Marketing summit points the way for sponsors and clubs

A who's who of sports industry leaders and European basketball professionals enjoyed a day-long exchange of ideas and strategies to help clubs and sponsors marry their common interests at the European Basketball Marketing Summit, organized by Euroleague Basketball in Barcelona on Thursday. A packed agenda of expert panels followed by question-and-answer sessions allowed more than 75 attendees to collect cutting-edge information on a range of issues. The morning sessions were filled with a variety of perspectives on sponsorship and digital synergies, the future of ticketing and brand marketing sports heroes on and off the court. The afternoon session featured group presentations on the One Team corporate social responsibility program of Euroleague Basketball and on strategies to enhance the game experience of fans through entertainment. 

Among the many experts to deliver presentations were those from Euroleague Basketball’s partners. From bwin.party, executives Daniele Sanò, the Head of Sponsorship & Events, and Maikel Oettle, International Sport Marketing Manager, discussed how to engage fans through interactive content. The laid out bwin.party’s three pillars in content, engagement and distinction.

"We think it's extremely important to have such occasions where sponsors and brands are brought close together, but most importantly brought together with the clubs, who in the end are the protagonists of the event," Sanò said afterward. "We welcome very much this kind of initiative and believe they are really useful for all parties involved. New things like digital activations are very important, although it's still an education process for a lot of people. This summit gives us the chance to communicate key trends like this to stakeholders like clubs, who may be focused elsewhere. We believe that together with Euroleague Basketball and the clubs we can really reach out to wider target groups, and the right ones."

Mr. Sanò detailed the ideas behind creating exclusive and relevant content for a consumer base, engaging customers to keep the focus and buzz on said content and continually setting oneself apart from the competition with distinct and valuable products and services.

"One of the key objectives and tasks of these initiatives is to offer something exclusive to the fans," Sanò said. "You don't necessarily want to sell them something, but to offer exclusive campaigns that no one else is offering so that bwin is uppermost in their minds as a company offering fun, entertainment and interactivity."

 Emre Albayrak, Interactive Marketing Coordinator for Turkish Airlines, agreed that the summit aimed right where his company wants to be.

"We are so happy and proud to be here, sitting alongside the people trying to bring improvement to sports through the digital world," Mr. Albayrak said after his presentation. "We've been able to talk about new models of marketing for Turkish Airlines in the world of sports, as we are the title sponsor of the Euroleague and we work with both F.C. Barcelona and Manchester United in football. The sports market for us is the key of our marketing and brand strategy, and today we found the chance to speak with many people in the world of Euroleague Basketball: teams, sponsors, the organizations and other sponsors."

Albayrak made his presentation about Eye of the Fan, an original digital initiative launched at the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in May. The eye was a fan who covered the event digitally with exclusive access to fulfill requests sent by other fans following his movements in real-time, everything from talking to a particular player to finding the prettiest girl in the arena.

"In the past, maybe brands and companies preferred one-dimensional communications, but now it's changing," Albayrak said. "We want to take an on-line and off-line road and try to make of them a combination called phygital, both physical and digital. Now, we are combining these and getting both dimensions together. We believe that digital will discipline all the other communications and help companies tell stories and sell experiences more. That's important for us to differentiate ourselves from other airlines and position ourselves in a different way."

Looking to the future, Albayrak said that Turkish Airlines is already offering Wi-Fi service and live TV on its flights, an innovation that expands the opportunities to bring sports directly into its core business.

 Before lunch, Euroleague Basketball Ticketing Manager Rutger Hoorn led a session on ticketing.  Mr. Hoorn stressed the importance of marketing the overall entertainment experience offered at games on top of the value of the games themselves. He also spoke about how digital platforms can be used beyond marketing and communication as tools to boost gate revenues. The ensuing panel further dissected strategies to fill arenas and entertain fans.

 The afternoon sessions began with UEFA's Special Football Projects Manager, Dragan Kosanovic, and retired star Christian Karembeu, who serves as a guest ambassador, presenting on how to market heroes on and off the court. Karambeu, a former FIFA World Cup winner with France, explained that since sport heroes sell dreams, they also have a greater commitment towards the fans that try to emulate those dreams. To do so, he said, one must take the necessary time to understand a community's needs and fit that set of values. If efficiently managed and marketed, Karembeu added, sports heroes can and will have a direct impact and positive influence on communities.

 The topic shifted to Corporate Social Responsibility when Isabel Gultresa, the Program Director of ONE TEAM, and ONE TEAM Program Advisor David Butler took the stage. They told the successful story of ONE TEAM, the new CSR and marketing partnership program developed by Euroleague Basketball and its eight Founding Partner Clubs. Among their messages were to work together with sponsors as "partners" and how to use the universal languages of sports – and in particular basketball – as a tool for social change. They also encouraged attendees at the Summit "to be part of what sports stands for". Mr. Kosanovic  of UEFA paid Euroleague Basketballs's CSR a big compliment when has said: "EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL is doing a great job with its CSR One Team program. It's unique because it involves all the teams in one cause, under the same umbrella, that all unite to give back to their local communities''

The closing presentation made by Arno de Jong, the Media & Marketing Director at Eredivisie, focused on Entertainment Marketing – how to give fans an unforgettable experience and to engage them.  Mr. de Jong spoke about how the rhythm and statistical content of the game of basketball makes it perfect for a fully integrated fan experience at the arena and at home. He added that the freshness and modern equipment of stadia is one of the most important aspects in offering a great fan experience. Looking ahead, he surmised that the brightest piece of innovation will be integrating a second screen app that will enhance viewing the game both at the arena and at home.