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Marketing directors and college athletic directors everywhere are scratching their heads trying to figure out how to get students to the games and keep them there.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that student attendance is even waning in the elite Southeastern Conference, and fielding a winning team isn’t necessarily the answer to getting students in the stadium. According the WSJ article, the average student attendance is down 7.1% since 2009.
The article blamed higher ticket prices, the proliferation of games on television, lopsided games, and fewer match-ups with longtime rivals. While I would agree with all of those, I’d like to include a changing culture into that mix of reasons as well.
Today’s millennials grew up in an era where allegiance to sports teams is disappearing. Professional players jump teams frequently for more money, college coaches hop around from school to school to find a winning program, and schools give up longtime rivalries (a la Kansas and Missouri) to get more lucrative television contracts. Even though students have team ties, it might not be enough to get them to the game.
Their motivation for attending a game is less about team allegiance and more about a social opportunity with friends. For students, it’s all about the experience of the game itself.
According to iMedia, millennials bristle at traditional marketing but are drawn to the promise of a customized experience. The method of marketing to students needs to change to more targeted solutions to get them in the gate and keep them there.
A recent study by SDL, a customer service company, revealed five key messages for marketers looking to capture the attention of millennials. As college athletic departments struggle to get students to the games, these points can help build a winning marketing strategy.
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Make it easy for them. Millennials prefer content that finds them. The majority are more likely to find content they like on social media. Does your social media strategy include content that is specifically aimed at this group on the channels where they interact? You may need to look at a variety of channels. Look where they spend the most time, not necessarily where the bigger numbers are. Many of them may be on Facebook, but they don't visit there as often as other platforms.
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Traditional marketing tactics that target everyone don’t work for them. Millennials distrust companies that use general tactics for marketing—makes them feel like you don’t know them. For instance, if you are using Facebook as a main marketing channel, make sure you have content there specifically designed for your student population.
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Be interesting or be ignored. If your social media presence is dull and generic, don’t expect them to want to connect. Again, the social media " business as usual" is not going to work well for them. Interesting means content that is aimed at them. There is too much competition out there for their attention to be posting "come to the game on Saturday" as your main message.
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Give them something in return. They are motivated by deals and perks. Be creative in what you give them. Differentiate student offers from others. Special tailgating activities, food and beverage deals, better wi-fi, priority seating, and contests are all good ways to connect with students.
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Give and it shall be given to you. Students are more willing to part with their data for a better experience. Just don’t abuse the privilege.
In order to get students to the games these days, we have to change the traditional approaches we use and understand that students want an experience. Their loyalty can be earned, but we have to give them something in return. Center your priorities on the experience of the game and you’ll go a long way to getting students in the gate and keeping them there.