[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”27px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
What if we told you that it is possible to gather extensive information about your supporters, to the point where you can sell them exactly what they want, precisely when they are most likely to want it? There is no doubt that this would be of interest to you. Fortunately, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools are constantly evolving and becoming increasingly sophisticated every year. In this article, we will try to demystify #CRM<\/a> to understand its value, as well as the best way for professional sports clubs to use it.<\/span><\/p>\n What is CRM used for?<\/em><\/p>\n CRM encompasses all the tools and techniques designed to take customers\u2019 and prospects\u2019 wishes and expectations into account, in order to offer them products that are best suited to their consumption patterns. While CRM systems have existed in clubs for a long time, not least through season-ticket holder and member databases, they have expanded significantly with the digitalization of the customer journey. Data now flows into clubs from every direction.<\/p>\n Where going to the ticket office used to be enough to purchase a ticket for a match, tickets are now most often purchased online, requiring customers to create an account and provide personal information. Ticketing operators are therefore able to tell event organizers about consumer behavior: average age by stand, number of matches attended per year, and so on. CRM systems can then use this data to segment the customer base and determine how different segments respond to marketing campaigns. This wealth of data is worth its weight in gold when it comes to knowing whom to target to fill the stadium and offer increasingly relevant products.<\/p>\n In short, CRM tools enable clubs to better understand their consumers. Using the data they generate allows clubs to build loyalty and reach new fans through a personalized approach, enhance the customer experience both inside the stadium and across digital channels, better manage B2C commercial activities by offering suitable products, and identify the best timing for capturing supporters\u2019 attention. Thanks to data, clubs can use their CRM systems to assess how their products are perceived by customers and maximize the value generated by the club. It is also the best way to engage fans who are constantly bombarded with messages in a world where their attention is increasingly difficult to capture. CRM systems help improve both the quality and efficiency of customer service.<\/p>\n At B2B level, CRM also provides genuine added value. It allows clubs to sell partners access to a known and qualified audience whose demographic characteristics may be of interest to them. It enables clubs to retain all their prospecting information and evolve their offers towards more relevant products based on the partner and the effectiveness observed. Finally, knowing your audience makes it possible to develop more relevant and targeted activations aimed at a specific audience that is expected to be more receptive than the general public.<\/p>\n Structuring the use of data required by CRM tools also faces challenges similar to those associated with sports data, which we have discussed in previous articles: data must be collected from different sources, stored in a single location so that it can then be cross-referenced, and used to generate meaningful analyses based on a sufficient history to be reliable. Precision is essential when using the data collected to automate marketing campaigns. Technologies such as Marketing Automation make it possible to automate the most repetitive marketing tasks (for example, sending emails or social media messages). The club simply defines the activation parameters for certain tasks, after which the processes are automated. This technology is increasingly integrated into CRM solutions available on the market. However, a Big Data approach is necessary, as a large volume of customer data is required to deliver a genuinely relevant consumer experience.<\/p>\n Collecting data<\/em><\/p>\n In recent years, the sources used to collect the data required by CRM tools have multiplied and become increasingly innovative, making it possible to gather qualified customer data (age, place of residence, professional status, etc.). While ticketing accounts, along with annual season tickets, remain the largest generators of customer data, there are many other sources, including:<\/p>\n Collecting qualified customer data is no easy task. Clubs need to be able to offer significant benefits in return, particularly in recent years as collective awareness of the sensitivity of data management has grown. To do so, solutions such as the one offered by Fanprime<\/a> can generate customer data through gamification. Users create an account and are encouraged to generate data, create content for the club, or consume its products in exchange for rewards, much like a loyalty program. Through data-driven customer relationships, clubs can respond more quickly to demand and significantly improve the consumer experience.<\/p>\n Data is also generated through the evaluation of communication campaigns, using tools that can, for example, measure the open rate of a newsletter. It then becomes easy to understand how consumers respond to the offers presented to them and adapt those offers accordingly.<\/p>\n Today, most providers of the services mentioned above have incorporated genuine CRM tools into their solutions. Ticketing operators, which most often also manage access control, are a perfect example, as illustrated by what Ticketmaster<\/a> can offer. However, the multiplication of these players makes it difficult to cross-reference data. A ticketing operator does not necessarily structure its database in the same way as the provider hosting the club\u2019s online store or app, particularly when dealing with a global-scale operator.<\/p>\n Cross-referencing and using data<\/em><\/p>\n Cross-referencing data is therefore no easy task. For clubs to derive the full benefit from their data, they need to be able to extract, store, manage and process it. This means structuring databases and then converting them into a common, usable format in order to conduct cross-analysis. By subsequently using a visualization tool, clubs can draw conclusions that help improve their commercial development.<\/p>\n Some solutions address the issue further upstream by integrating the various tools, such as Arenametrix<\/a>, which deploys a SaaS solution that technically integrates the club\u2019s various data sources into a single tool. Every night, the data collected is transferred to a shared database where it can be cross-referenced and processed.<\/p>\n But Arenametrix<\/a>\u2019s solution goes beyond data processing. The company\u2019s philosophy is as follows: to create emotion for fans, you need to provide personalization. To achieve this, every touchpoint through which a fan interacts with the club must be connected, allowing the club to derive insights that can automate its marketing strategy and enable teams to focus on higher-value activities.<\/p>\n Indeed, the challenge is to reach fans in the most effective way possible, encouraging them to leave home and come to the stadium or, failing that, to consume club content from home throughout the year. The company therefore supports clubs in defining their marketing plans based on the indicators they want to monitor and automates their implementation.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take an example. A club realizes that Olivier Giroud, a passionate supporter for many years, does not have a particularly large budget for attending matches. Ticketing data shows that he therefore prioritizes big games at the stadium, in a relatively affordable category. Olivier is also a planner and tends to decide quite early which match he will attend, purchasing his tickets an average of three weeks in advance.<\/p>\n Newsletter data also shows that Olivier is most receptive between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., when he checks his emails before going to work. In a survey conducted the previous year offering ticketing discount vouchers, Olivier had indicated that what bothered him most was having to pay for parking when coming to the stadium, as he lives an hour away. Parking data shows that he also likes to arrive early for matches\u2014around an hour beforehand.<\/p>\n\n