This is your moment and your
time. Grasp it. I sat and listened to one of my favourite speakers, Seth Godin.
He said something which really resonated with me. He said “Ridiculous, is the new remarkable”.
He spoke about standing out instead of
fitting in. I know he was using shock tactics to get this point across, but it
struck a chord. I immediately reflected on how we as venues need to act whilst it’s
our moment.
I had the honour of giving a
guest lecture to marketing students at Otago University in New Zealand. (I know
you’re all thinking ‘why would they invite you’, but they did.) I was asked to
talk for 30 minutes but ended up speaking last and was left with an hour to
speak. I had lots of adlib time, so I asked these 200 marketing students some
questions and I found the answers fascinating.
I asked the following questions:
1. How
many of you have read the newspaper today – 0
2. How
many of you have listened to the radio today – 30
3. How
many of you have watched TV last night – 20
4. How
many of you have tweeted today – 140
5. How
many of you have been on Facebook today – 180
6. How
many of you have watched a YouTube video today – 195
7. How
many of you have been to a live event in the last week- 195
8.
How many of you watched Psy’s- Gangnam Style- 200 (I guess Seth is right)
In a world where so many people
are trying to talk to you through so many different mediums, how do companies
get their message across? A recent survey said that 86% of people who owned DVR’s
such as Tivo, no longer watch adverts on TV.
More and more people are consuming their content from the internet and
no longer through traditional mediums.
Another survey said 65% of people
bought a product based on celebrity endorsement. But, there are real dangers
with this. Recently in New Zealand a professional athlete who fronted an anti-domestic
violence campaign was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend. I remember
smiling when a famous professional footballer who was chosen to re-launch
Brylcreem hair products appeared a week later sporting a shaved head.
I have heard advertising being defined
as, presenting a single proposition in a compelling manner. Advertisers often
split their market into two areas: in home advertising and out of home
advertising. In home advertising makes up the vast majority of the market, but
the opportunity to grab you in the out of home market is very important.
Given that it is really difficult
to stand out from other advertisers and difficult to break through the noise to
connect with your target audience, how do you get to a large market and present
a single proposition in a compelling manner? Rather than blast your message
more frequently and louder than your competitor, how do you stand out?
Marketers have moved towards big
data, the ability to talk to people through databases who pre-qualify
themselves to receive these messages. It is really powerful to talk to people
who want to hear from you.
Now imagine if you could talk to
people who want to hear from you and are emotionally connected to your brand because
of their association with your passion.
I want to suggest that venues,
and in particular stadiums, have the answer. Not only can you connect with the
guests at the stadium in a compelling manner but you can also connect on an
emotional level. Stadia are seen as out-of-home advertising opportunities, but
I want to suggest that fans at stadiums are
home. I have often spoken to box holders who see their hospitality at the stadium
as an extension of their home.
This is your moment to grab the
moment. You are a safe bet, with amazing emotional pull. People who come to
stadiums want an emotional experience. We sell memories. When I think back,
some of my most precious memories have taken place at stadiums. I connect with
thousands of people I have something in common with; my team, my band, my
memory of an event. When I am at a stadium, my game face is off and my tribal
face is on. I want to belong, I want to connect and I want to be part of
something bigger than me and I am open to your messages.
The bad news is that many
stadiums deliver nothing more than TV, Newspapers and other forms of advertising
media. I see screens and signs screaming the message, I see names on shirts but
I don’t see is connection with me. Sponsors purchase opportunities at stadiums
to talk to guests. It’s now imperative that they do that and talk and connect with
the guests in a meaningful way.
I want to leave you with an activation
story which connects with me without necessarily giving away any secrets. If I
was an advertiser, and say I was a premium brand motor vehicle brand and I had
secured naming rights to a major stadium, I would have a couple of ways I could
activate this sponsorship. I would do this both locally and nationally. I would
tell the stadium that I want my normal rights such as name on the building and
brand presence. This will ensure my brand is in forefront of everyone’s mind. I
am not sure this will help me sell any vehicles, so here is what I would want
to activate my sponsorship. I would want 50 prime parking spaces secured where
only people who own my vehicle brand can park. They may still have to pay to
park but only they can park. I would want two free tickets for every person who
purchased a vehicle of mine for an event at the venue. I would want every
person who buys my brand to go into a draw to win two tickets to a major event,
all expenses paid at the stadium, all expenses included. I would partner with
an airline and hotel to deliver a money-can’t-buy experience where the winner
would spend time getting a pre-game tour and experience some of the event backstage
environment. I would record and use this footage to tell the brand story
through the vehicle franchises. I would bring the best performing franchisee to
events at the venue as an incentive for great performance.
Given the time and the need to
connect emotionally and in compelling ways with potential purchasers, given the
power of live events, stadiums and venues are an excellent vehicle to market products
and brands and it’s your moment. Grab it, before we too are no longer relevant.