As a sports and entertainment business, you’ll know that true fandom is enduring. Your diehard fans aren’t going to stop supporting their hometown team, or following their favorite band, because of a disconnected cross-channel marketing experience.
However, if your marketing isn’t on-point, those fans will engage less – and they’ll spend less, less often.
Omnichannel marketing is the solution to this challenge. In this article, we’re sharing three stories of sports and entertainment businesses rising to the challenge of consistent cross-channel engagement, delivering compelling experiences that drive profitable revenue. Let’s dive in.
1. Gibson: Building Direct Connections with Music Fans
Founded in 1894, Gibson has been shaping the face of the electronic music industry since its very inception. Built on a foundation of innovation, quality and world-class craftsmanship, Gibson has a clear but ambitious goal: to own the largest share of sound. To achieve this, they knew engaging their fans directly was key.
Challenges: Before partnering with SAP Emarsys, Gibson Brands mostly relied on partner sellers to drive revenue for the business, like Guitar Center, Sweetwater, or Long & McQuade. However, they were looking for ways to expand their direct to consumer capabilities. This meant setting up retail channels and engagement tactics from the ground up while working with retail partners to help support their B2B2C strategy.
Solution: Gibson partnered with SAP Emarsys to develop a robust omnichannel strategy that would allow them to engage directly with their fans and reduce reliance on third-party sellers. By using Emarsys’ pre-built marketing tactics, they were able to create personalized automation journeys for their different customer personas.
Strategies used:
- Welcome series: Gibson implemented a welcome series to build relationships with customers from the outset, establishing trust and brand loyalty.
- Post-purchase series: They engaged fans post-purchase with maintenance tips and loyalty-driving content, including product recommendations.
- Cross-sell and upsell: Personalized recommendations encouraged additional purchases based on previous buying behavior.
- Data-driven personalization: By integrating email with other channels, Gibson used first-party data to drive personalization and engage fans across multiple touchpoints.
Results seen:
- 50% growth in email revenue in the first year since using Emarsys
- 27% increase in email impact on the business overall
- 2x email engagement since using Emarsys
- 10% of total revenue driven by automation in one year
“Gibson has been shaping sound for over 100 years. We were fairly basic in the CRM world until we started working with Emarsys. We were immediately able to utilize data, immediately then take it into personas, ‘cause it’s not a one size fits all. That’s where Emarsys has continually come into play with us. I am very thrilled to just keep that relationship going because it’s been extremely fruitful so far.” – Josh Ehren, Global Head of Direct to Consumer, Gibson Brands
2. FC Bayern Munich: Personalizing Fan Experiences on a Global Scale
Established in 1900 and with a global fanbase of over 1 billion, FC Bayern Munich is a powerhouse in the football world. Renowned for their success on the field, FC Bayern is dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences to their fans, whether they’re cheering from the stands, watching from home, or engaging through mobile channels.
The challenge
FC Bayern faced several challenges in maintaining and enhancing their fan engagement:
- Connecting fan experiences – on and off the pitch: FC Bayern needed to ensure fans felt connected whether they were cheering from the stands or tuning in from home.
- Meeting the evolving needs of fans: As new generations of fans emerged, so did expectations for more immersive and personalized experiences.
- Personalizing at high volumes: With an existing fan base of over 63 million and a global interest of 1 billion, FC Bayern needed to engage with massive volumes of fans in a meaningful and individualized manner.
- Leveraging data to understand fan interests: It was crucial for FC Bayern’s technology stack to break down data silos and allow marketers to gain valuable insights into individual fans’ interests through data.
- Engaging fans consistently across all channels: Consistent engagement across multiple channels was essential to maintain fan loyalty and satisfaction.
The solution
To deliver the ultimate digital fan experience, FC Bayern first worked to create a unified view of its global fan base. The implementation of SAP Emarsys enabled the club to harness the full potential of its data, creating highly personalized, omnichannel marketing campaigns that engage fans wherever they may be – via email, SMS, ads, and more.
Strategies used:
- Connected data: By aggregating customer channel behavior with data from SAP S/4HANA, FC Bayern built a complete view of each customer, fuelling deeper personalization.
- Personalized newsletters and email campaigns: FC Bayern used personalized newsletters and automated campaigns around abandoned carts, wishlists, and match day excitement to keep fans engaged.
- Omnichannel integration: The club delivered personalized content via email, SMS, and ads, ensuring consistent engagement across all touchpoints.
“Engaging millions of global fans with different needs is no small task. To succeed, we must communicate with each fan on a 1:1 level, delivering personalized content that aligns with their unique wants.” Michael Fichtner, CIO of FC Bayern
3. The FA: Engaging Grassroots Football Fans
Challenges: The Football Association (FA), the governing body of football in England, needed to find new ways to engage its vast and varied audience. With only 4% of their 30 million fans attending an England match in the last two years, the FA turned its focus to grassroots football, where they saw significant potential to drive deeper engagement and profitable growth.
Solution: The FA partnered with SAP Emarsys and Movable Ink to leverage data from their 1.4 million grassroots players and 300,000 volunteers. This data-driven approach enabled them to deliver personalized content and rewards to keep fans actively involved in the sport.
Strategies used:
- 1:1 personalized automations: The FA used Emarsys to send personalized communications, such as post-match performance emails, tailored to each player’s experience.
- Gamification and rewards: In partnership with Nike, the FA introduced a rewards program that incentivized regular participation, motivating players to stay active.
- Interactive content with Movable Ink: The FA created dynamic, interactive email content with elements like league leaderboards and milestone achievements, making their communications more engaging.
These strategies helped the FA strengthen their connection with grassroots players and fans, driving long-term loyalty and active participation in the sport.
