Feature: Successfully delivering sport to the mobile phone – it’s all in the timing – May 2004  

We are often told that the secret to success in sport is in the timing, writes John Farmer, director of mobile media company Carbon Partners. It’s the timing in Tiger Woods’ swing that propels the ball down the fairway and the timing of movement that lets David Beckham score another stunning goal at the world’s biggest football games. The importance of timing also applies to sports organisations and clubs that seek to operate profitable mobile services that their supporters will embrace. This feature considers the role timing plays in two key areas of the delivery of mobile services. How the immediacy of the mobile channel is a unique proposition and confirms real value in mobile services and why the delivery of content for mobile services should be timed with events in the sporting diary.

Immediate and interactive communication

Positioning the mobile channel in the context of the broader media environment of sports publishing and entertainment clarifies its value proposition. Mobile delivers by opening an immediate and two-way channel of communication between the sports organisation and its supporters. This immediacy in timing of service broadcast, consumption and reaction is uniquely attributable to the fact that we carry our mobile with us at all times, and places this as a key value attribute that should be exploited.
This attribute can be used to bring sports fans into a more interactive, direct relationship with the organisation. Successful services include broadcasting SMS text alerts of key information, delivering crucial match action shots to supporters phones by MMS or inviting supporters to submit their match opinions by text message.
Bradford Bulls, (www.bradfordbulls.co.uk) Rugby League World Club Champions and Super League Champions 2003 are the leading force in Rugby League, the UK's second most popular sport. The Bulls Mobile Match service offers a suite of interactive mobile services that supporters can enjoy.
On match days, fans can use text message for snap polls such as the selection of star players. These easy to access services are given high profile promotion throughout the event to build awareness of the Bulls mobile services and encourage adoption. When UK national sports television network, Sky, is present, the Bulls utilise pitch-based promotion to reach the home sports fan.
The Bulls use the mobile channel for building pre-match anticipation before each match. An average of three mobile broadcasts are sent by text message during the week to subscribed fans. These confirm latest injury updates and provide the first available news on team selection. The Bulls balance this high value to fan information with calls to action for ticket and merchandise opportunities. Supporters pay £1.50 ($2.60) to receive five messages, and are automatically re-credited when this balance depletes. They can request to stop at any time by text message. The effective timing of the release of information and the quality of content drive a subscription retention rate of 88%, confirming this as a service that Bulls’ fans place strong value on.
Underpinning these services is the fact that the mobile phone provides an immediacy of timing with delivery and response that no other media can offer. For the sports fan the opportunity to stay up to date with information and participate in interactive services delivers new value to their supporting experience. For the sports organisation this value translates into revenue generating opportunities.

Key events propel adoption

As the primary vehicle for our communication requirements, the mobile phone has become integral to daily life, and almost an extension of our identity. As such, for sports fans, the personalisation of their phone via ringtones, screen graphics and images can all be used to make a statement of loyalty and identity.
Branded content services on mobile phones are a key part of the mobile mix and an early area of adoption by fans. Tailoring the offering to key events within the sports diary drives increased use of these services.
Hibernian FC, www.hibs.co.uk, is a leading Scottish Premier League soccer team. The team’s Mobile Match service is in its third season and closely integrated throughout all its media broadcasting and marketing activities. In season 2003-04 the club reached the final of a major cup tournament, attended by 40,000 of its fans. The branded mobile content element of the service was revamped to provide exclusive products available for a limited timed offer. These products drove an increase of 351% in sales for the two weeks prior to the cup final; with the average spend per customer increasing by 235% to £3.16. During this period, 28% of all content purchased was Cup Final related.
As well as pre event opportunities, post event products can drive sales. Hibernian FC broke a run of defeats against city rivals Hearts FC, with a 1-0 victory in August 2003. The image of the winning goal celebration was captured and released immediately to the Hibernian fans for download to their mobile phones. In the first week post the match, 77% of all content purchased was the image of this player, compared to a season wide average of 15% for player images.
Combining refreshed content offerings with key events complements the very nature of mobile as a time relevant means of communication, and proves an effective means to drive product sales.

Summary

The environment of a passionate audience, hunger for information and desire to express strong opinions all complement the opportunities available via mobile phone. The always on and ever present nature of the mobile, the interactive style of mobile communications and the ability for device personalisation enable the provision of mobile services to fulfil the information, communication and identity needs of the sports fan. In so much of sport, success is in the timing, and this holds true for mobile. Taking advantage of the immediate nature of mobile communication and relating services to key events are two of the timing elements required to deliver profitable mobile services in sport.

About Carbon Partners

Carbon Partners is the largest independent provider of branded mobile media services to sports organisations in the UK. Its Mobile Match product provides a suite of applications that open new communication and revenue generating channels that meet the desire of sports fans to be close to the action. Clients in multiple sports sectors include leading professional soccer teams, World Rugby League Champions Bradford Bulls, national sports organisations in rugby and hockey and international events such as the America’s Cup.
With over five years expertise in mobile technology development, service distribution and launch marketing, Carbon Partners provide the complete business solution for sports organisations to embrace and profit from the mobile opportunity. The company is headquartered in London, UK and serves a global client base.

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