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Ronald L. Zaslow is a journalist in New York City who focuses on sports and the business aspects of the industry. He also hosts "Ron Zaslow Interviews," a television program which airs on Time Warner Cable's Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

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Mail Makes the Completion: A Look at Mercury Communication Group’s Targeted Sports Marketing Solution

Written on
January 18th 2007
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by Ronald Zaslow  |
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O’Brien believes myFRM will help create a unique relationship between athletes and fans. “What most companies do is send out unidirectional correspondence in the form of newsletters,” says O’Brien. “What we aim to do is take current data, and ensure it is accurate. We then send a personalized message to fans and encourage a response by placing a call-to-action within the message. When fans are able to see that a certain athlete has their contact information, it helps build up dialogue and trust. They are looking for inside information and if they can get it before it comes from other sources such as an ESPN, they become that much more passionate and loyal. We understand the fine line between providing value added content about a player and merely trying to sell the fan something. So our system opens the doors of communication and gives the consumers something special.”

This technology should make engagement easier. “Fans will be able to get a quicker and more personalized response,” says Gena. “It will also help the players because it will save them time from having to answer and reply to individual correspondence.” Ex-NFL’er Mike agrees. “It gives the convenience and benefits of having a personal assistant to do it for you,” he says.

O’Brien believes myFRM can help change the sports marketing and advertising industry. “We are able to bring in unique data and empower our clients to use the current data they have and really cut it down,” he notes. “A lot of systems are able to report on a variety of data points. But our system cuts it down to key words and themes which fans are talking about. This enables us to come up with specific regional and demographic marketing information that is very targeted and cost efficient.”

This technology can also be used to help generate endorsement opportunities. “This allows companies to look at the fan database that is associated with a player,” says O’Brien. “As a result it will allow the company to tie a product in with an athlete and distribute it correctly. Our goal is to empower and make things more fan driven and our technology will allow us to create and foster dialogue with them.”

Chris Hutson, the Chief Marketing Officer of Turnstyles Ticketing who has over 25 years of experience in ticket sales and sports marketing with various entities including the National Football League, Madison Square Garden and the Philadelphia 76ers believes leagues could benefit from this product as well. “The biggest issue that teams always have is trying to generate databases, particularly targeted ones, which will make it easier to sell tickets,” he says. “Working with targeted databases will give you a much better close rate. What Mercury’s application does is it helps you greatly refine not just ticket sales, but also merchandising opportunities among fans based upon their buying patterns. It is a tremendous boost, not only to build the databases, but targeted ones, which eventually equates to more revenues.”

But perhaps the multi-purpose nature of myFRM might be its most beneficial aspect. “This is really a tool helps build target data bases, while you are serving another function,” says Hutson. “That is the whole customer service of the fans, while dealing fan clubs, details and desires.”

While fan mail has been a traditional mode of communication between fans and athletes, myFRM is anything but. It serves as a tool which makes engagement easier and creates bonds with potential consumers. This targeted marketing technology also creates efficiencies and potential revenue opportunities that could shape the future of the sports marketing and advertising landscape for athletes, companies and leagues alike.



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