SPORTS MARKETING
How Sports Can Survive The Pandemic
By Richard Wanjohi
In 1919 , as the world came to terms with the effects of the Spanish flu pandemic and the World War I , one of the areas that bounced back fastest was the world of sport . Spirited by the depression of losing their loved ones and the upended lives by the war , the populace across the world needed to find an outlet from the negativity .
Approximately a hundred years later , and the world is plunged back into a similar situation - only this time , it is largely a pandemic exacerbating most economies which were either heading into a recession if not in one already .
For most sports organizations , it has been a start-stop situation which has all but ensured most of the major sporting disciplines are cash-starved . Models have been crafted and redone to bring some semblance of sanity into the world of sport .
Picking from the post-war era of the 1920s , can and shall the world survive the pandemic ? Here-under are some 5 ways we propose to move into the next phase .
Goodwill
Most sports disciplines have a number of fans who are willing to do anything to either access the sport or participate in it too . This has been reinforced during the pandemic . Pundits say scarcity creates interest and this was witnessed towards the end of Q1 and Q2 of 2020 when most if not all sports were suspended or halted altogether . Fans were left craving for sport to resume in any form - be it the bubble or no-fans games .
The collective of any sport will remain interested in the sport if the stakeholders continue creating or sustaining the awareness in the same . For example , the Formula 1 owners had started recording off the track and behind-the-scenes activities of the sport in the TV documentary series Formula 1 - Drive to Survive in 2019 , little did they know that this would be a boon for the shortened season that was to be 2020 .
The goodwill that sports administrators and managers have been entrusted by the fans needs to be rebuilt through
The goodwill that sports administrators and managers have been entrusted by the fans needs to be rebuilt through meaningful engagements - both online and offline . For example , on resumption of in-person games , season tickets can be priced competitively to take advantage of the need to get out and commune with other sports fans . meaningful engagements - both online and offline . For example , on resumption of in-person games , season tickets can be priced competitively to take advantage of the need to get out and commune with other sports fans .
Apt Media Partners and Platforms
This cannot be over-emphasized pre and post-pandemic times . Without a great media partner , any sports organization is shooting into the unknown . More established ones like the IOC and FIFA have a trove of footage which ensures they have internal media teams .
With such content , they can leverage their visibility first by selling media rights to commercial media companies . Secondly , they can restrict the amount of content that is shared in all platforms , be it terrestrial or online as well as print media forms .
Investing in proper media properties and content works to one ’ s advantage in having archival material that can be sold at a later date . It provides a rich history of the sport and this can be sliced and diced in many ways - short video clips , docu-series as well as full-length documentaries .
With content consumption morphing into different forms too , such as streaming and live events , the favoured platform will provide a channel to share with the preferred audience , with near perfect metrics .
92 MAL42 / 21 ISSUE