Five things I've learned from profiling sports fans

Data and the Modern Sports Fan: A Playbook for Engagement

Ever wondered why some sports clubs have fans who would walk through fire for their team while others can barely muster a cheer?

In the world of sports fandom, not all cheers are created equal.  Some fans will paint their faces, don outrageous costumes, and brave inclement weather to support their team.  Others might prefer the comfort of their couch, a cold beverage in hand, analysing every play with the precision of a seasoned coach.

Having profiled more than a million sports fans and club members from across multiple sports codes and sporting organisations — including some of the biggest brands in AFL and NRL and high-participation sports — I’ve learned a few things.  Here are the top five lessons that highlight why data is the MVP when it comes to engaging fans.

Lesson 1: Fans are Remarkably Different by Club

Imagine a world where every sports fan was a carbon copy of the other—uniform chants, identical game-day rituals, and predictable reactions. Thankfully, reality is far more interesting. If all sports fans were the same, it’d be boring, right? Thankfully, they’re not.

Profiling fans across various clubs reveals that they are as unique as fingerprints.  One club’s fans might prefer a raucous, beer-soaked celebration, while another club’s might opt for a more civilised, wine-and-cheese affair.  Consider the fans of Club A, who transform the stadium into a cacophony of chants and songs, compared to Club B’s aficionados, who analyse every play with the meticulousness of a chess grandmaster. It's not just about demographics but also about deep-seated cultural nuances that make each club's fanbase tick.

This diversity isn’t just fascinating; it’s vital for clubs to recognise.  Data allows us to unearth these unique traits.  By analysing fan interactions and preferences, clubs can tailor their engagement strategies to resonate with their distinct fan bases.  

Tailoring your approach to these differences is crucial.  It’s like dating — what works for one definitely won't work for another.  Knowing how to use these differences to segment audiences to deliver targeted messages is powerful — even more so as the club’s audience is far more passionate and vocal than the average everyday consumer.

Lesson 2: Clubs and Sporting Organisations Don't Really Know What Drives Their Fans

You might think that clubs, with all their resources, have a firm grasp on what drives their fans.  Spoiler alert: they often don’t.

Clubs might know the basic demographics and purchasing habits of their fans, but they frequently miss the deeper motivations. They generally know their fans’ names, years of membership, their favourite players, and the sections they prefer to sit in, but when it comes to understanding the emotional and psychological triggers that transform casual spectators into die-hard supporters, they’re often in the dark.

Despite the deep emotional ties that clubs have with their fans, they can be surprisingly blind to the subtleties that drive fan loyalty.  This is where data comes in.  By analysing fan interactions, purchase behaviours, and engagement activities, clubs can gain insights into what really makes their fans tick.  

Every club needs to uncover the underlying reasons why fans flock to the stadium or stay glued to their screens.  Maybe it’s the thrill of the game, the sense of community, or the sheer joy of wearing their favourite player’s number on the back of their guernsey.  Whatever it is, data can help uncover these motivations and create more personalised and engaging experiences.

Lesson 3: The Way Fans Consume Sport is Evolving Rapidly

Gone are the days when fans would gather around the TV to watch a game live.  Now, they’re streaming it on their phones, catching highlights on social media, and engaging in real-time commentary with fellow fans online.  The consumption of sport is evolving at a breakneck pace, and clubs need to keep up.

In the era of instant gratification, the consumption of sports has undergone a seismic shift.  Understanding these consumption patterns is crucial for clubs. Are fans more inclined to watch live streams on weekends or catch up on highlights during their weekday commutes?  Do they prefer in-depth analysis or quick, digestible content?  Analysis of data can map these trends, helping clubs adapt their strategies to meet fans where they are, in the formats they prefer.

Lesson 4: There is Enormous Opportunity to Increase the Value of Sponsorship Through Data

Sponsorships are a cornerstone of sports economics, but their potential is often under realised.  Data is revolutionising sports sponsorship strategies, creating more value for both fans and partners.

Imagine a world where sponsors are matched with fans based on their preferences and detailed behavioural insights, creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.  For instance, a health-conscious brand might find a perfect match with a club whose fans value fitness and wellness. Conversely, a beer brand might thrive with a fan base that revels in the communal, celebratory aspects of game day.  By leveraging data, clubs can forge sponsorships that resonate deeply with their fans, driving engagement and loyalty.  

It's important for clubs to recognise that their fans are also everyday consumers and how they spend their time and money away from the club is often way more valuable to sponsors than their loyalty to the club. Understanding fans holistically by applying a data-driven approach is key to delivering sponsorship value.

Lesson 5: Fans Aren’t Your Normal Consumers

This is a concept I’ve touched on numerous times but is well worth repeating. Fans are not merely customers; they are integral members of a community, bound by shared passions and loyalties. This distinction is critical. They are emotionally invested in their clubs, and this passion transcends typical consumer behaviour.

Understanding the fan journey and all its touch-points — from the initial spark of interest to lifelong loyalty — is essential.  Being data-driven is the key to unlocking this journey reinforcing that the relationship with fans is about more than just selling tickets and merchandise; it’s about creating experiences that resonate on a deeper level.  

Data-driven insights allow clubs to map this journey, identifying key moments that drive engagement and loyalty.  It’s all about cultivating a lifelong relationship based on mutual respect and shared experiences.

The metafan experience

I’m a paid-up member of many clubs because when they engage metafan, I sign up to repay the faith.  I’ve subscribed to many dozens of sporting clubs' lists, across a multitude of codes, and I value learning from the brilliant, the good, the bad, and the bewildering communications I receive.  Each email, each engagement, and each piece of content is a lesson in what works and what doesn’t — a living testament to the importance of data-driven strategies.  I’ve seen firsthand the power of effective engagement.  When clubs reach out with personalised, meaningful communications, I respond with loyalty and support.

There are some who will tell you that segmentation is all about the data.  While there is no denying that data is a critical input, it’s not the only thing.  At metafan, we’re extremely lucky to get to work with some incredible clubs and some amazing people as we analyse and profile their fans.  We learn so much from working with clubs about what makes fans tick that sometimes the data simply doesn’t show us.

We find that immersing ourselves in the history and culture of the club, and learning about the varied paths that fans take to become club members is a critical input to being able to profile fans.  If we don’t understand the club, how can we understand their fans?

Clubs with a short history have a much different fan base than those with over a hundred years of history where fans pass on their allegiance to their club as a familial rite of passage to their children.  Similarly, clubs that were successful when kids are at their most influenceable age attract a level of allegiance that is not afforded to teams who were performing badly at the same time.

We want to not only know who fans are, we also want to understand them, how they engage with the club, what they value, and how they consume sport.  Clubs already have a wealth of institutional knowledge about these attributes, which we tap into to combine with their data and ours to help our analysis.

In conclusion, data isn’t just a tool; it’s a key ingredient for creating a playbook for engaging modern sports fans.  Data helps clubs understand their unique fan bases better, uncover hidden motivations, adapt to evolving consumption habits, create valuable sponsorship opportunities, and foster genuine loyalty.  

So, whether you’re a club aiming to enhance your engagement game or a sporting organisation seeking to drive more participation in community sports, remember: data is the MVP.

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Graham Plant is founder and chairman of metafan, a company committed to helping organisations understand and engage their fans through data and insight. Visit metafan.

Image credit: Photo by Ronny Sison on Unsplash