Creating a Better Fan Experience through Sports Marketing

Myspace changed marketing contracts between consumers and brands were forever. Consumers had a platform to distribute content in their own voice, and for the first time, consumers could tell brands what they thought about them. Fast-forward to today, and former Myspace employee, Heidi Browning, now the CMO of NHL, is using marketing to help fans have more control over their experience. Last season’s NHL Playoffs were the most-watched in the past twenty-three years. Game 7 was the most viewed game in history. Sports betting lets them take a look at a lot of data, and this data has many interesting new uses for marketers. For instance, they have new technology that allows them to put trackers in the puck and the jersey to analyze things like puck time and use it for broadcasting purposes. Leaderboards, coaches, and on-air broadcasting gives real-time experiences to fans. Experiential marketing takeaways from sports: -Everything is experiential in sports. There’s no better sport to watch live than hockey. -Having virtual reality to accompany the game helps the game live long after the players get off the ice to extend the sports experience.