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Sports & Leisure Research Group E-Newsletter | January 2015

Join Us for Sports Illustrated Golf Group's Annual Market Outlook Breakfast and PGA of America Educational Series at the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show

You are invited to join Sports and Leisure Research Group President Jon Last for two dynamic presentations based on brand new consumer research at the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando Florida:

Wednesday January 21st:

SI Golf Group Insights Breakfast Features New Golf Market Segmentation & 2015 Outlook Studies

Jon will keynote the SI Golf Group breakfast with a presentation including the findings of Sports and Leisure Research Group's annual Golf Consumer Outlook Study as well as a brand new market segmentation study that defines golf's best customers. Sports Illustrated Golf Group's breakfast will be held in OCC Room W203B at 7:30am on Wednesday January 21st. We'll again share the latest forward looking golfer attitudes and perceptions about golf retail, the economy and participation in the year ahead, from a study just fielded among over 1,000 core and avid golfers. In addition to highlighting golfer attitudes, perceptions and behavioral expectations in the equipment retail categories, this year's presentation will reveal insights on the composition, and defining characteristics of the key golfer segments that will drive the marketplace, drawn from SIGG and SLRG's new segmentation research. The differentiating attitudes and behaviors of these segments may be surprising, particularly in light of some of the recent mass media misperceptions on the state of the game. SI Golf Group will be sending invitations, and those readers of this newsletter interested in attending, can reach out to Delia Leahy (Delia_Leahy@timeinc.com) at Time, Inc., to confirm attendance, as seating is limited.

Thursday January 22nd:

PGA of America Education Program—Golf Marketing TrendWatch

Part of the PGA's Education Program, SLRG President Jon Last, will highlight a number of emerging and evolving consumer trends and attitudes and their implications for golf facility operators looking to create greater resonance with their customers. The session is scheduled for 9:30am in OCCC Room W102. You can learn more about the program and register at the official PGA Merchandise Show website, here: http://www.pgashow.com.

We hope to see many of you at the show and invite you to reach out to us via our website or via email for more information on either of these presentations or to schedule an appointment at the show.

Recent SLRG Research of Interest

Demonstrating Audience Efficacy While Improving a Media Offering

At SLRG we've often referenced a metaphor that equates marketing research to a lamp post, as both can be used for either support or illumination. Sometimes a study is focused exclusively on one of these objectives, but a recent proprietary engagement for a sports media client yielded the best of both scenarios. For this particular project, SLRG's client correctly hypothesized that its audience was unique and in many ways demographically, behaviorally and attitudinally much more attractive than similar sports fans who were not a part of this audience. The research findings strongly supported that hypothesis and SLRG's project team was able to paint a succinct and strongly illustrative story for use in leveraging the client's audience to various marketing partners. By using parallel samples of heavy users and non users, the research team was able to draw an array of distinctions between the two groups. But the research also shed light on various content needs and priorities that also served as a means to inform the client on how to tailor its offerings to different constituencies and better focus on those areas of greatest importance to its most loyal audience members. Because every study needs to "start at the end", we focus our upfront project scoping work in identifying the desired client uses and outcomes of the research to assure that both methodology and end deliverables have utility. Contact us.

The Best of Both Worlds: When an Acquisition Needn't Create a Collision of Cultures

SLRG continues to work with numerous travel and leisure brands to better understand how communications and amenity offerings resonate with various groups of guests. Recently, we helped a large national brand in integrating the loyal customer base of an acquired company, with those of their existing core brand. As one can imagine, our client's task was fraught with challenges. In addition to assuaging the fears or concerns of those customers from the acquired brand, there was a need to assure that the assimilation of the acquiring brand's policies and values were in synch with "new customer" expectations and priorities. SLRG research provided an important means to measure these customers' current levels and drivers of satisfaction as well as to gauge the impact of potential amenity and communications enhancements on guest behavior under the new management. Armed with this insight, the appropriate programs and communications materials could be developed in a way that would best resonate with these "new" customers.

Understanding the Real Drivers of Constituent Satisfaction

Asking fans or customers why they feel the way they do about a product or service, can certainly drive meaningful insights and provide a sports or travel brand with a blueprint for improvement opportunities. But sometimes, particularly when there is an abundance of longitudinal measurement data available, a statistical process known as "multiple regression analysis" can statistically measure the relative impact of different aspects or components of the client's product or experience and identify which were most impactful in driving overall satisfaction for key constituencies. The analysis delivers strong insight into those aspects of a client's offering that are most critical in driving overall satisfaction levels and brand loyalty. Over time, similar analysis can help clients to further refine its offerings and assess the impact of various enhancements. We can do the same for you. Contact us.

POV/RESEARCH: Two Quick Things for Sports Marketers to Ruminate on in The New Year

It's January, and I actually succeeded in finding a little airplane time over the holidays to escape and think those deep thoughts that one is supposed to stew over when not plugged into the office 24-7. Sure, I was still contemplating the relationship between consumer insights and successful sports and leisure marketing, but these brief interludes do sometimes allow me to further connect the dots across our disparate projects and varied conversations with other folks that think about similar things on a regular basis. While far from epiphanies, click below for two quick themes that we'll continue to think about in the year ahead. Read More.

Results of Winter 2015 SLRG Sports Omnibus Study to Release in February

Crowd

More than 1,000 U.S. Sports Fans weigh in with their opinions and attitudes on everything from sports participation, media viewership and contemporary issues like off-field player conduct, league reconfiguration and the use of instant replay in the latest Sports and Leisure Research Group fan tracking study. The report will be posted on our web site, this February. You can view results of previous reports, here.

SLRG IN THE NEWS

Recent SLRG coverage of note includes:

Marketing Sports

Media Post's Marketing Sports:

Each month on Media Post's Marketing: Sports, SLRG's Jon Last offers his take on a number of issues and opportunities impacting sports marketing. The December posting laments the shuttering of University of Alabama at Birmingham's football program, and reflects on its wider implications. You can read the column here on the Sports and Leisure Research Group Website. Or you can register for a complimentary e-subscription to Marketing: Sports, at Media Post.

Connect with SLRG

Click here for archived issues of SLRG's "News and Views" e-newsletter, for all of the most up to date insight on issues impacting marketing research, the media, travel, sports and leisure industries.