s messages and images.

Recognize all contact points where customer may encounter the brand and deliver a consistent and positive message.

If messages are inconsistent……

If consistent…. 

If messages are inconsistent →weak brand meaning.

If consistent   →  stronger recall, trust, and loyalty.

For example, if a team promotes:

Family-friendly experience in their communications/ads but the gameday experience includes long lines, drunk or unruly fans, and poor service, how will they feel?

Before break, we talked about the service gaps model. One of the last gaps to consider is the relationship between what we communicate externally and what fans experience.

Marketing Channels

• •Controlled (owned media)

  • •Websites, mobile apps, stadium boards, advertising

• •Uncontrolled (earned media)

  • •News reports, third-party blogs, organic social media

IMC Elements

	Interactive (Top)	Passive (Bottom)
Offline (Left)	• Personal selling • Sales promotions (e.g., contests) • Direct marketing (e.g., telemarketing)	• Advertising • Sales promotions (e.g., coupons) • Public relations • Direct marketing (e.g., catalogs)
Online (Right)	• Direct marketing (e.g., mobile marketing) • Online marketing (e.g., blogs, social media)	• Direct marketing (e.g., e-mail marketing)

Quadrant Breakdown

• Interactive / Offline (Top-Left):

  • Personal selling

  • Sales promotions (e.g., contests)

  • Direct marketing (e.g., telemarketing)

• Interactive / Online (Top-Right):

  • Direct marketing (e.g., mobile marketing)

  • Online marketing (e.g., blogs, social media)

• Passive / Offline (Bottom-Left):

  • Advertising

  • Sales promotions (e.g., coupons)

  • Public relations

  • Direct marketing (e.g., catalogs)

• Passive / Online (Bottom-Right):

  • Direct marketing (e.g., e-mail marketing)

Communication Process Model Key Elements

• Sender (Left circle)

• Receiver (Right circle)

• Channel (Middle green area)

  • Message (Top yellow box)

  • Noise (Center jagged lines)

  • Feedback (Bottom yellow box)

Flow of Communication

1. Sender to Receiver (Top Flow):

   • The Sender encodes the Message.

   • The message passes through the Channel.

   • The Receiver decodes the Message.

2. Receiver to Sender (Bottom Flow):

   • The Receiver encodes the Feedback.

   • The feedback passes back through the Channel.

   • The Sender decodes the Feedback.

3. Interference:

   • Noise affects the communication within the Channel.

Quote

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.- George Bernard Shaw

Push vs. Pull

• •Pull strategy appeals to the end user

  • •Consumer seeks product/service

• •Push strategy convinces channel members to take action

  • •Distribution

Heaving reliant on sales force to communicate with middlemen/intermediaries

Message Schedule

•Continuous - Toilet Paper, Soda

•Flighting - Seasonal Products (Halloween, Camping)

•Pulsing - Products sold year round but that experience higher demand during certain periods

IMC Objectives

•Different tools have different strengths

•Communication Objectives

•Behavioral Objectives

The difference between the two is essentially changing a mind vs triggering an action

Communication objectives move a consumer through the various decision making stages. Brand awareness

Behavioral objecgives focus on tangible, observable actions taken by the consumer. Think of these like KPIs. The goal is to get the consumer to “do something.” Download via a promo code or QR code

Only setting communication objectives people might love your ads, but not actually do anything. Only behavioral objectives might result in sales spike due to promo or discount but no loyalty given the lack of a brand connection

Use communication to warm up the audience and behavioral objecties to close the deal.

Use communication objectives to “warm up” the audience and behavioral objectives to “close the deal.”

Use communication objectives to “warm up” the audience and behavioral objectives to “close the deal.”

Exposure vs Engagement

• •Exposure

  • •Low-level outcomes that can be achieved through mass distribution channels

• •Engagement

  • •Necessary to create impact with an audience; link with self-concept

IMC Equation

Consistency + Coordination + Customer Focus

Making sure everything a fan sees, hears, and experiences tells the same story.

Purchase Funnel

•The path from not knowing to becoming a paying, loyal customer.

Connect this to the importance of Price.

At the top of the funnel, pricing barely matters; The goal is just to get consumers aware of the brand and what’s going on.

In the middle, price may influence consideration;

At the bottom, when consumers are taking action, price can trigger or stop a purchase decision.

You don’t lead with price…you use price to close the deal.

AIDA Model Funnel General Axis / Indicator

AIDA Model FunnelGeneral Axis / Indicator

• Number of prospective purchasers (along the left side)

Funnel Stages & Target Groups

1. Awareness (Top Section - Purple)

   • Target / Audience Group: Market potential

2. Interest (Second Section - Dark Blue)

   • Target / Audience Group: Suspects

3. Desire (Third Section - Red)

   • Target / Audience Group: Prospects

4. Action (Bottom Section - Dark Green)

   • Target / Audience Group: Customers

Connect this to the importance of Price.

At the top of the funnel, pricing barely matters; The goal is just to get consumers aware of the brand and what’s going on.

In the middle, price may influence consideration;

At the bottom, when consumers are taking action, price can trigger or stop a purchase decision.

You don’t lead with price…you use price to close the deal.

Hierarchy of Effects Model

Sequential Stages (Steps)

1. Awareness

   
   

2. Knowledge

   
   

3. Liking

   
   

4. Preference

   
   

5. Conviction

   
   

6. Purchase

   
   

Behavioral Dimensions (Progression Arrow)

• Thinking (encompasses Awareness & Knowledge)

• Feeling (encompasses Liking, Preference, & Conviction)

• Doing (encompasses Purchase)

Creative Strategy Decisions

Core Component

• Creative Strategy Decisions (Center Circle)

Outer Components

• Message Strategy (Top Circle)

• Presentation Strategy (Bottom-Left Circle)

• Execution Strategy (Bottom-Right Circle)

Directional Connections

• Creative Strategy Decisions points to Message Strategy.

• Creative Strategy Decisions points to Presentation Strategy.

• Creative Strategy Decisions points to Execution Strategy.

Decide on what needs to be communicated and how to communicate it

No ”right” way; risks are inherent

Informational: Goal is to create awareness and associations; not necessarily intended to result in action; Examples: Season starts ”at home” on September 3rd against (insert opponent); Tickets still available for big upcoming game; Team is hosting a special event to raise awareness for infant cancer.

Emotional: Goal is to change attitude or develop some preference; Emotional appeals drive over 50% of ad likeability; Excitement, belongingness, happiness; Examples: teams that promote a big-time matchup, Like KU vs AZ on Monday night or a similar inter-conference rival; concerts following an event;

Behavioral: Incorporates a specific CTA; generate trial purchase, encourage additional purchases, or develop some level of loyalty. Often times, this plays into the concept of scarcity that is a strong persuasive factor. Examples: bobble-head night for the first 20,000 fans, perhaps it’s tied to a series of items that could build a collection;

If different segments are being targeted, different messages will be needed to appeal to the interests of each segment. Should also consider where the fan/segment is at in terms of the relationship stage with the brand.

Market team brand vs. individual star players

Home team vs. opposing team

Who has more “currency”?

Relevancy

•”Handshake” – how you get invited into a fan’s life

•Be contextually aware of what fans care about outside of the final score

Lululemon becoming a “fashion brand”; AND1; Starter;

Stickiness

•“Soulmate” – why the fan stays connected for a long time

•Things that stand out are more likely to be remembered

Think of the power of rituals; they are tied forever to an identity.

Gatorade – ”It’s in you” (Can also reference the podcast here)

Sensory branding – a sound, smell, feeling; think of jingles that immediately bring back associations

When we evaluate

Filter Test

•Does this matter to the fan “right now” while they are in line at the store? (Relevancy)

•

•Will the fan remember this tonight when talking to their friend/family? (Stickiness)

The goal of a sport communicator is to

The goal of a sport communicator is to ensure that the message feels like an invitation, not an interruption.

IMC is NOT "use every communication channel."

It's about strategically deciding which channels, messages, and timing work together to communicate something meaningful to the target customer.