The irish success story of FECKK, in which Sport for Business has been an active partner from the outset took its insight on fan engagement to the UK yesterday with #FecBrighton a fan engagement conference taking place at the Amex Stadium in Brighton, home of the English Premier League’s newest arrival.

It’s was an impressive line up of speakers from across the US, Britain, Ireland and here are some of the highlights…

10 Things Clubs Should Be Doing On Digital And Social

  • Jeramie McPeek, Digital Marketing & Social Media Strategist (Ex Phoenix Suns)

1. Inform. Use your channels to let people know what’s happening. Make sure it’s visual and the more movement the better.  Check out @ArizonaCoyotes

2. Entertain. Use humour, show another side of what it’s like to be part of the team. Use original ideas  Super Bowl LI commissioned a social media artist to make live material on the fly @MinnesotaVikings do it well.

3. Invite. Use social to get fans together to watch at venues, on TV or as part of marketing campaigns  Social media casting calls…

4. Listen. Always respond particularly when there’s an issue  Seat upgrades generate big love  Watching what fans are doing and reacting is a big winner.

5. Share. Thank fans for being fans. Share to your massive audience when fans have gone one step beyond.

6. Celebrate. Don’t just do simple. Create visually arresting graphics in advance and be ready to go.

7. Inspire. Get emotional within the clubs and your fans biggest moments.

8. Remind. Let people remember why they are fans. Not every result can be a winner, but archive material can make those that are last forever.

9. Monetise. Using branded content with players to create material that pays its way and works for all.

10. Say Thanks

 

Leveraging Data To Understand Fan Behaviour

  • Karl Mulligan, Co-CEO, Fanaticus
  • David Woolley, Sytorus
  • Moderator: Trevor Keane, CEO, Sportego

Heloping hand for sporting organisations to become compliant with new GDP Regulations coming down the line, quickly. “It’s not the big scary monster that some think of it as but it is important” says David Woolley.

“It’s no longer enough to gather data. It has to be done for the right specific purpose, and with the right permissions.”

“There is as yet little understanding of what is needed, yet the penalties for a breach are massive.”

“You have to know where the data you are using originated, that the right permissions were sought at the time and that the data is being used for the reasons you said.”

“Getting to the right place needs a conversation with your database and a likely dip in numbers but a corresponding opportunity to vastly strengthen what you have.”

Digital Engagement – Can Apps Really Up The Ante?

  • Simon Ryley, CEO, RightNow Digital
  • Niall Coen, CEO, Snack Media
  • Kate Dale, Strategic Lead (Brand & Digital), Sport England
  • Moderator: Rebecca Hopkins, Managing Director, Sports Technology Awards

94% of apps are unused.  90% have a shelf life of less than one month after download.

Kate Dale from Sport England built the campaign for #ThisGirlCan on insight, data and getting social but with no app.  Challenge is to find the one thing that will get people using so as to avoid becoming an expensive white elephant.

Question to ask is what business problem or customer need will it answer in an effective, measurable way.

How will it be integrated. In its best form it becomes your own mobile channel, totally controlled, but its expensive to promote to the right level.

 

____________________________________

Sport for Business provides a network of information, innovation and intelligence to over 220 of Ireland’s leading organisations in sport and business.  We regularly feature in depth looks at how members like AIG, Coca Cola, Liberty Insurance, Vodafone, AIB and most of Ireland’s leading sporting organisations bring the relationship between sport and business to life. Here is a look at what we do…

_________________________________

12.25pm – 1-2-1 chat with British Gas

  • Rob Hartnett (Founder, Sport For Business) interviews Matthew Leopold (Head of Brand Partnerships, British Gas)

Witty, urbane, a little manic and very honest chat with Matthew Leopold.

Love to repeat the story he shared as an ‘oh no’ moment but that will have to be face to face …

The day continued with great insight from James Abraham, Head of Content at World Rugby on the different motivations they have as a federation to those of players, teams and sponsors in terms of content and from Rich Clarke who has worked across the Premier League, Major League Soccer in the US and now in Indonesia.

We heard about the continued rapid rise of eSports and finished out with a wildly energetic performance from SXSW Director Jon Burkhart on the ways of getting ’embedded within the news cycle and the lessons we can learn from other areas of popular culture.

Great day all round and well done to Trev Keane and Colm O’Mealoid from Sportego and Dan McLaren of Digital Sport UK on bringing it all together.

 

___________________

Find out more about our next major event looking at the impact of Sport for Social Good in September 2017.

___________________