We can never learn enough from experts and teaching tactics around the world. Here is a guest post from Rick Liebling, with some sports on sports business with a Spanish tilt.
Rick Liebling is an independent marketing consultant with more than 15 years of sports marketing experience. You can follow him on Twitter: @RickLiebling
As a sports marketing professional with more than fifteen years experience, I’ve seen the industry change and grow. It’s become more global, more sophisticated and the introduction of digital and social media has had a significant impact on the games and the way people watch them. Individuals looking to enter the field of sports marketing need to develop skills and understanding to meet the challenges of the industry and the Sports Business Institute provides a variety of educational opportunities for those interested in becoming a sports marketing professional. I recently spoke with Diego Valdes Rendon, Director of SBI Barcelona about his views of the sports marketing industry.
RL: Tell us about the SBI Barcelona?
DVR: The Sports Business Institute (SBI) is a private learning institution based in Barcelona with a regional office in North America that provides practical executive business training to those aspiring to work or advance their career in sports, with a particular focus on the football/soccer industry.
Our programs have been designed to bridge the gap between an academic approach to sports management and the real-life work environment of the industry. Our students benefit from a realistic overview of the key elements that must be developed, analyzed and enhanced in order to be competitive in such a demanding sector.
What are the biggest growth areas in the industry?
There are several areas within the football/sports industry that are rapidly growing. One of these, for example, is e-Sports. This sector has rapidly gained professionalization as the prize money awarded has increased drastically and major sponsors have come on board. Virtual Reality is another area that has a lot of potential for growth as there are numerous opportunities for its use. From improving training and performance for athletes to engaging fans and consumers and providing them with unique experiences from the comfort of their own living room. There are plenty of other of growth areas in the industry and most of them are related with the fast-paced technological advances entering the market.
Which leagues or teams are pushing the innovation envelope the most?
One of the leagues we monitor closely is Major League Soccer . They have phenomenal engagement with their fans, particularly in the digital sphere. As soccer is not the main sport in North America, MLS and its clubs have to be very innovative in their approach to capture the attention of their target audiences and gain new fans. As far as clubs, NYCFC are a great example of a sports property that has created its own distinct identity and rapidly acquired a new fan base leveraging its association with Manchester City in the Premier League. In European football we also regularly follow clubs such as Juventus, Manchester City and FC Barcelona, particularly from a fan engagement perspective. They are constantly generating content that is fresh and entertaining for their fans at a worldwide level.
Are fans being served well today by teams, leagues, brands and athletes?
We are in an era where fans have much more relevance in the sport than ever before and both sponsors and clubs are very much aware of this. Fans are regularly consuming content about their favourite clubs, players, leagues, or tournaments across several devices and platforms, and this means sponsors and properties need to constantly engage them and generate unique consumer/fan experiences for them. With the arrival of social media there has been a paradigm shift where the conversation has become two-way, and as a result brands and sports properties must serve the fans in non-intrusive ways to continue to have them engaged.
How will sports be different 10 years from now?
It is difficult to predict what will happen in 10 years given that everything is changing at such a fast pace, however, there are a few trends that we can anticipate. For example, I believe women’s football will continue to evolve and grow and gain social relevance and as a result will become a more appealing product for sponsors. Also, as previously mentioned, I anticipate that e-Sports and virtual reality will become very big in the coming years. Sports at their essence will remain the same on the pitch yet the experiences surrounding them and how we consume them is what will continue to evolve moving forward.
