Monday, April 06, 2009

Q&A w/ SportsMark Founder Jan Katzoff: Sports Marketing in 2009 & Beyond

As college basketball crowns a champion, MLB opens play and golfers gear up for the Masters, sports marketers are adapting their methods to reach fans on a new level at major events and venues.

SportsMark ,one of the premier global sports marketing companies , has designed programs for hundreds of corporate clients at premier sporting events, including 10 Olympic Games, 6 FIFA World Cups, 22 Super Bowls, 16 Masters golf tournaments,15 NCAA Final Fours.

I discussed the modern world of sports marketing with SportsMark Chairman Jan Katzoff, who founded SportsMark in 1988. Katzoff has directed SportsMark’s operations at major events in over 30 countries and developed close client relationships with many global companies, including Visa, Xerox, Bank of America and General Motors. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco 49ers Foundation, is an event adviser to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and serves on the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Hospitality Advisory Group.


What are some of trends and traits you've noticed with the modern sports fan and how have their preferences and interests changed in the past few years?

Our observation is that the game is much more about the total entertainment experience for fans. The game is great, but the venue has become a much a part of it as the action on the field or the court. I think everything is shifting to the digital age. Now we have kids running around and watching video on their mobile devices. The traditional sports fan went to a stadium to see the game, that was the primary focus. There's still a percentage of that demographic that go there to see the game, but in terms of younger demographics and make up of family,it's changed during the past few years.


Sports events are known for their casual atmosphere. How do you integrate interactive, social marketing  without interrupting the flow of the game, and how do you create impressive consumer touch-points in a large venue where you're already competing for the crowd's attention?

You have to make it complementary and not competitive when its going on the court or the field. You still need things that fill in to breaks, but no we're doing a lot more before and after activity, way beyond the traditional sponsorship. It's not enough to just have signs and traditional means of exposure.


One of our biggest clients is Adidas, it's not enough for Adidas to have signage, because they want an emotional engagement with the audience. Our Adidas world of football is an interactive opportunity for children and it gives them a hands-on experience, You're testing skills and shooting penalty kicks against a live goalie. We're not just putting an Adidas T-shirt on someone and signing them up. It's about engaging the fans, especially the young demographic.

What's one of the new ways SportsMark is reaching out to fans this year?

One thing people love at the venues is being able to eat food from your seat without having to go to your concession stands.At the San Francisco Giant's AT&T Park, we worked with Visa to create a mobile payment for food, so they don't have to leave their seat. It enhances the live experience. We're constantly talking to Visa and watching to see how they enhance the fan experience.

Posted By Matt O'Hern at 01:03 PM
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