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BY JOE FAVORITO
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
ON N.J. SPORTS MARKETING
The ying and yang that goes on between discretionary dollars fans can spend and getting premium access for those dollars is a battle that is only increasing in intensity for teams, brands and partners.
With access to social media, much of which is free, teams have to continuously justify prices, knowing that the revenue stream for those dollars to the bottom line is more important now than ever as the larger pool of advertising spending goes south.
So how does one create an effective, attractive and unique fan experience with limited resources and in the face of stiff competition – something that is truly unique for a fan, not cookie cutter – but still justifies both what the fan can spend and what the team, or even the partner brand, can justify as worth the investment?
One company trying to solve that key issue for teams, and for fans, too, is theultimatefan.com.Founded by Brick Townships Drew Gainor, with an assist from fellow Brick native and 16-year NHL veteran Jim Dowd, the company has looked for ways to set itself apart in the experiential marketplace.
Unlike many "road trip" brands, ultimate fan looks to partner with teams and develop a revenue-sharing model so that the experience, the messaging and the branding is positive for all involved both at home or away events.
The company works to create sample packages for teams and fans that make the most sense for a price point and for fan access and experience. Best of all, the stream of business theultimatefan.com is creating can bring in brands for sampling and fans for focus groups, since many of those using the service are key first-adopters and are usually pretty passionate fans.
The company currently has three NHL teams – the Kings, Islanders and Flyers – as partners. This means that creating shared experiences among teams, something that the teams themselves rarely get to implement, are now a possibility.
The shared experience can also introduce common brands to teams – Amtrak as a partner for teams in the Northeast Corridor for example – that can also bring added revenue for all involved, a big difference in the approach of many "experiential" companies.
Now are there many in the "event business" looking to create the fan experience? Yes. However the unique partner approach theultimatefan.com has created gives them a potential synergistic advantage over local companies just looking for one brand or for big events on the road.
They can get teams to work together to form partnerships that may not be on their radar scope as the teams focus on local sales and marketing, and create a great economy of scale for brands who may have interest in reaching fans in multiple markets but don't have the time or expertise to negotiate through a plan team by team.
Also, by tailoring packages to various groups at affordable prices and listening to their clientele, theultimatefan.com can create experiences that are truly unique and not cookie cutter, especially when you are able to have the endorsement of the team and some of their assets behind the project, like alumni and access to arena and practice areas not usually afforded to the experiential fan companies.
Is it enough to pull in brands and give the fans tremendous ROI (Return on Investment)? That's to be determined. Could other teams in the marketplace like the Devils, the Red Bulls and even Sky Blue FC look hard at the concept for assistance in growing brand share? Sure.
However by providing multiple levels of service and a menu of opportunities, theultimatefan.com can be a solid destination for revenue for teams and brands looking to link up and create a very unique experience with an ROI of loyalty and enhanced brand value, leaving the teams to concentrate on the business at hand.
