MelbStars SMS Invite To The MCG

Melbourne Stars are flying (shooting?) both on field and on social at the moment. They’re 7 from 7 and on top of the #BBL03 ladder, which no doubt has helped them attract more than 117k on Facebook, 32.7k on Twitter and 10k on Instagram (@StarBBL).

You can also win a very nice Mitsubishi at home games just by simply SMS’ing your details to 0447 227 755. An effective way of collecting fan contacts, such as mine, and then sending out a text to invite you to the game. Clever!

The Stars final regular game of the BBL03 season is on Monday 27 January v Perth Scorchers at the MCG starting at 1.45pm. I’m expecting a text in the morning!

TOYOTA’s Social Is Just Not Cricket!

As part of the MCG event staff I’ve watched a lot of cricket this summer. As the Aussies were getting ready to train for the first match of the One Day International Series I noticed fence signage (above) that read TOYOTA Cricket. Oh What a Feeling!

I’ll be honest, and I don’t know about you, but Toyota and Cricket wasn’t an association I was aware of!

It got me thinking what do Toyota do to leverage their cricket sponsorship online and socially, and how does it compare with KIA Tennis (Australian Open) and HYUNDAI Football (A League) associations that appear far more memorable (to me at least!).

So I did an audit of each car manufacturers relationship with their Australian summer sport and here’s what I found.

TOYOTA Cricket google search brings up “Toyota and cricket…Oh what a feeling!” that links to the landing page: www.toyota.com.au/cricket and includes a “legendary moment” with Steve “Tugga” Waugh. If you scroll right to the base of the page you find the “stay connected” social icons of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Toyota Australia’s website home page itself interestingly has no reference to the association with Cricket Australia.
Toyota Australia’s Facebook page has 165,000+ fans, but they only display photos and talk about their vehicles.
Toyota Australia’s @Toyota_Aus Twitter account (link from website is broken?!) has 15,000+ followers and yet makes no mention of cricket or Cricket Australia whatsoever. Cricket Australia’s @CricketAus Twitter account has almost 275,000 followers that Toyota’s sponsorship could / should enable a significant conduit too!

KIA Tennis search brings up the Kia Event Guide on top as part of the Australian Open website. Their Kia Facebook page is next, proof (to me!) that Google is increasingly acknowledging social / facebook. “Kia Game On,” a landing page on the Kia website is just a little further down that seeks to know how you came to visit the site (see image below). It encourages the visitor / fan to get the app (which I did) for a chance to win a Kia Cerato Koup Turbo by returning tennis player Sam Groth’s serve when you see an ad on Channel 7. Great idea, but direct marketing 101 would suggest Kia might be asking a bit ‘too much’ from your average fan?
KIA Australia’s website home page also features a web banner promoting the Kia Game On tennis app, but perhaps surprisingly doesn’t display the Australian Open logo.
KIA Australia’s Facebook page has 251,00, a photo of Federation Square as its cover (good geographic positioning!) and is all over tennis as well as placing the occasional photo of its vehicles.
KIA Australia’s Twitter has nearly 10,000 followers and also has a very strong Australia Open tennis focus, engaging and retweeting fans.

HYUNDAI Football search brings up the Football Australia website first, although interestingly Hyundai Australia has a Google ad at the top of the page. Hyundai’s “Goals for Grassroots” is the first page from the website to be listed and gives community clubs tickets to A-League games as well as a chance to win a Hundai i30.
Hyundai Australia’s website home page features no less than eight web banners! Only one of which refers to their A-League association, but it does give fans the opportunity to win a VIP package. Hyundai’s social ‘connection’ buttons are prominent on the top right of the website and include YouTube, Google+ and Instagram in addition to Facebook and Twitter.
Hyundai Australia’s Facebook page has 273,000 followers and features the A-League VIP package as a Facebook app, but is mainly focused on its own offering i.e. cars. It does also note other sports sponsor partners.
Hyundai Australia’s Twitter has just over 4000 fans (they follow just over one hundred) and appears slightly disinterested in soccer and the A-League, but then the @ALeague Twitter account is called “Hyundai A-League” and has over 54,000 follower fans!

I’ve heard it said that it’s better to be the biggest sponsor of the smallest sport, than just another sponsor as part of the biggest sport! Cricket Australia’s Facebook (2.33m) and Twitter (275k) is almost double the Australian Open (Facebook 1.09m and Twitter 406k) and the A-League pales by comparison (Facebook 77k and Twitter 54k).

Yet on the “Car Brands Leveraging Sport Sponsorship Through Social” Podium I would have:
3. Toyota Cricket.
2. Hyundai Football.
1. Kia Tennis.

This unlikely to be good news for Toyota, given Roy Morgan suggest that “Just 1 in 7 associate KIA with Australian Open tennis tournament” – how many fewer would associate Toyota and Australian Cricket?

Would be interested in your thoughts as an Aussie sports fan.

Look what turned up at the G today. @CricketWorldCup

CAN Support Jane McGrath Day at the SCG!

It has to be said that the marketing of the Pink Test and today’s Jane McGrath (3rd) Day at the Sydney Cricket Ground has been simply outstanding!

Congratulations to all involved including:
– Sponsors such as the Commonwealth Bank who’ve literally painted the ground pink with their CAN logo.
– SCG and Cricket Australia who have provided the venue and entertainment, with Australia once again dominating the hapless English to win the series 5-0!
– Fans in the stands all getting involved by raising awareness and sporting something pink.
– Broadcaster Channel Nine with Tubby, Heals, Slats and co resplendent in pink suits and sunnies as well as providing a wonderful commentary about the day. Warney also gave a touching video tribute to Glenn (“Pidge”) and Jane McGrath, the McGrath foundation and emphasised why this is such a special day on the cricket calendar.

The McGrath Foundation has supported over 25,000 Australian families with more than 100 Breast Care Nurses nationally over the last four years. Their tagline is “together we can make a difference” and that I think has been beautifully demonstrated at the 2014 Jane McGrath Day.

You can make a difference too by donating to the McGrath Foundation online.

2013 Boxing Day Test Brands That Engaged With Fans Online … and Some That Didn’t!

Having spent the past (almost) four days working as event staff on the hallowed MCG turf* I had a lot of time to ponder, including:
A. Just how much better the Australian Cricket Team has become in a short time compared to the English; and
B. What Brands are using Cricket as a Marketing Communications vehicle.

The “G” offers significant static and dynamic signage opportunities for sponsors and supporters of Cricket Australia including two new state of the art LED high-definition scoreboards, the largest in Australia. No doubt those sponsors and supporters would have been pleased that a total of 271,865 fans attended, the fourth highest ever for a MCG Ashes Test on the back of a world record opening day crowd of 91,092.

That’s 543,730 eyeballs and that doesn’t include the massive TV or online audiences** – Cricket Australia were actively promoting their new mobile app below the sight screens.

What surprises me, given that I actively encourage small to medium size businesses to promote their online and social media presence offline, is that very few corporate sponsor signs at the Boxing Day Test included any reference to .com, Facebook or Twitter.

The only signage of any significance displaying their website address was bet365.com.au, who sponsored the boundary rope – but “sheesh” you’d expect that from the world’s biggest online sports betting company! I only noticed two corporate boxes, hfccorporatehospitality.com.au and competing sports betting mob sportsbet.com.au, also promoting web details.

Presumably brand managers from the likes of Toyota, Victoria Bitter, dodo electricity, CAN, Mattador BBQs (at Bunnings apparently), OPSM, Asics, Ryobi, Weetbix and Gatorade don’t need, or want to promote online details to the fans in this way?

Probably the best promotion of online details was by the Milo cricket kids who ran around at the intervals with milocricket.com.au on their green and gold shirts, whilst their coaches were sporting shirts with playcricket.com.au.

Both Melbourne based Big Bash League franchise teams, the Stars and the Renegades caught my eye as promoting their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter account details.

Facebook photos of the KFC #bucketheads were shown up on the big screen, which was a different way to display and engage with fans. Perhaps something that Cricket Australia should consider with their “Know When To Declare” GO AUSSIES green and gold hat wigs that looked great, but I doubt got the intended message across (Boxing Day is notorious for people not declaring before they get absolutely pissed!)

The only other @ symbol I noticed was in front of @harmonycricket so well done Cricket Victoria on offering up Twitter as a way to promote cricket as “a game for everyone” and this newish brand.

The overall winner*** in my eyes of best use of signage to engage with fans was Bupa and its Fanpic campaign, which used the big screens to ask people to tag themselves into a Boxing Day crowd photo. Only minor issue was having to wait until the next day to do so, which I would guess reduces the likelihood**** of people doing so?

Did you attend the Boxing Day Test? Given I was based on the Arena throughout, I would be really interested to know if any advertising signage or activity based marketing in or outside the MCG stood out for you?

Oh and #GoAussies #5nil!

*I am the current MCG Arena Mayor on Foursquare!
**Nor do figures include event staff such as myself.
***Special mention to the bloke in the aisle near me from gippslandsolar.com.au who used his iPhone to film the players as they came out to bat with his brochure and website details in hand – I’m going to keep an eye on your Facebook page!
****Although not me! Good to be able to prove to the grandkids (one day) that I was there for the world record attendance and during an Ashes Test when we belted the English!

Do you run a sports club in Victoria, Australia?

Are you involved running a sports club or association in Victoria, Australia?

Whether you’re a paid or volunteer President, Treasurer, Secretary, PR person, Coach or Manager, the ‘I run a sports club in Victoria, Australia‘ Facebook group has been set up to enable you to get to know and network with others seeking to grow their club.

The Facebook group is all about you asking questions and sharing ideas, so please get involved by posting on the wall and letting others know your challenges and opportunities!

If you’ve got your own club website, blog, facebook group/page, twitter (and so on) that you want to share and get others feedback on, then please use the group for that too.

*Note: This group has been created ahead of the Sports Club Management Expo to be held in Melbourne on the 17th November 2013.

It follows the successful example of Business Victoria’s ‘I am a business owner in Victoria, Australia‘ facebook group.

I look forward to seeing more and better sports club relationships being developed.

Sports Club Management Expo

Are you a champion of sporting clubs?

I’d really appreciate your help letting your network know of this exciting one-day upcoming event.

2013 Sports Club Management Expo:
– When: Sunday, November 17, 2013 from 10am – 2pm
– Where: State Library of Victoria, Experimedia Hall, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
– Tix just $40
– Contact: via web or Phone Call Alex or Devin on 0457 652 392, Email rego@scme.org.au

I’m pleased to be giving a brief workshop on the use of social media network websites to attract and retain more playing participants/supporters and it’d be great to meet some of your sport club & association leaders!

There may be a gap in the market, but is there a market in the gap?

My strategic marketing lecturer at Monash University was fond of saying “there may be a gap in the market, but is there a market in the gap?”

Having started West2East ReCreation to enable strategic marketing & social media communications ‘with and for’ local sport, small business and sponsor partners, I have found myself pondering this ‘market in the gap’ question?

The best evidence to support a ‘gap in the market’ of Australian small businesses (not) using social media is contained within the Yellow Social Media Report (June, 2012).

Firstly the Social Media Report tells us that 62% of internet users have an active presence on social networking sites. Social Media Statistics Australia do a count each month and in November 2012 the number of users on Facebook was up to 11,755,640, Twitter was steady at 2,114,000 and LinkedIn was up to 2,500,000.

The Social Media Report highlights that whilst a growing number of small businesses are using social media (27%*), the majority still aren’t. It also calculates that small business were spending an average of $3,410 per annum and that this was 15.3% of the total marketing spend (= $22,287 annual marketing spend in total).

The Social Media Report uses the same size classification of small business i.e. 1-19 employees as the Australian Government’s Department of Innovation Industry, Science and Research who provide Key Statistics, including survival rates.

The Social Media report states “there is a clear opportunity to build consumer relationships and sales via social media” noting that online communities are most interested in business offerings by way of discounts, giveaways, product information, coupons, tips and advice.

Within any business strategy the two major functions of marketing communications are:
1. to acquire new customers and
2. to retain the customers you already have.
Social media marketing may be the best and most cost effective media channel available to most small businesses (and sporting clubs). But, is there a market for it? 

73% of Australian small businesses currently don’t use social media and possibly don’t know how to get started.
27% of Australian small businesses are using social media, but are investing an average of just $65/week, which equates to approximately two hours of staff time.

Richard Branson stated in a recent LinkedIn article that “embracing social media isn’t just a bit of fun, it’s a vital way to communicate.”

If you’re a small business owner or provider of local sport please let me know what you think – is there a market in the gap?

Steve Hubbard
http://about.me/steve.hubbard

(*Interestingly and perhaps surprisingly, my home State of Victoria had the lowest use by any State with just 23% of small businesses using social media.)

Whatever you’ve been doing STOP! We’re killing Australian sport!

ABSTRACT

Australian sport is dying. Over the past 10 years sports participation and spectatorship has been in serious decline. Where fans are now congregating is “cyberspace” i.e. online and social media.

So, to better promote sport and leverage sponsorship we need to go where the audience is now, not where they used to be! Effective cyberspace marketing is the solution.

Steve Hubbard, Cyberspace Marketer @ West2East ReCreation

Marketing | Sport | Sponsorship | Online & Social Media Communications

Steve Hubbard – BIO of a Value adder…

Steve was born and raised south of the river in Perth Western Australia and completed a degree in Sport and Recreation at Edith Cowan University in 1989.

Steve was appointed the inaugural Guest Activities officer at Cable Beach Club Resort Broome in 1990, before travelling and working in the recreation and aquatic industries in both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in London UK from 1992 to 1995.

Upon returning to West Australia, Steve went on to become the Recreation and Culture Manager at the boom sea change City of Rockingham for more than a decade.

Steve relocated to Australia’s sporting & cultural capital in 2007 and was the Leisure Policy & Planning Coordinator at the dynamic Brimbank City Council in the heart of Melbourne’s western suburbs.

In 2010 Steve was accepted into Monash University’s Masters of Marketing program and simultaneously commenced his own sports project management consultancy. He provides relationship marketing for Vic Beach volleyball and works weekends with SECUREcorp at the MCG, “arguably the best sports arena in the world”.

In 2012 Steve established West2East ReCreation, a cyberspace marketing consultancy that grows business and sport through strategic online and social media marketing.

Steve believes in and focuses on #WIN #WIN #WIN, for his business, his partners and his clients. He lives, works & plays, in and about Williamstown with his wife and two sons.