Understanding Fans Beyond Transactions

The Challenge

Helping a sports brand gain a better understanding of fans beyond the box office and transaction figures, to drive engagement.

Our client is a powerhouse sports brand that owns and operates four major league sports teams. Each team has its distinct flavor and fanbase, all of which have a tremendous impact not only on the city but the entire country. The brand realized they could benefit from understanding fans beyond transactions; going deeper – beyond the box office and transaction figures… an understanding of their fans as humans. And that’s where The Sound came in.

The Approach

To illuminate each team’s fanbase, we explored quintessential fans via our mobile ethnography tool. We then selected super-fans to meet in person and deeply immersed ourselves in their values, traditions, and experiences of the teams to which they pledged their allegiances. We then finished by speaking with stakeholders who worked for each franchise to get their sideline perspectives. The Sound’s film team captured footage of these compelling conversations and created films highlighting the unique aspects of each fanbase.

The Impact

This work allowed our client team to better connect with their fans beyond the ticket booth! Our four inspirational films and fan portraits helped their marketing team (and the entire organization) develop creative and promotional ideas that could truly connect with fans.