Bringing the Speedball World Cup to the United States Sports - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Bringing the Speedball World Cup to the United States Sports Marketing Fall 2011 Simon Stuchlik Mike Hustava Kaleb Cypher Kyle Anderson

Introduction  Speedball = T eam Handball  Semi-Annual Event  Compatible, but unknown in America

Mission Our mission is to bring people from around the world together to celebrate the sport of Speedball (formerly known as team handball) through the Speedball World Cup, hosted in the U.S. North East. In doing so, we strive to establish Speedball among American sports consumers by bringing the world’s best players into the country to compete in front of U.S. fans.

Objectives  Organize a well-functioning event  Raise awareness of Speedball in U.S.  Expand the market  Establish Speedball among major sports (Participation; watching)

SWOT Analysis  Strengths  Opportunities ◦ Novelty ◦ Established Venues ◦ Pace of Game ◦ Popular Gym Sport ◦ Name Change ◦ Similar Sports Exist ◦ Large fan Base  Weaknesses  Threats ◦ Unknown Sport ◦ Saturated Market ◦ Name Confusion ◦ Weak Economy ◦ Lack of U.S. Athletes ◦ Cultural Differences

Understanding Consumer Needs  Conduct surveys to determine prior knowledge of Speedball  Interests, Motivations, Demographics  Possible to create interest based on what sports consumers follow

Consumers as Participants  Find a way for Speedball to satisfy participants needs ◦ Exercise, Competition, Socialization, etc.  Provide information search resources ◦ Marketing, Experiential, etc. ◦ Address risks  Playing leads to greater interest ◦ Desire to watch, experience game at pro level (World Cup)

Consumers as Spectators  Understand motivations for attending/watching ◦ Fan, Entertainment, Pageantry, Family time  Demonstrate how Speedball fills various motivations  Limited knowledge/fan base in U.S. provides challenge to marketers

Market Selection: Segmentation  Demographic ◦ Lower to Middle Income Families  Psychographic ◦ Prior Knowledge & Interest in U.S. Sports  Geographic ◦ Urban Environments in the North East

Market Selection: Targeting  Sizable ◦ City Sizes  Reachable ◦ TV, Internet Availability

Market Selection: Positioning Easy to Learn & Play Speedball Speed & Lack of Physicality Physicality Difficult to Learn & Play

Marketing Mix: Product  Introduction of new sport  Gaining knowledge of a new sport  Unknown Brand logo

Marketing Mix: Promotion  Raw Advertising Campaign  Detailed Promotion Mix  Consideration ◦ Setting goals ◦ Target Market ◦ Deciding on a Budget

Sponsorships  Vast Opportunities ◦ Venues ◦ Competition Rounds ◦ Apparel  Attraction for small and large companies  Expansion for companies’ existing product lines

Marketing Mix: Pricing  Unknown, fans lack knowledge  Price for event between $15-$40 ◦ Higher prices for later rounds  Eventual price increase due to: ◦ TV advertising ◦ Celebrity all star game

Marketing Mix: Place  U.S. North East region ◦ Majority of fan traffic from Europe ◦ Reduce travel costs  Verizon Center  Madison Square Garden ◦ Finals and Semifinals; ‘Final Four’

Implementation & Control  Implementation: ◦ Versus Network ◦ Fan tryouts ◦ Athlete Sponsorships  Control: ◦ Increased awareness and understanding ◦ Brief survey  Build and maintain relationships