Sometimes Americans in sports business are so caught up in the goings on in the lower 48 that we forget that there are some pretty smart best practices going on north of the border. The Blue Jays and the work MLSE has done from a marketing standpoint rivals anything in the U.S. this year, and we have seen one great businesses flourish with the Canucks in Vancouver and of course the Canadiens as we start the NHL season. We also tend to overlook the football-playing population and specifically the Canadian Football League. With its unique rules and history, the CFL is not the NFL, but it is not minor league either. While the CFL has had its business ups and downs many of the franchises are now starting to thrive again, and one that is big on innovation and engagement is the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The TiCats storied tradition took a decided downturn not that long ago, but in recent years the business and the football have been back, along with many of its fans. The CFL presents some unique and engaging business opportunities locally, nationally and even internationally, so we caught up with Matt Afinec, The Tiger-Cats Chief Commercial Officer to talk about business north of the border.
Q. What is the unique value proposition the Tiger-Cats can offer to brands?
We offer multiple touch points that create value in a highly engaged and geographically diverse marketplace. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats brand combines history with best-in-class activation opportunities and amenities. We have the e benefit of a 146-year football history, and the ability to match that with the benefits of modern technology and an outstanding new stadium. We provide value to those who invest in us that is unsurpassed in the Canadian marketplace.
Q. Is the U.S. a marketplace for the club, given the Ticats unique geographic positioning?
It hasn’t been a priority for us up to this point, but there are cross border opportunities for our club and for the league. There are a lot of standout players from high profile NCAA football programs that fans in the United States would like to follow. The CFL is just tapping into the appetite for football in the States, and leveraging relationships with the likes of ESPN is a strategy many of us would like to pursue.
There are a lot of transplanted Canadians and Hamiltonians all over the world. We live-streamed a preseason game on Ticats.ca and had viewers from 52 countries. Our merchandise is available online, and we ship a lot of gear all over the globe.
Q. The CFL has a unique opportunity on the North American football calendar given the schedule. How can the league and the team better take advantage of that position?
One of the great advantages we have is that we’re playing at times that are social times for people, specifically Friday evenings and weekends. That allows us to position our product differently.
We can create an event-driven game experience that emphasizes the social aspects of going to a game. Our fans tend to arrive early and stay late. While many remain in their seats and watch the game, we also encourage people to enjoy the game while taking advantage of the many lounge areas and platform viewing areas where they can socialize with their friends and clients while keeping an eye on what’s taking place on the field. People are now consuming sports in different ways. Creating a major social event on a summer night is an opportunity that is unique to the CFL, and we have been successful in doing that.
Q. What are some of the unique ways the Ticats engage with their fans?
Ticats All Access is a digital loyalty platform that facilitates meaningful dialogue with our fans whether they’re in-stadium or elsewhere, both during games and during the week. We were the first CFL team to live stream a game. We were so overwhelmed with the public response that we have quickly expanded what we’re doing in the digital space. There are many ways we can integrate our partners into All Access. For example, we just awarded a trip to the Grey Cup to one of our fans through the engagement of a corporate partner. We’re leading the way when it comes to incorporating technology into fan engagement, and we intend to continue to be aggressive in providing more great content to our sizeable fan base.
Q. What are some of the brand engagement platforms that the club has executed well?
There are an unlimited number of ways that fans can engage with the Ticats brand in-stadium, at home, during the season, and in the off-season. Our digital content on Ticats.ca is second to none in Canada. In terms of the in-stadium experience, the design of Tim Hortons Field was intended to maximize the social viewing aspects of attending a football game. We have a lot of fans who like coming to the games to analyze every play, and who live and die with what the team does on the field. But at the same time we have a lot of fans for whom the decision to attend is not rooted solely in what’s going on down on the field. We work hard to serve all interests.
In all four corners of the stadium we have large areas that invite fans to congregate and engage socially, starting with the Pioneer Energy Zone, a 10,000 square foot terrace that is accessible to all 24,000 fans in attendance. We have the Seagram Touchdown Lounge overlooking one end zone, and the Coors Light Patio overlooking the other. Our club and suite levels are the standard for Canadian stadiums and rival some NFL stadiums. The constant feedback we get from our fans is that it’s just so much fun to be there.
Q. Who are some of the other teams that you follow who do brand engagement well?
The Golden State Warriors, even pre-dating their championship season, have always impressed me with their game presentation and how they communicate with their fans. Their game day presentation and digital engagement is exceptional.
Q. Winning is not something we can ever predict. How has the club been able to build the brand so that there is value year in, year out?
We are adept at identifying ways to create value across consumer segments, and our people deliver on those extremely well. By 2016 we will have doubled our season seat holder base in four years. We have been able to attract different segments of our diverse community and provide them with a fantastic experience on game days, and with an association they value apart from games.
Q. What are some of the areas for business growth the club has not yet taken advantage of that you are targeting in the next year?
We will be programming more commercial events into our new stadium to provide season seat holders with even more benefits, such as the first chance to obtain tickets for concerts and special events. Additional non-Ticats benefits will provide a great bonus for those who are invested in us. We are continuing to work with our food partner, Levy Restaurants, to provide a robust food and beverage experience on game days. We are committed to growing the digital element of our business, and creating an even better one-on-one dialogue with our fans. We are passionate about being a championship organization both on and off the field, and sharing that success with our fans, and corporate and community partners.
