Increasing Attendance Rates by Developing Game Events and Communication Tools Case: Tampereen Pyrintö Basketball
Bachelor’s Thesis
Degree Programme of International Business
Autumn 2018
Toni Savino
1 ABSTRACT
International Business Valkeakoski
Author Toni Savino Year 2018
Title Katsojamäärien kasvattaminen kehittämällä ottelutapahtumia ja markkinointikeinoja: Case Tampereen Pyrintö
Supervisor(s) Merja Helin
TIIVISTELMÄ
Opinnäytetyön toimeksiantaja oli miesten Korisliiga-joukkue Tampereen Pyrintö ja työn tavoite oli tutkia, kuinka he voisivat kehittää ottelutapahtumiaan ja markkinointiaan, jotta kotiotteluiden katsojamääriä saataisiin nostettua ja niiden viihdearvoa parannettua.
Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin myös, kuinka Pyrinnön fanit kokevat seuran sosiaalisen median markkinoinnin, mitä media- ja ottelutapahtumasisältöä he toivoisivat enemmän sekä mistä sosiaalisista medioista he toivoisivat saavan enemmän tietoa joukkueesta ja otteluista.
Teoriaosuuden alku sisältää markkinoinnin suunnittelun ja asiakassegmentoinnin. Lisäksi tarkasteltiin organisaatioiden viestintämenetelmiä, urheilumarkkinoinnin käytäntöjä ja toimintaperiaatteita sekä niiden toteuttamista Suomessa. Lopuksi tarkasteltiin sosiaalista mediaa, sen käyttöä markkinoinnin tukena ja sen hyödyntämistä nykypäivänä.
Työn tutkimusosuus toteutettiin kvantitatiivisena tutkimuksena kyselylomakkeella. Lomake julkaistiin sähköisenä Pyrinnön kotisivuilla ja sosiaalisissa medioissa ja siihen vastasi yhteensä 435 henkilöä.
Vastaukset antoivat tietoa Pyrinnön kannattajien mieltymyksistä sosiaalisen median ja ottelutapahtumien osalta sekä siitä, kuinka Pyrintö onnistuu tiedotuksessaan. Osia vastausdatasta analysoitiin myös keskenään, jolloin saatiin syvällisempää tietoa eri sukupuolten sekä seurasuhderyhmien toivomuksista ja preferensseistä.
Avainsanat urheilumarkkinointi, ottelutapahtuma, sosiaalisen median markkinointi, sosiaalinen media, katsojamäärä
Sivut 41 sivua, joista liitteitä 5 sivua
1 ABSTRACT
International Business Valkeakoski
Author Toni Savino Year 2018
Subject Increasing Attendance Rates by Developing Game Events and Communication Tools: Case Tampereen Pyrintö
Supervisor(s) Merja Helin
ABSTRACT
The thesis was made for Tampereen Pyrintö Basketball club. The objective was to examine how Pyrintö could attract more attendance to their home games through marketing and furthermore how to improve the entertainment level at game events. The study also investigates what supporters think about Pyrintö’s social media presence, what kind of media and game event content they desire more of as well as on which social medias they prefer to find information about the team and games.
The beginning of the theoretical framework dealt with marketing planning and customer segmentation and continues with organizational communication and sports marketing practices, including both its principles and its utilization in Finland. The final part consisted of how social media can be used in marketing and how it can be utilized in business.
The research was conducted by using a quantitative research method. The data was collected with an online questionnaire that was shared on Pyrintö’s website and their social media channels. Altogether, 435 persons responded to the questionnaire.
The results gave information about respondents’ preferences regarding social media and game events, and how Pyrintö is succeeding in its marketing. Certain questions were cross-analyzed in order to gather more comprehensive data about differences in preferences between the genders and concerning their relationship to Pyrintö.
Keywords Sports marketing, game event, social media marketing, social media, attendance
Pages 41 pages including appendices 5 pages
2 CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Purpose of the thesis ...... 1 1.2 Research problem and objectives ...... 2 1.3 Structure of the thesis ...... 2
2 THE ORGANIZATION AND BACKGROUND ...... 3 2.1 Tampereen Pyrintö ...... 3 Tampereen Pyrintö Basketball ...... 3 2.2 Development of attendance in Korisliiga ...... 4
3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...... 5 3.1 Marketing planning ...... 5 Segmentation ...... 6 Communication ...... 7 3.2 Sports event marketing ...... 9 3.3 Social media and marketing...... 13 Digital marketing ...... 13 Social media ...... 14 How to utilize social media in marketing ...... 17
4 SURVEY ...... 19 4.1 Quantitative research ...... 19 4.2 Survey analysis ...... 20 Background information ...... 20 Marketing, ticket prices and preferences ...... 23 4.3 Cross analysis ...... 31
5 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 36
6 CONCLUSION ...... 39
REFERENCES ...... 41
Appendices Appendix 1 Marketing Questionnaire
3 1
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose of the thesis
The client’s, Tampereen Pyrintö Basketball, general objective is to increase their home game attendance by attracting the current fans, the club’s own juniors and also new customers by targeting external and internal communication towards them. The purpose of this is to create a free time activity and a meeting place, where the people could enjoy their leisure time and be a part of the community by supporting their own local basketball team.
Competition about people’s time is intense nowadays as people are offered lots of different possibilities for their busy lifestyle. Live broadcast sports events are easy to follow anywhere at any time either with a monthly payment or via illegal streams. (PWC, 2017.) These factors are not only problems for Pyrintö but also for other sports events and organizations that battle to persuade both current and potential customers to attend games. A lot of Pyrintö season ticket holders are people who have been attending games for over 20 years. Furthermore, supporter culture has decreased at Pyrintö games compared to what it used to be in the beginning of the decade. (Elisa Hakanen, personal communication 09.06.2018.)
The content in Pyrintö and Korisliiga game events has in general little variation as basketball marketing and event budgets are relatively small in Finland, especially when compared to ice hockey (Suomikoris, 2017; Liiga, 2017). Therefore, clubs have to rely on the game entertainment itself. The financial aspects limit the options but there is a demand for more varied events by borrowing ideas from for example the NBA. Currently Pyrintö game events offer music, an announcer and junior cheerleading shows during game breaks. Food and snacks are offered at three concession stands and a “Food Corner” with varying restaurants providing food. Additionally, there is a VIP-lounge for cooperation partners and special guests.
According to Pyrintö’s sports director Elisa Hakanen (personal communication 09.06.2018.) the current marketing strategy directs marketing towards all age groups and no particular target segmentation has been done. Marketing is carried out by advertising upcoming home games in the local newspaper Aamulehti and on the local Radio Fun Tampere. Internet marketing is focusing on the club’s own website and its Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages. Apart from the above mentioned there is no other marketing.
The life of Finnish people is nowadays increasingly focused around the Internet, smartphones, television, while other leisure activities besides school and work have less importance. (TNS-Gallup, 2017.) A Tilastokeskus (2017) survey reveals that it is typical for people of ages between 16 and 64 to use the Internet multiple times a day. Moreover, it is 2
common that the Internet is used with smartphones or tablets. The study reports that especially in the age groups between 16 and 44, people spend a lot of time on the Internet and with smartphones. Hence, reaching them is more effective and faster via social media, when compared to other mainstream medias like television or radio.
It is typical for the youth to use media channels where they can define and specify the content to match their own interests. Therefore, it is possible for the person to only follow and like the specific channels that interests the user. As a result, by people being able to choose their own media content, social media has increased its popularity, especially among the young. (Gottfried, J & Shearer, E; 2017.)
1.2 Research problem and objectives
The author’s objective is to answer the topic, which is “Increasing attendance rates by developing game events and marketing tools” and figure out what kinds of internal and external communication tools should be implemented to efficiently reach out to both existing and new audiences. A second objective is to map out some possible factors in sports events that may have an effect on the attendance rate. Customer preferences were studied in a survey in order to discover the most crucial factors that might affect their interest in attending games.
According to these aspects the author is attempting to provide recommendations for Pyrintö. With these recommendations the club’s intention is to improve marketing and game events and to choose the best approaches to increase media awareness. The club is striving to create a feel of community and a past time activity for both current and potential customers. Consequently, the obtained information from customers would hopefully enable an increased ticket revenue and create a “We”-spirit for future generations.
1.3 Structure of the thesis
The thesis consists of three parts that strives to solve the research problem. The first part comprises of a theoretical framework that includes marketing planning, segmentation, marketing communication, sports event marketing and the use of social media in marketing. The second part consists of the survey and an analysis of the results. The survey was done as a questionnaire in order to attain information about the respondents’ preferences. The analysis part examines the responses in order to provide a base for the third part, where the objective is to give the client recommendations to improve game events and marketing. 3
2 THE ORGANIZATION AND BACKGROUND
2.1 Tampereen Pyrintö
Tampereen Pyrintö is a Finnish multi-sport club from Tampere. The club was founded in 1896 and its main purpose is to promote recreational activities within the Tampere area. The objective of this is that as many as possible would find an interest in competitive sports at the highest level. Furthermore, the members would take part in administrative and coaching activities beside their own hobby. (Tampereen Pyrintö, 2018a.)
Nowadays there are eight sections in Pyrintö; cheerleading, skiing, basketball, ski jumping, weightlifting, speed skating, orienteering, and athletics. Earlier in history there used to be other sports as well, like ice- hockey and pesäpallo. (Tampereen Pyrintö, 2018a.)
The organization is known as a major national and international sports event organizer. In the 2000’s the club has arranged, Kalevan Kisat (2008), European Athletics U23 Championship (2013), Finland-Sweden Athletics International (2016, 2018) and IAAF World U20 Championships (2018). Other major events organized by the club are the Tampere half marathon, Delfin Basket international basketball tournament, Grano- games in orienteering, Rönni weightlifting competition and Tampere Junior Indoor Games in athletics. (Tampereen Pyrintö, 2018a.)
Tampereen Pyrintö Basketball
The men’s team plays in Korisliiga, the highest tier in Finnish basketball. The basketball section was founded in 1941 and it operated as Pyrbasket between the years 1996-2005. The men’s team has been playing in the highest tier since 1952. (Basket.fi, 2018)
During this over 60-year period, it has won three national championships (2010, 2011, 2014), five silvers (1958, 1980, 1981, 2001, 2016), one bronze (2009) and two Finnish Cups (1969, 2013). During the 2010’s the team has been very successful except in the years 2015 and 2017, when the team only reached the first round in playoffs. (Basket.fi, 2018)
There are over 700 junior basketball players and over 70 coaches at the club. Most of the coaches are volunteers or part-time. In the number of licensed players, Pyrintö is the largest club outside the Helsinki area. (Elisa Hakanen, personal communication 09.06.2018; Basket.fi, 2017)
Moreover, Pyrintö has had a developing team in the men’s 1st division since 2011, and a women’s basketball team that plays in the national 1st 4
division, the second highest league right below the top league, Naisten Korisliiga.
The men’s first team’s revenue streams come from sponsors, tickets, club merchandise, concession stands during games and yearly grants from the city of Tampere. Merchandise is sold at the club’s main office and during home games. Pyrintö’s turnover for the season 2018-2019 is 400 000 euros. 40 percent of it comes from the game events and consists of ticket revenues and sales from concession stands. 35 percent comes from cooperation partner funding and 25 percent is grants from the city and the club.
A single home game ticket costs 13 euros for adults, 9 euros for pensioners and 6 euros for the students and youth (under 16 years of age). Tickets can be bought in advance at the club’s main office or on the Internet and at the arena entrance. Season tickets cost from 150 to 240 euros. (Tampereen Pyrintö, 2018b.)
2.2 Development of attendance in Korisliiga
After Pyrintö’s latest championship in 2013-2014 the following 2014- 2015 season had the highest average of 966 spectators, while the previous year’s average was 901. Interest in the league champion helped the average grow by 65. After a few less successful seasons the attendance had decreased by over 100 in the season 2017-2018 down to 859. Figure 1. compares the mean average of seasons 2013-2017 to the average of 2017-2018, showing a 7.5% decline for Pyrintö. Consequently, the curve shows that there has been less people attending Pyrintö games during the less successful seasons. 5 KORISLIIGA KATSOJAMÄÄRÄT 2013-2018
2013-2014* 2014-2015* 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 BC NOKIA 21,7 % 281 328 703 710 615
ESPOO 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016* * 2016-2017* 2017-2018 3,1 % UNITED 760 623 229 393 517
HELSINKI 2013-2014* 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 0,2 % SEAGULLS 589 1117 1001 908 906
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 KATAJA BASKET -18,2 % 1096 1012 1038 947 838
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 KAUHAJOKI 7,7 % 781 845 844 875 901
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 KOBRAT 3,1 % 506 626 627 666 625
2013-2014 2014-2015* 2015-2016* 2016-2017 2017-2018 KORIHAIT -22,4 % 635 752 609 742 531
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 KOUVOT -4,7 % 952 1080 1214 1138 1044
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 KTP-BASKET -15,8 % 1165 1119 997 916 883
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 SALON VILPAS 37,0 % 975 970 1215 1594 1628
TAMPEREEN 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 -7,5 % PYRINTÖ 901 966 950 899 859
2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 KORISLIIGA -5,8 % 824 903 939 941 850
Prosenttiluku ilmaisee pelikauden 2017-18 keskiarvon kehittymisen suhteessa pelikausien 2013-17 katsojakeskiarvoihin. Figure 1. Development of attendance averages by Korisliiga teams 2013- 2018 (Westerholm, T. 2018)
The figure shows that the average attendance rate in Korisliiga has been growing annually from 2013 until 2017. The average attendance of the season 2016-2017 was 941, the highest average in the history of Korisliiga. The previous record was set during the season 2015-2016 when the average was 939. As the graph indicates, the season 2017-2018 saw a decline in the average attendance down to 850. (Suomen Koripalloliitto 2018).
3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This thesis aims to provide recommendations for Pyrintö to make their home game events more attracting for their customers and a theoretical framework of marketing planning and sports marketing provides a guideline for the interpretation of survey results in order to present valid conclusion.
3.1 Marketing planning
The planning of marketing begins by analyzing the organization’s current state and the operational environment. It unveils in what state the organization is currently, what has been achieved and where it should go in the future. This creates a basis for the strategy, which marketing procedures can be justified with. To achieve the objectives, it is necessary 6
to meet the customer according to a corporate strategy. Essential operations in marketing always require thorough monitoring and keeping track of results and comparing them to the goals. Successful marketing also requires that the organization collects reliable information about changes in its environment. (Raatikainen 2005, 58.)
A starting point analysis investigates the organization’s current state and explores the factors that may affect the success of the organization in the future. Based on the analysis, it can be easier to gather important and relevant data for the organization in order to make better decisions. The objective is to map out as many as possible the organization’s opportunities and threats to minimize bad decisions. (Raatikainen 2005, 61.)
Following the starting point analysis, the organization has to determine the target audience for marketing, which is done with segmentation. According to Bergström & Leppänen (2015, 133.) the current view of segmentation can be defined as a search for customer groups and choosing them as marketing targets and learning their values and needs by understanding the customers. Consequently, the aim is to satisfy them better and in more profitable ways compared to competitors. A segment is a customer group where customers have at least one common characteristic in their buying behavior. The most essential mission of segmentation is to generate profitable and functional customer relations through a customer-oriented approach.
Segmentation
Customers have different values and needs as well as different ways to operate in the markets. It is not possible for the organization to satisfy every need of every customer and it would not even be profitable, therefore the organization should strive to find the most suitable customer base for itself. When the concept of segmentation was formed it used to mean who marketing was targeted at as the product was already a given factor. Hence, the only mission of marketing was to find the most favorable target group for the product. This view may be seen as old fashioned along with today’s understanding of the concept of marketing. (Bergström & Leppänen, 2015, 132.)
Usually when doing segmentation, it is often forgotten that a segment does not mean a customer. A segment is a target group that the organization wishes to have as clients. The idea is to not exclude any group but instead to find a target group from the market that feels the product or service is meant for them. (Rope 2005, 46.)
A segment is in other words a customer target group that an organization wants to direct marketing at and which the organization wants to acquire as new customers. The purpose of segmentation is to find a most suitable target group so that it could generate the best possible outcome for the organization. The goal of the organization is to utilize its resources and 7
knowledge after choosing a segment and targeting it on the chosen group. (Rope 2000, 153.) Ylikoski (2000, 46.) further defines segmentation as an opposite concept of mass marketing, where the whole customer base is considered as one entity. In mass marketing the same marketing functions are focused on each customer independent of their individual needs. (Ylikoski 2000, 46.)
Bergström & Leppänen (2015) on the other hand states that segmentation is not only the defining of target groups as it is often understood. It is a process, which comprises of examining the market and the customers’ buying behavior as well as choosing target groups and a marketing plan that is planned and executed according to the needs of the client groups. (Bergström & Leppänen, 135, 2015). Jokinen, Heinämaa & Heikkonen (2000, 20.) adds that demographic factors including age, gender and location are not enough anymore as organizations need information about the customers’ values and their attitudes towards consuming, offered products and consumer lifestyle.
According to Rope (2005, 47-48) segmentation strives to find a customer group that is:
1. The most favorable for the organization 2. Close enough 3. Compatible with the strengths of the organization 4. Consistent with the economical resources of the organization 5. Fluent and reasonable for the organization.
Marketing segmentation is based on the idea that it is not profitable for an organization try to handle the whole market, but instead favor smaller and more profitable groups. By focusing the supply towards smaller and more profitable groups the organization will most likely achieve better results than by trying to serve the clientele as a whole. (Rope 2000, 153-154.)
Rope (2005, 46) says that “a everything for everyone” based pattern practically stands for “nothing for nobody”. The already mentioned examples are important when planning a more focused marketing. There cannot be only one marketing channel or procedure by which the organization is trying to reach and serve then whole larger segment. In cases, where an organization cannot reach its target audience, the organization cannot focus its marketing towards favorable segments or develop its products and services based on the needs of a segment (Rope, T. 2005, 46). Pyrintö’s objective is to divide its audience into smaller segments and to consider what kinds of tricks it should use to reach certain target groups in order to achieve the best possible outcome.
Communication
Following the segmentation process, the next objective is to find a strategy for communicating with customers. Isohookana (2007, 190) says that in communication, the primary focus for an organization is to communicate its own actions outwards to its stakeholders, consisting of mass media, 8 shareholders, owners, public authorities, municipalities, the general public and others.
Communication is divided into two types, organizational and marketing communication, which are only separated from each other by two factors: their target groups and their goals. Organizational communication stands for interaction between the organization and its stakeholders, hence attempting to create and maintain the popularity of the organization. Marketing communication instead aims to popularize and sell the products and services. (Isohookana 2007, 190.)
When communication is comprehensive it may help to create a competitive advantage. Marketing communication informs about products and services, maintains relations with customers and other operators within the market. The objective of communication is to promote the organization and stay in touch with its stakeholders. Communication with the public is a major part of the success and competitiveness of the organization. (Isohookana, 2007, 9.)
Communication is most essential in creating visualizations and generating purchases. It makes the organization and its whole selection visible and is a way to communicate its existence, products, services, purchase locations and prices so that its stakeholders are able to find it and do business with it. A communication stage has four forms that includes advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations. (Bergström & Leppänen 2015, 300.) Vuokko (2003, 17.) also includes publicity and sponsorship to the list.
Understanding the customer is the basis of marketing communication. Therefore, a marketer needs to study the media behavior of the target audience and how possible buyers are reached most efficiently. Different customership stages require different approaches and communication is adapted according to the customer’s circumstances. An example of this is whether the customer already has a need for the product or whether he or she needs to be evoked towards the purchase. All in all, marketing communication does not only have one correct pattern for the best outcome. Hence, a marketer should try different approaches and monitor the outcomes. (Bergström & Leppänen 2015, 301.)
In marketing communication, it is essential to set tangible goals that are defined by the marketing objectives. The objectives of marketing communication are to make the organization and its products popular, affecting customers’ attitudes, improving the organizational image, achieving profitable sales, creating and improving customer relations. (Lahtinen & Isoviita 2001, 172)
According to Lahtinen & Isoviita (2001, 171) marketing always includes unintentional communication, like the behavior of employees, premises and uncontrollable popularity. Marketing communication can be divided into informative and suggestive communication. Informative communication transmits information about products, prices, payment 9
conditions and availability and its objective is to reduce uncertainty in possible customers. Suggestive communication on the other hand strives to affect attitudes by appealing emotionally, for example by the aid of music, lights, sound effects and headings.
Lahtinen & Isoviita (2001, 172) lists the following as marketing channels: · Magazines, newsletters, brochures and billboards · TV, radio, movies and videos · Phone and internet · Personal meetings and customer events · Event marketing and product placement
3.2 Sports event marketing
Sports is an important economical segment and it has a significant importance in Finnish economy. It employs thousands of people directly and indirectly. (Alaja 2000, 26.) Sportsmen, especially successful ones have always been highly respected in Finland, as can be seen in a survey made by Finnish national broadcaster Yle, where 10 sportsmen were on the list of 100 greatest Finns. (Yle, 2004.)
In Finnish sports many organizations are either lacking money or in economic distress and a lot of professional clubs have gone bankrupt in recent years. (Alaja 2000, 27.) It is also common that marketing jobs are filled with persons who do not have proper education or previous experience in the field. Typical examples are former athletes who have ended their careers and started working for the same organization where they retired. (Suomalainen, T. 2017.)
Business plays a huge role in professional sports at the highest level and it is not only entertainment and sports anymore but also pure business. Entertainment has stabilized its position in sports and can therefore be compared to cultural entertainment. In other words, it is nowadays crucial to provide the customer with entertainment and not only sports. Entertainment is a large business sector, but the majority of Finnish sports organizations operate on a small, humble and non-commercial level. (Alaja 2000, 27.)
Marketers in sports entertainment are required knowledge in both sports business and event planning, which has created a demand for specialized expertise focused specifically on sports marketing. As a combination of the concepts “sports” and “marketing” it is, according to Schwartz & Hunter (2008, 13-14.), “a procedure of developing and implementing activities related to the production, pricing, distribution, promotion and advertising of a sport product”. Sports products include everything from sports nutrition and food to club merchandise and ticket packages. The objective of this is to meet consumers’ expectations as well as their needs and wants, to accomplish the objectives and be more successful than the competitors in order to maximize a club’s potential. In consequence, 10 certain complex characteristics of the sports products make it one-of-a- kind.
Sports marketing is characterized by uncontrollability and unexpectability at the same time, which makes marketing in sports challenging. Sports events include many variables, such as the energy level of players, injuries, weather, actions of the referees and the crowd. The leading team might lose a game against the bottom team, the referee can terminate the game for a number of reasons or the best player can be injured. Surprising things can happen in sports and the marketers cannot be prepared nor do they have any power over things that might negatively affect the business point of view. (Alaja 2000, 28.)
Consumers can be mentioned as a part of the sports event because they contribute to the success level of the event by attending the services offered by the organizer. Moreover, the social aspect of sports come along with it as it brings people together. Game performance is followed together with associates and the progress of the game is discussed with others. The attendance and atmosphere contribute to the in-game experience of the customer. (Alaja 2000, 28-29.)
The social aspects are also emphasized by Schwartz & Hunter (2008, 19), which refers to conducted research saying that social recognition and connection with a team have a big impact on the decision to attend sports events. The research states that less than 2% of the spectators attend sports events alone. Therefore, marketers need to develop activities that encourage larger groups to attend, which would promote customer satisfaction. McDonald, Milne & Hong (2002, 103-104) add that supporters want to feel being a part of the team’s success in order to participate in their successful efforts. Spectators also have a sense of personal achievement along with the success of their own favorite team.
At the same time following sports is an individual experience that evokes personal emotions. As a product, sport events never occur in the same way and the outcome is unexpected every time. One of the challenges is that a sports product in the form of an event is produced and consumed simultaneously. Consequently, the event must be sold in advance by persuading the customer to believe that the event will be exciting enough to attend. It is also said that every aspect and performance in the game affects customer satisfaction and whether the customer sees value for the money spent. The marketer does not have any impact on the performances in sports events. (Schwartz & Hunter 2008, 19-20.)
This is one aspect that makes sports marketing different compared to the marketing of traditional consumer and manufactured goods. Normally, marketers have influence on the product from its development to production and output, but contrary to traditional marketing the schedules and gamedays are not only decided from marketing standpoints. Instead of the core product, the role of a marketer is to concentrate on developing byproducts and services in a way that the consumer’s needs are satisfied. (Alaja 2000, 29.) 11
As marketers have little or no impact on the primary product, they have to use product extensions to persuade the core product onto the public. An example of a product extension is merchandise. Product extensions are used by organizations to increase sales revenues on the side of the main product. (Schwartz & Hunter 2008, 21.)
As mentioned, the core product in sports marketing is always the event itself, hence expertise in event marketing is essential in marketing sports. Vallo & Häyrinen (2008, 19) describe event marketing as the goal- oriented activity to connect an organization and its target segment around the chosen idea in an interactive way to form a functional entity. Any event that brings an organization’s functions and its potential customers together in an interactive way can be called event marketing. The definition itself stands for the strategic long-term plan activity where the community or the organization uses unforgettable events to communicate with chosen target segments and encounters its stakeholders in a planned situation.
Event planning comprises a planning stage, an execution stage and an after marketing stage. Being proactive and planning events early enough is crucial. A Finnish proverb also says that something well planned is half done. It is necessary to have the same people who implement the event plans involved already in the beginning. It makes possible to gain different perspectives and ideas, and at the same time it commits the organizers more efficiently to the goals. Hence, increases the chances of a successful event. (Vallo & Häyrinen 2008, 147-148.)
Execution of the planning stage is dependent on the type of organization and its objecives. The objective of a commercial organization is to gain a competitive advantage with the help of event marketing in order to stand out from competitors. Fruitful and memorable events of high quality are needed to create a unique image in the minds of customers, personnel and other partners. The goal of a non-commercial organization instead is to make its activities known, gain more members and to have the members take part in the organization’s activities in order to show its purpose to a bigger audience. (Vallo & Häyrinen, 2008, 28-29.)
Succeeding in organizing an event requires succeeding in all parts and elements, and one of the most important things is marketing. The goal of marketing is to sell the event because even if a high-quality event has no audience, it will easily fail. Consequently, the economical aspect of the event will fall short, revenue objectives are not reached, and the event may generate operating losses. Event marketing and informing should be a task for personnel from the organizing entity. (Kauhanen, Juurakko & Kauhanen, 2002, 113.)
It is important that event marketing is also a part of the marketing strategy as a goal-oriented activity that builds or strengthens the image of an organization or a brand’s products and services. Furthermore, events have to be connected with other marketing procedures and each event has to 12 have a clear target group and objective. Events are supposed to be coherent and attached to other marketing objectives that are planned and executed carefully. (Vallo & Häyrinen 2008, 20.) It must also be noted that the more concrete the objective of the event is, the easier it is to measure the level of success after the implementation. (Vallo & Häyrinen 2008, 22-23.)
According to Vallo and Häyrinen (2008, 22-23), an event must always have at least one of the following objectives attached to a marketing plan: · To foster the organization’s image · To obtain visibility · To reaffirm existing customer relations · To introduce and sell products or services · To obtain new customers or affiliates · To motivate, educate or train own staff · To cultivate the soil for sales of products and services.
An event with audience must have spectators and visibility, although when setting audience and visibility objectives one needs to be realistic. If the organizers do not have any personal experience in the topic, they should study and acquire the knowledge about it. The organizer needs to estimate a certain audience rate when budgeting the event regardless if the event is paid or free of charge. Estimating realistic attendance rates is challenging, but it is one of the essential parts in budgeting. (Kauhanen et. al 2002, 46- 47.)
When setting the attendance objectives for any event that is organized for the first time it is reasonable to take into account attendance rates in similar events. These figures reveal some facts, but a straight comparison should be avoided, especially if the event is organized for the first time. The same fact applies when the event has already been organized before but it is now arranged in a different place or date. (Kauhanen et. al 2002, 47.)
Kauhanen et. al (2002, 113) suggest that the following things should be taken into consideration when marketing an event: · Target group · Image and contents of the event · Sales channel · Ticket price · Competing events · Date.
The event should be marketed to the right target audience with the correct image, for a reasonable price and while taking competing factors into account. Nowadays age, income level or residence do not necessarily specify a person’s taste in music, art or their interest in world-class stars. When the right audience has been well considered the information of the event needs to be delivered to them and moreover to create circumstances so that event tickets can be purchased as easily as possible. (Kauhanen et. al 2002, 113.) 13
Execution stage is the moment where the plan and the arrangement are actualized. At this stage the organizers need to be aware and conscious of their own role and share in the event. Succeeding requires seamless cooperation from different parties. (Vallo & Häyrinen 2008, 153.) After marketing starts right after an event. It consists of collecting feedback about the event, which is then analyzed so that the organizer is able to do a summary and learn from it. From these learnings and observations, it is easy to start planning the next event. Consequently, event marketing is a continuous learning process and it develops knowledge capital. (Vallo & Häyrinen 2008, 168.)
The utilization of the learnings and collected data, such as the scope of visibility of previous events is essential when planning future events. Kauhanen et. al (2002, 47) indicate that visibility can be divided into four levels for a more precise planning: local, regional, national and international. In the end of the project end report it is advisable to evaluate the achieved extent of visibility and which practices were applied to achieve it. When planning the next possible event, it facilitates the focusing of information and marketing towards the proper audience.
Visibility and the audience are also essential factors when negotiating with cooperation partners and sponsors about funding. If the event is organized for the first time it is additionally crucial to demonstrate an execution plan and an initial budget. Competitive advantage is gained in negotiating when there are already existing numbers and results from previous events. Moreover, it is beneficial to know what kind of people the audience comprises of. This information is precious for the event organizer in improving marketing as well as in finding suitable sponsors and investors. (Kauhanen et. al 2002, 48.)
3.3 Social media and marketing
Theories of digital and social media marketing are needed in this thesis due to the client’s concerns and lack of information in this area. Its base works as a guide in reading the survey results in order to give more sufficient recommendations for Pyrintö. The client’s purpose is to develop its marketing expertise regarding social media and further to increase its popularity among current fans, while also gaining new customers.
Digital marketing
Digital marketing communication is commonly defined as all marketing communication that is done in digital form or media. In other words, it means utilizing new digital media and forms, such as the Internet, mobile media and other interactive channels in marketing communication. The most common digital marketing channels are e-mails and text messages, the organization’s websites, online advertising, such as banners and search engine marketing. Furthermore, there are other forms like viral marketing, advertising games, social media, mobile marketing, and online seminars 14
and competitions. For example, nowadays advertisers are pondering how to exploit the social nature of the Internet in marketing communication via social media services. (Karjaluoto 2010, 13-14.)
All this suggests that the principles and the definitions of marketing communication both apply to digital marketing as well. Digital marketing communication is just a new form of communication that captures the target audience more cost-efficiently. It works best with existing customer relations, for example in customer relationship marketing. That is to say that if the target groups are using the Internet and mobile media, then also advertisers are keen to be visible and operate there. (Karjaluoto 2010, 14.)
Traditional Integrated marketing: marketing: Obtaining Retaining new existing customers customers Mass Selected marketing communication Monologue Dialogue Sending Asking for information information Hard selling Soft selling Selling the Trust for the brand brand Transaction- Relationship- oriented oriented Figure 2. Traditional marketing vs. Integrated marketing communication (Karjaluoto 2010, 17)
Here Karjaluoto (2010, 17-18) only compares differences between traditional and integrated marketing, but most of the differences also apply between digital and classic marketing style. Modern integrated marketing is often connected to new media platforms, such as social media. Studies suggest that the audience is expecting communication that is relevant and more focused towards them. From a marketing communication aspect, a more personal and supportive customer relation is desirable and it begins from the receiver’s point of view.
Social media
A social media, in other words an interactive network, is an ambiguous term as it has many varieties and distinct meanings. Consequently, it is challenging to find a straightforward definition for the term. Juslén (2011, 197) defines it as an environment that is created with the aid of newest web technology, where an audience can publish, share and edit distinct kinds of content. Furthermore, it is a place where the audience can join together with other people and cherish their relations by exploiting various ways of communication. 15
Korpi (2010, 7-8) in turn defines social media as a public site that has conveniently accessible content for an audience. These public sites should have relevant information for a reader and enable the reader to give added value by taking part in conversations. This implies that the readers either comment on published content by other persons or publishes their own content, which is then commented on by other people.
A third definition of social media separates the terms social and media from each other. The term social stands for an interrelation between humans where information is received and shared from other parties. The term media instead implies a communication channel, for example the Internet or radio. By combining these two terms, social media gets its definition as an online communication channel. Moreover, it enables communication between humans through sharing and receiving information. (Lifewire, 2017.)
The popularity of social media is a universal phenomenon and it also applies to Finland. Younger age groups in Finland are easily reached via social media platforms but older people as an emerging group have nowadays also embraced social media as a part of their lives. Therefore, social media reachability of older age groups has also gotten easier these days.
As reported in a Tilastokeskus study in 2017, the popularity of social media has grown in Finland too and it is projected to grow in the upcoming years. The information- and communications technology usage of people between the ages 16-89 were studied and it shows that 77 percent of individuals owned a smart phone and it is the most favored device for internet usage. Additionally, approximately 60 percent of the participators actively followed different social media channels. (Tilastokeskus 2017.)
The switch to mobile devices is a more recent development and nowadays a majority of social media usage takes place via smart phones and tablets. Especially the young but also older people as an emerging group spend an increasing amount of time with smart phones. Outside of work life, internet usage is more active on smart phones than on computers. As reported in a study by Facebook in 2017, 94 percent of those who participated in the study held a phone in their hands even when they were watching television. These same individuals concentrated on only television content for 53 percent of the time they were watching it. The biggest reason for not watching television was the smartphone and its content. (Facebook IQ, 2017.)
According to a study by Statista (2018) there were around 2.46 billion users on different social media channels and the same study estimates that the number of users will grow to over three billion by the year 2021. In 2017 of the world’s all web users, 71 percent were using social media and the percentage number is estimated to grow in the coming years. 16
The Statista (2018) study manifests that the potential focus groups and audiences on social media platforms are large. In other words, on social media there are big crowds where to choose the best target audience from for producing content. Even without a precise target group, quality content can attract a large crowd from among the billions of users. (Zimmerman, J. & Ng, D. 2015, 17.)
The increased popularity of social media has opened new opportunities for marketing as well for producing content. Most social media channels are free, where producing content is done free of charge, which has led to a situation where precise marketing budgets have decreased in popularity. On certain platforms, like on Facebook, promoting a post, page or an event and purchasing ad space requires money, so that can be targeted to a focused audience. Solely promoting own content is costless or at least inexpensive, effortless and convenient. This saves money for a company’s upcoming sales campaigns and for other content marketing platforms. (Zimmerman, J. & Ng, D. 2015, 16, 21.)
Agresta, S. & Bough, B. B. (2011, 75) further highlight the fact that the cost of a social media marketing effort is very inexpensive, in other words it is free. Nowadays anybody can have access to social networking and it is nearly omni-present. Today anyone can watch videos or read and comment on blogs and it is nowadays typical that people consume the Internet content in some form or another.
The most inexpensive social media marketing takes place when people, for example employees of an organization adopt the tools and dialogue. When they are active on various social media platforms, they are working as invisible marketers for the organization. Every time the workers post about a product release or recommend or share the newest services and products, they are functioning as brand ambassadors. (Agresta, S. & Bough, B. B. 2011, 75.)
On social media, customers are able to solve their problems with the company just when needed. Marketers can offer useful advice to customers when they are most receptive to information, when in traditional marketing companies attack customers with product information to create a need to buy the product. A social media marketer instead attracts customers with its own force, which moreover serves the customers. The satisfied customers who are reached via social media channels communicate with other potential customers and spread their positive experiences and feedback within their community. (Juslén 2009, 62-63.)
Besides creating connections and sharing information, social media enables redeeming promises to customers in a value yielding way. The Internet and social media overwhelm other mass media as it permits strengthening customer satisfaction and different customer service functions arise as competitive weapons in building up customer satisfaction. (Juslén 2009, 62-63.) 17
Juslén (2011, 202-203) additionally states that the most remarkable reason for social media’s success as a marketing channel compared to traditional mass media is that the published content can be turned into a real-time conversation and this conversation is discussed right where the content is published. Having a conversation in mass media is also possible but the fluency of the conversation is not as effective and real-time as it is on social media. The discussion on social media is happening right when things are happening. To influence the discussion, one has to participate right where and when the discussion takes place.
The content moves quickly within a channel as well as from one channel to another. As an example, in crisis situations social media channels are utilized for rapid sharing of news and direct reporting. The channels are utilized because it is known that the information is shared quickly and vast audiences are reached instantly. Reporting about the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan was partly done through social media due to many websites being down. (Suominen, J; Östman, S; Saarikoski, P. & Turtiainen, R. 2013, 235.) The previous example among others proves how content that has either drawn people’s attention, involvement or entertained them may spread instantly across the world to millions of people or focused groups. The content spreads in a way where it gets targeted to the correct target audience, and these audiences subsequently share it forward via their own social media channels to a new public.
How to utilize social media in marketing
Marketing on social media differs from traditional marketing in both its contents and its procedures. It forces the marketer to take customers and their issues into consideration rather than informing about their own assortment. Creating relationships with customers is based on the fascination, trust and the meaningfulness of the organization. Hence, marketing on social media is a dialogue instead of a traditional one-way monologue with customers. The aim is to create a mutual understanding with customers so that both the customer and the organization can benefit from each other. (Juslén 2009, 71-72.)
The new marketing aspects on social channels that create value for customers may help to create a competitional weapon and customer satisfaction. This notion is essential as marketing gravitates more towards the internet and social media where it is able to create value for the customer during the whole relation period. Furthermore, the core product is not a competitive weapon anymore nor a way to stand out from competitors. Instead it is more and more something supporting, for example a service. Before a transition of marketing to internet it is fundamental to find a new perspective to it. After understanding the new aspects and requirements for change, it is time to examine what possibilities new marketing tools can offer. An attempt to transfer an old marketing concept to the internet is doomed to fail. (Juslén 2009, 71-72.)
Juslén (2009, 71) moreover lists the following guidelines for social media marketing: 18
· It is a matter of customers instead of your own products · Marketing contains more than just advertising · Content is the most precious tool · The customer controls the communication, not the marketer · Marketing is based on approval, not on forcing · Informing can be targeted towards customers without middlemen · Brand value is determined by the ability to create commitment and interaction · The objective is to be found, not to push information towards customers · Marketing and communication are united · Marketing and communication objectives are based on the overall goals.
If a marketer can learn how to influence the audience efficiently, the marketer can generate a notable and defendable position in the market by having a steady social acceptance. The social web that consists of community supporters can contribute to the growth of business if it is used sensibly and appropriately. (Evans, D & Bratton, S. 2012, 37.)
Evans & Bratton (2012, 38) continue by stating that the marketer should not try to control its audience directly in order to influence it, but instead listen to it and observe it on social media. In that way the marketer is able to learn from it and understand its signals. The advantages of social media are that it can be listened to, measured and tracked over time. Hence, the marketer can use what is learnt to shape and enhance the offering. Consequently, by following these principles it is possible to influence the online conversation.
Social media is characterized by the content trail of comments, ratings and reviews. The content trail distinctly marks what the crowd is thinking about the subject. This “pulse” can be used to guide the following actions in real time. Besides the importance of listening and responding to the audience it is crucial to draw attention to their interactions and conversations. Therefore, participating in these conversations is an outstanding way to utilize social media. (Evans, D & Bratton, S. 2012, 38.)
According to Coles (2015, 7) some companies have built their businesses impressively by applying a marketing instrument that uses the following practices: · Engage your customers · Listen to your customers · Build your business network · Find your cheerleaders · Do it all over and over again
Engaging your customers means that the first task for an organization is to get them interested in what it has to offer to its audience, as the job of an organization is to solve customers’ problems. Secondly, the organization 19
wants to find out what needs its audience wants to satisfy, and what desires they have that are not yet met. An appropriate way to engage the customers is with a solution that is only for them. (Coles, L. 2015, 7.)
Listening to your customers and talking to them is essential for an organization’s success because it will eventually get to know what people really want from its products and services. There is no need to phone each and every customer, as product and service details and reviews can be attained via social media platforms, where the customers spend their time. Utilizing social media platforms is an effective tool in listening to customers (Coles, L. 2015, 8.)
Building a wide network of connections in different kinds of industries and branches can give support even though there is no exact knowledge on when and how to use them. If some issues related to specific problems occur, this business connection base may provide help and resources. (Coles, L. 2015, 8.)
Finding the cheerleaders is crucial. These are a company’s customers and fans who are interested in its contribution and they are thrilled by the products and services that are offered. Before the organization can utilize the cheerleaders, it needs to know who they are. The fans and customers want rewards and attention and if the company is willing to give something unique for them, then these cheerleaders may cheer and spread a positive image about the company free of charge. (Coles, L. 2015, 8.)
Lastly, if marketing has been done successfully, repeating and doing these practices over and over again is a great way to be one step ahead of the competition. Exploiting the same practices in different ways is a proven tool to keep people interested in the organization. (Coles, L. 2015, 9.)
4 SURVEY
4.1 Quantitative research
Quantitative research also be called statistical research, it allows to investigate questions related to numbers and their share in percentages. Normally, when collecting the material, the surveys are conducted with standardized research forms with ready-made answer alternatives. The research requires a sample large and representative enough in order to constitute a credible survey. The results are often visualized in the form of figures and tables and issues are illustrated in numerical quantities. By the aid of quantitative research, it is possible to examine existing circumstances, but is not sufficient for solving the real issue. (Heikkilä 2014, 15.)
Questionnaires, systematic observation or the use of existing registers and statistics are needed for conducting quantitative research. Out of these questionnaires is the most common practice when collecting information. 20
Regardless of method the research objects consist of people and cultural products. (Vilkka 2015.)
In standardized questionnaires, every respondent is asked about the same subject in the exact same way. The respondent reads the question and responds to it in a written way. The advantage of questionnaires is that the respondent stays unknown, whereas the downside is that it is possible that few people will respond. This kind of surveys fit well when the questions are asked from a large and dispersed crowd. (Vilkka 2015.)
The questionnaire can be sent via e-mail or done on the Internet but first it has to be made sure that the research objects have access to internet or e- mail. A survey with questionnaires can also be conducted during events or visits. Face-to-face surveys instead work best when the research question is narrow, and the survey questions are well defined. (Vilkka 2015.)
The survey part of this thesis was conducted as a questionnaire that was made available as a Google Form on the Internet. The questionnaire consisted of 16 multiple choice questions and one voluntary open question. The questionnaire was made effortless to fill as the objective was to get as many responses as possible. It was released on 9th of June 2018 and it was open until 14th of July 2018. A link to the questionnaire was shared on Tampereen Pyrintö’s Facebook page, Instagram feed, Twitter account and the club’s official website. The total number of responses was 435.
4.2 Survey analysis
The questionnaire consists of 16 mandatory questions and one additional open question, which was voluntary. Respondents were also able to participate in a season ticket lottery by entering their e-mail as last entry. The first four questions are for collecting background information and the rest of the questions are examining the respondents’ social media usage, opinion on ticket prices, personal preferences and the reasons behind the decision making on whether or not to attend games. All in all, 435 people filled the questionnaire.
Background information
The first question asks the respondent’s gender. Altogether 435 people answered the questions. From this amount 275 (63,2%) comprise of male respondents and remaining 160 (36,8%) of female respondents. 435 people responded to this question. 21
Figure 3. Gender distribution of respondents.
The second question is “Age?” The respondents were given seven age groups to choose from: Under 16, 16-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65 and over 65 years.
Figure 4. Age distribution of respondents
The largest group of respondents were aged 36-45 years. 117 (26,9%) people were from this age group. The second largest group was of ages between 46-55, amounting to 81 (18,6%) respondents, followed by the group aged between 26-35 with 80 (18,4%) respondents. Fourth group was aged under 16 years with 57 (13,1%) respondents. Fifth group was of ages between 16-25 with 47 (10,8%) people. Sixth group was 56-65 years with 35 (8%) and the last group was over 65 year with 18 (4,1%) answerers. 435 people filled the question.
The third question is: “Your relationship to Pyrintö?” As the question was multiple choice, the amount of responses exceeds the number of 22
respondents. The question had seven alternatives: single ticket buyer, season ticket, Pyrintö junior, Pyrintö coach, cooperation partner, free ticket and other Pyrintö member (parent, volunteer).
Single ticket buyer 219 (50,3%) Season ticket 50 (11,5%) Pyrintö junior 66 (15,2%) Pyrintö coach 31 (7,1%) Cooperation partner 4 (0,9%) Free ticket 34 (7,8%)
Other Pyrintö member (parent, volunteer) 105 (24,1%)
Figure 5. The respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö.
As figure 5. illustrates 219 (50,3%) of the respondents were single ticket buyers, 50 (11,5%) season ticket holders, 66 (15,2%) Pyrintö juniors, 31 (7,1%) Pyrintö coaches, 4 (0,9%) cooperation partners, 34 (7,8%) free ticket holders and 105 (24,1%) other Pyrintö members. 435 people filled this question.
The fourth question is: “How many Pyrintö home games did you attend during the season 2017-2018?” As figure 6. shows the respondents had the following five alternatives: None, 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 and 16-20 home games. 23
Figure 6. The amount of home games the respondents attended during the season 2017-2018.
People who did not attend a single game amounted to 59 (13,6%), while people who attended 1-5 games were the largest group with 197 (45,3%) answers. Those who attended 6-10 games were the second largest group with 78 (17,9%) of the respondents. On the other hand, the respondents who attended the most amount of games composed the two smallest groups (47 [10,8%] attended 11-15 games and 54 [12,4%] attended 16-20 games). All 435 people filled the question.
Marketing, ticket prices and preferences
In the fifth question, the respondents are asked: “What is your opinion on the ticket prices: Adults 13€, Pensioners 9€, Students/Youth (under 16) 6€?” The respondents were able to give their opinion on ticket prices on a linear scale from 1 to 6, where option “1” is cheap and option “6” is expensive.
Figure 7. Respondents’ opinion on ticket prices.
Figure 7. illustrates that the responses were distributed as follows: option “1” got 25 (5,7%), “2” 97 (22,3%), “3” 165 (37,9%), “4” 116 (26,7%), “5” 28 (6,4%) and “6” 4 (0,9%). The calculated average is 3,09. Pyrintö juniors get free season tickets with their club membership, which may skew the data as they do not pay for their tickets. All in all, 435 people filled the question.
Question six is: “Which would be your preferred gameday?” The respondents were given five alternatives to choose from: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the option to enter their own preferred gameday. Some respondents voted for Monday, Tuesday or Thursday, while some had no preferred gameday.
28 (6,4%) 24
Figure 8. Respondents’ preferred gameday.
The most preferred gameday was Saturday with 126 (29%) responses, followed by Friday with 123 (28,3%) votes. The third most preferred gameday was Wednesday with 111 (25,5%), while Sunday got least votes with 68 (15,6%). Both Tuesday and Thursday were the preferred gameday of two (0,5%) respondents and Monday got one (0,2%) vote. Two (0,5%) respondents did not have any gameday preference. 435 people filled the question.
The seventh question is: “Does other sports events affect your decision to attend Pyrintö home games?” The respondents were given the alternatives “Yes” and “No”. Figure 9. Displays that other sports events do not have an impact for most respondents with 245 (56,3%) against 190 (43,7%) votes. 435 people filled the question. 25
Figure 9. Whether other sports events have an effect on the respondents’ decision to attend home games.
In the eight question, people are asked: “How do you keep informed about upcoming games?” The respondents were given six alternatives to choose from of which five were ready made options: Club website, Social media, Newspaper, Radio and Street advertisement. In addition to this, the respondents had an opportunity to enter their own answer. As this was a multiple choice question, the amount of responses exceeds the number of respondents.
Club website 179 (41,1%) Social media 333 (76,6%) Newspaper 83 (19,1%) Radio 3 (0,7%) Street advertisement 14 (3,2%)
Figure 10. Distribution of responses on five readymade options about how respondents keep informed about upcoming games.
According to Figure 10. most of the respondents, 333 (76,6%), have chosen social media as the most important channel to keep informed about upcoming games. The second most important channel is the club website with 179 (41,1%) responses. The third important channel are newspapers with 83 (19,1%) responses, while radio and street advertisement are the least informative channels with 3 (0,7%) and 14 (3,2%) respectively. This question got 435 responses.
In addition to these, 50 (11,5%) respondents entered their own answer and as these responses were very varied, they are not displayed in Figure 8. 26
These answers were distributed into six different categories: Basket.fi with 18 responses (4,1%), parents and friends 16 (3,7%), teams and coaches 8 (1,8%), some other channel 3 (0,7%), other or nonsense 3 (0,7%) and criticism 2 (0,5%) about informing about games.
Figure 11. covers the ninth question: “On social media, when do you get the information about upcoming Pyrintö home games?” In this question the respondents were given four alternatives to choose from: 1-3 days before, 4-7 days before, 8-14 days before and the opportunity enter their own response, which is seen in the figure as “Other”.
Figure 11. When respondents usually get the information about upcoming home games on social media.
As the Figure 11. shows, 244 (56,1%) of respondents replied 1-3 days before a gameday, whereas 133 (30,6%) replied 4-7 days before. Only 31 (7,1%) people replied 8-14 days before. Along with these choices, 27 (6,2%) respondents chose the option “Other". Most of those respondents answered that they either do not use social media 10 (2,3%) or are not able to see the information 7 (1,6%). 435 people responded here.
The tenth question is: “On which social media channels would you prefer to find information about games?” In this question the respondents were given five alternatives to choose from: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Youtube. 27
Figure 12. On which social media channels the respondents prefer to find information about the games.
From Figure 12. it can be seen that the most preferred alternative was Facebook with 293 (67,4%) responses, followed by Instagram with 219 (50,3%), while the third most preferred was Twitter with 97 (22,3%). Snapchat 44 (10,1%) and Youtube with 47 (10,8%) are the least preferred alternatives. Snapchat is here as an alternative in order to determine whether there is a demand for it. 435 people gave their response here.
The question eleven is: “Is there enough information on social media?” The respondents were able to give their opinion on the amount of information on social media on a linear scale from 1 to 6, where option “1” is too little and option “6” is too much.
Figure 13. Respondents’ opinion on whether there is enough information on social media?
Figure 13. illustrates that the responses were distributed as follows: option “1” got 18 (4,1%), “2” 76 (17,5%), “3” 189 (43,4%), “4” 132 (30,3%), “5” 28
13 (3%) and “6” 7 (1,6%). The calculated average is 3,15. 435 people answered the question.
Question twelve asks: “What kind of content would you like to find more of on social media?” In the question the respondents were given seven alternatives to choose from and they had an opportunity to choose multiple choices. The alternatives were: Player interviews, Game highlights, News about the team, News about the club, Competitions and lottery draws, Partner presentations and an empty line to enter their own response. As this was a multiple choice question, the amount of responses exceeds the number of respondents.
Player interviews Game highlights News about the team News about the club Competitions and lottery draws Partner presentations
Figure 14. What kind of content respondents would like to find more on social media.
According to the Figure 14. it can be noticed that the most preferred alternative was “News about the team” with 291 (66,9%) responses, followed by “Game highlights” with 274 (63%), while the third most preferred alternative was “Player interviews” with 255 (58,6%). “Competitions and lottery draws” 151 (34,7%), “News about the club” 121 (27,8%) and “Partner presentations” 48 (11%) are the least preferred alternatives. Along with these choices, 16 (3,7%) respondents chose to enter own response. Most of those respondents answered either player presentations 4 (0,9%), game analyses 3 (0,7%) and they do not use social media 3 (0,7%). 435 people filled this question.
In the 13th question, the respondents are asked: “What are your main reasons to attend Pyrintö home games?” In the question the respondents were given seven alternatives to choose from and they had an opportunity to choose multiple choices. The alternatives were: Ticket price, Audience and atmosphere, Supporting the club, Social factors (family and friends), Successful promotion, Interest in team and an empty line to enter their own response. As this was a multiple choice question, the amount of responses exceeds the number of respondents. 29
Ticket price Audience and atmosphere Supporting the club Social factors Successful promotion Interest in team
Figure 15. Respondents’ main reasons to attend the home games.
Figure 15. illustrates that the most frequent alternative was “Interest in team” with 283 (65,1%) responses. The second most preferred option was “Audience and atmosphere” with 247 (56,8%), succeeded by “Supporting the club” 192 (44,1%) and “Social factors (family and friends)” 165 (37,9%). “Successful promotion” with 25 (5,7%) and “Ticket prices” 54 (12,4%) are the least frequent options. Besides these choices, 26 (6%) respondents chose to enter their own response. Most of those respondents answered that either the primary factor or at least one of the deciding factors is basketball as a game with 20 (4,6%) responses while the remaining 6 (1,4%) commented something else. 435 people gave their response.
Question 14. is: What are your main reasons NOT to attend Pyrintö home games? In the question the respondents were given seven alternatives to choose from and they had an opportunity to choose multiple choices. The alternatives were: Not enough interest in Pyrintö, Expensive tickets, Long distances, Lack of information about game events, The level of entertainment is not sufficient enough, I follow the game through TV or Internet and an empty line to enter their own response. As this was a multiple choice question, the amount of responses exceeds the number of respondents.
I follow the game through TV or Internet The level of entertainment is not sufficient enough Long distances Lack of information about game events Expensive tickets Not enough interest in Pyrintö
Figure 16. Respondents’ main reasons to not attend the home games. 30
Figure 16. demonstrates that the most frequent alternative was “, I follow the game through TV or Internet” with 106 (24,4%) responses, whereas the second most frequent option was “The level of entertainment is not sufficient enough” with 102 (23,4%). Third most preferred option was “Long distances” 88 (20,2%) along with “Lack of information about game events” 66 (15,2%). “Expensive tickets” with 44 (10,1%) and “Not enough interest in Pyrintö” 38 (8,7%) are the least frequent choices. In addition to these choices, 123 (33,7%) answerers chose to either leave it blank or enter their own response. Most of those answerers answered that either the primary factor or at least one of the deciding factors are timetable issues with 96 (22,1%) responses and the remaining 27 (6,2%) wrote something else, such as criticizing the arena location, opinions and comments on entertainment or game level. Altogether, 435 people answered the question.
In question 15 the respondents are asked: What would you like to see more of at game events? The respondents were given six alternatives to choose from and they had an opportunity to choose multiple choices. The alternatives were: Halftime shows, Competitions and lottery draws, A more diverse selection (food, drinks, snacks), Product promotions, Interviews of players, coaches and experts and an empty line to enter their own response.
Halftime shows Competitions and lottery draws A more diverse selection (food, drinks, snacks) Product promotions Interviews of players, coaches and experts
Figure 17. What respondents would like to see more of at game events.
As Figure 17. indicates the most chosen alternative was “Interviews of players, coaches and experts” with 221 (50,8%) answers. The second most chosen options was “A more diverse selection (food, drinks, snacks)” with 192 (44,1%), succeeded by “Halftime shows 152 (34,9%). “Competitions and lottery draws” with 146 (33,6%) and “Product promotions” 73 (16,8%) were the least chosen options. In addition to these choices, 36 (8,3%) answerers chose to either leave it blank or to enter their own response. Most of those respondents answered that either the primary factor or at least one of the deciding factors is more entertainment with 11 (2,5%) answers, the level of the game 5 (1,1%), and more active support from fans 5 (1,1%). In total, 435 people filled this question. 31
The last question, number 16. asks: “How much does team success affect whether or not you attend games?” The respondents were able to give their opinion on whether or not team success affects attending games on a linear scale from 1 to 6, where option “1” is little and option “6” is a lot.
Figure 18. Respondents opinion on whether or not team success affects attending games.
As Figure 18. demonstrates that option “1” got 33 (7,6%), “2” 70 (16,1%), “3” 68 (15,6%), “4” 122 (28%), “5” 97 (22,3%) and “6” 45 (10,3%). The calculated average is 3,7. 435 people filled the question.
The remaining question number 17. was open-ended and gave the respondents an opportunity to give suggestions or make requests for game events or marketing. The answers could be roughly categorized into six groups based on the subject. The categories were classified as “food and drink serving” (24 responses), “entertainment” (29), “facilities” (18), “music and announcer” (9), “marketing” (12) and “other” (9). Altogether 101 respondents answered the question.
4.3 Cross analysis
This chapter combines six different survey questions with each other in order to find more precise information about the respondents’ desires and opinions. Instead of age the respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö is chosen as a key factor in several figures as it reflects different customer groups better.
In figure 19. question 5. is broken down into seven categories based on the respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö (question 3.) and furthermore their gender (question 1.). In question 5. the respondents were asked their opinion on ticket prices on a linear scale from one to six and the values shown in the table are averages for each category and gender. Question 3. 32 was a multiple choice question, therefore the data set is larger (508) than the amount of respondents (435).
What is your opinion on the ticket prices vs. Gender 6
5,5
5
4,5
4 3,64 3,44 3,5 3,33 3,04 3,08 2,98 2,91 3 2,95 2,89 3 2,73 2,75 2,75
2,5
2
1,5
1 Single ticket Season ticket Cooperation Pyrintö junior Pyrintö coach Free ticket Other Pyrintö buyer partner member (parent, Male Female volunteer) Figure 19. Ticket price opinion averages by gender and relationship to Pyrintö.
The figure shows that the biggest gap between the genders are among free ticket customers and secondly between “Other Pyrintö members”. The female respondents in the free ticket category graded ticket prices the highest among all categories with 3,64/6, whereas males in the same category graded it lower by 0,69. Another prominent category is other Pyrintö members where the female respondents graded ticket prices to an average of 3,44 compared to males whose average is 0,55 lower, 2,89. It has to be taken into account that Pyrintö juniors get season tickets for free with their club membership, which means their data is likely only based on their impression as they do not have to pay for the tickets themselves.
In figures 20. and 21. the responses in question 6. are separated by gender. (In question 6. the respondents were asked their opinion on their preferred gameday. The values shown in the table are averages for each weekday). 33
Preferred gameday / Male 35,0 % 30,7 % 29,2 % 30,0 % 27,4 %
25,0 %
20,0 %
15,0 % 11,7 % 10,0 %
5,0 % 0,4 % 0,4 % 0,4 % 0,0 % Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Figure 20. Preferred gameday of male respondents’
Preferred gameday / Female
35,0 % 32,1 %
30,0 % 27,0 %
25,0 % 22,6 %
20,0 % 17,0 % 15,0 %
10,0 %
5,0 % 0,0 % 0,6 % 0,6 % 0,0 % Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Figure 21. Preferred gameday of female respondents’
According to figure 20. the most preferred gameday among male respondents is Wednesday (30,7%), followed by Friday (29,2%) and Saturday (27,4%). Figure 21. on the other hand, illustrates that female respondents voted Saturday (32,1%) as the most preferred day, whereas the second most preferred gameday is Friday (27%). The least preferred gamedays are Sunday (22,6%) and Wednesday (17%).
The differences in opinion between genders can especially be seen in their inverted attitudes towards Wednesdays and Sundays as gamedays. Male respondents considered Wednesday as the best possible gameday while female answerers considered it to be the worst of the ready given alternatives with a difference of 13,7%. Instead, female respondents favor Sundays far more than their male counterparts with a margin of 10,9%. A slight difference can also be seen on Fridays and Saturdays. 34
In figure 22. the responses in question 10. are broken down into five categories based on the respondents’ preferred social media channels which is grouped based on their relationship to Pyrintö (question 3.). In question 10. the respondents were asked about their preference on which social media channels they would prefer to find information about the games and the values shown in the table is a breakdown of all social media usage of all relationship groups. Question 3. was a multiple choice question, therefore the data set is larger (832) than the amount of respondents (435).
Relationship to Pyrintö vs. On which social media channels would you prefer to find information about the games? 20,0 % 18,0 % 16,0 % 14,0 % 12,0 % 10,0 % 8,0 % 6,0 % 4,0 % 2,0 % 0,0 % Single ticket Season ticket Cooperation Pyrintö junior Pyrintö coach Free ticket Other Pyrintö partner member (parent, volunteer)
Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube Snapchat Figure 22. Social media preference averages by respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö.
The most standing out observation here is that Facebook, followed by Instagram and Twitter are the three most popular social media channels among most groups. The only two groups where other social media channels are more popular are cooperation partner (Instagram and Facebook) and Pyrintö junior (Instagram and Snapchat). Facebook accounted for at least one third of all social media usage within all other groups. Another prominent notice is seen that Instagram (6,3%), Snapchat (3,1%) and YouTube (1,2%) form over 80% of all social media usage among Pyrintö juniors.
Figure 23. combines questions 3 and 12 in order to study the relation between the respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö and their preferences on social media content. In question 12. the respondents were asked about their preferences on what kind of content they would like to find of on social media and the values shown in the table are the shares of each option classified by the respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö. As a multiple 35
choice question the data set is larger (1373) than the amount of respondents (435).
Relationship to Pyrintö vs. What kind of content would you like to find more of on social media?
12,0 % 10,0 % 8,0 % 6,0 % 4,0 % 2,0 % 0,0 % Single ticket Season ticket Cooperation Pyrintö junior Pyrintö coach Free ticket Other Pyrintö partner members (parent, volunteer)
Player interviews Game highlights News about the team News about the club Competitions and lottery draws Partner presentations Figure 23. Social media content preference averages by respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö.
The most prominent aspect is seen in the two largest groups (single ticket and other Pyrintö members), where news about the team is the most requested social media content. Another notable item is seen among Pyrintö juniors, where game highlights is the most desired content. Player interviews, game highlights and news about the team are the top three choices in all groups.
As a final chart, figure 24. displays the relation between the respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö and their desired game event content. Question 15. asked the respondents about their preferred kinds of content at game events and values in the table are the shares of each option categorized into groups based on the respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö. The question was multiple choice which means the data set is larger (935) than the amount of respondents (435). 36
What would you like to see more of at game events vs. Relationship to Pyrintö 14,0 %
12,0 %
10,0 %
8,0 %
6,0 %
4,0 %
2,0 %
0,0 % Single ticket Season ticket Cooperation Pyrintö junior Pyrintö coach Free ticket Other Pyrintö partner members (parent, volunteer)
Halftime shows Competitions and lottery draws A more diverse selection (foods, drinks, snacks) Product promotions Interviews of players, coaches and experts Figure 24. Desire types of game event content averages by respondents’ relationship to Pyrintö.
The figure reveals that a more diverse selection of foods, drinks and snacks is the most prevalent wish in four groups (single ticket, season ticket, free ticket and other Pyrintö members). Furthermore, the popularity of interviews of players, coaches and experts is another notable point seen in five groups (single ticket, season ticket, Pyrintö coach, free ticket and other Pyrintö members). As a last note, halftime shows is the most favored answer among Pyrintö juniors.
5 RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter includes recommendations to the employer, Tampereen Pyrintö, about how to make marketing and game events better in order to gain more audience to home games. The recommendations are based on analyzing the survey responses with a basis in the theoretical part.
The recommendations answer the research question of how to increase attendance rates by developing game events and communication tools.
The recommendations for game events are conducted by analyzing the questionnaire results and with a base in theories on event planning. The reasons for attending games was centered on the social aspects of the 37 event, which is something Alaja (2000, 28-29) supports as the the attendance and the atmosphere have great value on the customer’s experience of the event. Another reason is the interest and support for the club, which Schwartz & Hunter (2008, 19) also recognize. This can especially be seen in that 65,1% of the respondents answered “Interest in team” as their most important factor to attend games.
The responses illustrate that 30% of the respondents were dissatisfied with the level of entertainment in games and an additional 9% wished specifically for improvements to the use of music and announcing in game events. Using a professional announcer and DJ could be a way to improve the atmosphere in game events. The same issue is seen in the figure 16., where 23,4% responded that “The level of entertainment is not sufficient enough” is an important factor for not attending games.
Over 50% of the respondents wished for more interviews of players, coaches and experts, and this could bring added value and make the event more interesting for the audience. Moreover, additional factors that may improve the entertainment level can also be found in the responses, as 34,9% of the respondents wished for half-time shows, while competitions and lotteries were requested by 33,6%. The two might overlap as they both focus on organized entertainment during game breaks. In the open-ended responses respondents proposed for example shooting competitions and presentations of the club’s own juniors. Further possibilities could be lotteries such as mobile voting for player of the game or which of the two teams scores more points before the half time. As figure 24. indicates that adding more game break entertainment could also interest Pyrintö juniors to attend more games.
The wish for a more diverse selection of foods and snacks is also noticeable in the responses. Alcoholic beverages were also suggested by 7% of the respondents in the open-ended question. The cross analysis of responses revealed that a better selection was particularly requested among single ticket buyers, where it was the overwhelmingly most popular answer. The Foodcorner-concept also got positive feedback and received praise. Consequently, this concept should be developed and further improve relationships with local restaurants.
The ticket prices were analyzed in figure 19., which categorized the opinions on ticket prices by the respondents’ gender and relationship to Pyrintö. The largest gaps between genders were seen among “free ticket” and “other Pyrintö members” and this dissatisfaction is a matter that Pyrintö should take into consideration.
Possible improvements to ticketing could be different kinds of package deals either as permanent or as campaigns. Examples of these could be “ticket + food”, family packages and cooperations with other local sports teams. At some point in the season Pyrintö could consider a campaign where the customer would get a 50 percent discount on a ticket to the next home game with the previous home game ticket. Another alternative would be package deals of a fixed amount of games for a rounded price, 38 such as 5 games for 50 euros. This is also supported by Kauhanen et. al (2002, 113) that the event marketer should take into consideration several target groups who all require attractive ticket prices.
As the figures 20. and 21. Demonstrate, combining preferred gameday with respondents’ gender revealed that Friday and Saturday are the most favored gamedays. In this case figure 6. is not a good reference for conclusions as there are big differences in opinion between the genders regarding both Wednesdays and Sundays. Furthermore, Pyrintö should cooperate even more with other local sports clubs when making the game schedule in order to avoid losing spectators to especially ice hockey.
This is also backed up by Kauhanen et. al (2002, 47, 113) who emphasizes that date cannot be ignored as a factor when making attendance rate estimations. This can also be seen in figure 9. as over 43% responded that other sports events affect the decision to attend Pyrintö games. Team success is another factor as over 60% of the respondents chose numbers 4 to 6 on the scale on the question whether team success affects attending games (figure 18.).
Based on the survey it can be said that in general Pyrintö’s social media marketing is considered to be on an adequate level (figure 13.). Due to the average only being 3,15/6 the amount of marketing may even be increased.
In figure 10., 76,6% of the respondents considered social media to be their most important channel to keep informed about upcoming games. Conversely, radio and street advertisement were considered to have very little importance. Moreover, it has to be mentioned that 56% of the respondents received information about home games on social media, only 1 to 3 days before the event (figure 9.).
From figure 12. it can be noticed that Facebook and Instagram are the most popular social medias to find information about games. Hence, Pyrintö should continue to provide content there and develop them further in order to attract new customers. A major observation is that Instagram and Snapchat are the two most favored social medias among Pyrintö juniors. Among all survey respondents Snapchat and YouTube are also relatively close to each other in popularity, therefore Pyrintö should consider joining Snapchat as well. Like Bergström & Leppänen (2015, 301.) advises, in order to reach a desired customer group, the marketer should study the target audience and its behavior to reach them most efficiently. Consequently, with Snapchat Pyrintö could better communicate with a younger audience.
The three overwhelmingly most requested kinds of social media content are news about the team, game highlights and player interviews. The aforementioned were favored by all Pyrintö relationship groups, and as a result Pyrintö should invest effort on developing these. Zimmerman & Ng (2015, 17.) also states if content quality is high enough it can appeal to all target groups. Additionally, competitions and lottery draws were the 39
fourth requested content in both social media and in what respondents would like to see more of during game events. Based on that fact this kind of content should not be neglected. Coles (2015, 9.) also points out that using enough variation in marketing the content stays interesting enough even when the same practices are utilized all over again.
6 CONCLUSION
The thesis’ objective was to figure out different strategies to help Pyrintö to develop game events and marketing. The research was conducted with a questionnaire in order to map out problem areas that Pyrintö is struggling with at the moment. The recommendations for possible improvements were made by analyzing the survey responses and by basing them on a theoretical framework.
In summary, there were several findings, that may benefit the client in improving game events and promotion. The main findings concerning the game events was the desire for improvement to the entertainment level by hiring a professional DJ and announcer and adding more halftime shows, competitions and lottery draws during the games. From a marketing aspect, improved target segmentation and a wish from younger people for adding Snapchat as one of Pyrintö’s social media marketing channels were other findings that could be utilized by Pyrintö.
As an observation regarding target segmentation is a notable shift away from Facebook to Instagram and Snapchat among younger people. This highlights the problem with social media research that valid sources are hard to find due to the dynamics of the Internet. References to literature were used to explain the theoretical framework of event planning and marketing concepts and its features.
The research results should be considered valid due to the extensive amount of responses, around 50% of the average home game attendance. There would also not have been any other suitable alternative to gather the data from the respondents. The Internet questionnaire was easy and convenient enough for respondents to fill in with a computer, smartphone or tablet. The responses were then transferred to Microsoft Excel for further analysis.
The questionnaire was developed in cooperation with the client in order to receive information that is relevant to Pyrintö in improving their marketing and game events and consequently help them to attract more people to their home games. The length of the questionnaire was kept short enough to keep the interest up in order prevent terminated questionnaires.
All sports team in Finland should carry out a similar sports marketing survey annually after each season. The questionnaire could also be implemented in a more compact form by focusing only on the most 40 relevant issues at the time. According to this thesis the most fundamental focus for an annual study would be to follow the social media behavior of supporters to learn about their opinions on game events. 41
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Marketing Questionnaire Appendix 1 46 47 48 49