There's never been a better time to grow your sports organisation

First written 2013 · 4 minute read

The world has changed, and most of the changes are working in sport's favour. Seven reasons to be optimistic, and one simple tool to make the most of them.

The world has changed, and so must you

The world is changing fast, sometimes so quickly we don't have time to take in what's happening. When I was a kid and we drove to the coast to camp, Mum gave me a map and told me to read it properly so I could give her directions. Today I ask my kids to put the destination into Google Maps and steer me around the heaviest traffic. Then they tell me what's happening there and what people already there are saying about it, all while messaging their friends.

In March 2012, a group of people made a three-minute video about Joseph Kony, put it on YouTube and used social media to tell everyone they knew. Within a fortnight, nearly 100 million people had watched it. Never in history has there been more power available to each of us as individuals. And never have we had to move as quickly.

People expect instant gratification

All this change has altered what we expect. I expect to be able to contact anyone at any time and get a response within a few hours at the most. We all expect to pay by card, get wi-fi anywhere, buy online, have our tickets scanned from a phone and find every piece of information on the internet. It's just the way people believe the world should work.

So you're not ahead of the game if you do these things. You're just meeting everyone's raised expectations. If you're not making the changes people expect, you're standing still while everyone else moves.

Seven reasons the odds are in your favour

REASON ONE

People love sport, and see more of it

There's no point having a product nobody wants. Sport has a natural advantage: a large part of the population wants it. We see and hear about it on television, online, on our phones and in every other medium, and that creates more demand to take part.

REASON TWO

We have more time for it

We all complain that there's never enough time, but machines and services now do many of the chores that used to fill our days. That leaves more time for sport.

REASON THREE

The population is growing

As the population grows, so does the demand for every service, including sport. For an established sports organisation, that's a huge opportunity.

REASON FOUR

People are more aware of their health

Television, magazines and freely available medical research mean people know health and fitness matter, and that organised sport is a great way to achieve their goals.

REASON FIVE

Governments want people to play sport

Obesity and preventable illness are a massive problem for every government. As a result, governments fund programs and advertising that encourage people to be active. That's a free kick for sport.

REASON SIX

Technology makes your job easier

The smallest organisation can now market like a 400-kilogram gorilla. With a well-designed website, strong branding and compelling communication, you can reach your target market and compete with anyone, whatever your size.

REASON SEVEN

Help and advice are everywhere

Not long ago it was hard to get good advice on growing a sports organisation. Now there's help available in every niche you can think of, so there's no excuse for not knowing how to improve.

Despite the day-to-day challenges, and whatever you hear in the media, the environment for growth has never been better.

Plan it with a marketing calendar

When I started work, the calendar was a big piece of cardboard on the wall. If you lost it, you started again from memory. Technology makes it much easier now, although I still recommend printing your calendar and putting it on the wall. Here's how I'd set up a marketing calendar.

STEP ONE

Hold a planning session

Decide what goes on the calendar and when. It's hard the first time, but easier each year as you learn what works. Have the key people there, but don't go overboard. You can always circulate the calendar for comment when it's 95% finished.

STEP TWO

Put it somewhere everyone can see it

Use a shared electronic calendar. Include not just each event but all the preparation leading up to it, with reminders for everyone who has a job to do.

STEP THREE

Automate the reminders

If you want to get sophisticated, set up a sequence in your CRM that reminds people to complete tasks as an event approaches, and lets you track progress.

And keep the planning meeting tight. Never call or attend a meeting without a written agenda agreed in advance. Give it a finish time as well as a start time. Stand up if you can, because it stops people lounging around. And finish with an action list: who will do what, by when.

If you'd like to go further, the free chapter of Game Plan Marketing covers why there's never been a better time to grow your sports organisation, and what marketing really is.

A note on dates

Ned wrote this in 2013 while working on Game Plan Marketing. Some examples are from that time.

Ned Coten AM

Executive Chair of EngageRM, Chair of the Confederation of Australian Sport and Chair of Basketball Australia from 2017 to 2021. He still plays Masters basketball internationally.

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