Research segments fans by lifestyle, not sport
BY DAVID BROUGHTON
RESEARCH DIRECTOR
Results of an expansive study scheduled
to be unveiled this week aim to provide new
tools for marketers to better evaluate sports
fans’ emotional motivations, their purchas-
ing and social media behavior, and their
lifestyle habits both within and outside
of sports.
The research is the result of a yearlong
effort by marketing and consulting agency
Team Epic. The data segments sports fans
The 5 Segments of Fans
Couch
Curmudgeons
Fitness
Edge
Alumni
Association
Receptive
and Limited
Super
Jocks
into five distinct clusters based on characteristics such as avidity, engagement with
sponsors, socioeconomic status and personal outlook on life. According to Team
Epic officials, segmentation like this will
allow marketers to be more strategic in their
property selection by understanding how
various fan bases react to sponsors and what
type of activation programs are most likely
to engage them.
“One of the most interesting findings is
that fans should no longer be looked at in
silos — as an ‘NHL fan’ or an ‘MLB fan,’”
said Team Epic principal Mike Reisman.
“Segmentation based on avidity misses the
point of today’s consumers’ lifestyle and
mind-set. Instead, this study shows empirically that a brand ought to be looking across
the lifestyle interests of a consumer. The
majority of fans are looking for brands that
deliver enrichment across sports, not just
for an individual sport.”
Finding the sport or sports with the highest concentration of fan clusters who are
receptive to specific activations or campaigns should be a brand’s top priority,
Reisman said.
For example, fans in the segment labeled
the Alumni Association are more accepting of integrated sponsorships (such as the
FedEx Air and Ground NFL player awards,
or the Kia NBA Performance Awards), are
more likely than most fans to have children at
home, and are more likely to have interacted
at a live sponsor event. Marketers are more
likely to find a higher concentration of these
fans among college football and basketball,
the PGA Tour and the NBA fan bases.
Separately, two-thirds of the study’s Fitness Edge segment is female, the highest
ratio of any of the five fan clusters. This
group is the most active in social media, and
Fitness Edge fans are more likely than most
fans to respond to sponsor activation efforts
that use mobile devices. Members also have
a generally positive outlook on their future.
Thirty-eight percent of action sports fans
fit into this category, as do more than onequarter of MMA and Olympic fans.
The survey also identifies a Super Jocks
category, comprising fans who are relatively
young (average age: 33.5 years) and ethnically diverse (30 percent non-white) and
with the most positive outlook on their
lives: 59 percent of Super Jocks say they
are “extremely” or “very happy,” which is 13
percentage points above the survey’s average. Eighty-nine percent of these fans said
they have interacted with sponsors online
by participating in a promotion of some
How They Engage
COUCH CURMUDGEONS: Oldest and least active. They prefer watching sports at home. They also
are the least optimistic about the future, are the least open to sponsors and are not actively involved in
sponsor programs
100
100
80
80
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION: Older male sports fans with high disposable income and heavily invested
in college sports. Open to sponsorship and influenced by sponsor programs (although not as much as
Super Jocks).
60
60
SUPER JOCKS: Very young and male-dominated group with the second-highest average household
income. Highly social and active, and the most likely to identify themselves as outdoor enthusiasts. They
seek live events and are heavily into tailgating and fantasy sports. Very open to sponsorship and exceed
all groups in their level of participation in sponsor programs.
40
40
RECEPTIVE AND LIMITED: Mix of male and female sports fans. Second-oldest of any segment; belowaverage income. Much more likely to follow pro sports and like NASCAR. Highly receptive to sponsors
(viewing them as important and exhibiting good will toward them) but given their lower levels of disposable
income, they are more conscious about spending money.
20
20
FITNESS EDGE: Most female of any group and very diverse. Younger and very physically active, with
average income levels. More likely to follow pro sports and love the Olympics. Most active on social
media. Have a positive view of sponsors but are selective about how they get involved in promotions,
sponsor programs, etc.
120
100
100
80
80
60
60
40
40
20
20
00
1 6 ❘
Fan Composition
13%
20%
22%
22%
23%
Total fans
JULY 23-29, 20 1 2
19%
20%
26%
18%
17%
Olympics
16%
27%
14%
21%
22%
NFL
0
Interact via PROMOTION
Interact via SOCIAL MEDIA
Interact VIA MOBILE
Interact via EXPERIENTIAL
To read: Action sports and MMA have the highest percentage of Super Jocks (a younger and more male-dominated group),
with 32 percent each. NASCAR has the highest percentage of Receptive and Limited fans (receptive to sponsors but more
depressed economically), at 34 percent.
19%
27%
24%
32%
22%
23%
15%
18%
11%
23%
16%
34%
25%
19%
30%
37%
11%
12%
17%
14%
22%
45%
19%
22%
19%
8%
14%
18%
17%
18%
18%
15%
MLB
NBA
NASCAR
NHL
PGA Tour
NCAA football
NCAA basketball
19%
www.sportsbusinessjournal.com ❘ Street
32%
12%
17%
38%
27%
13%
12%
11%
12%
6%
32%
5%
Action sports
MMA
& Smith’s SportsBusiness JOURNAL
sort, the highest rate of any group of fans.
Interest in personal interaction, such
as player meet-and-greets and behind-thescenes tours, by this group of fans is one
of the key findings of the study for CMOs,
according to Jeff Eccleston, vice president
and group director of Sponsorship Research
International, Team Epic’s research arm.
“We set out on this research study as
many marketers were trying to better understand how the consumer behaves in the
‘new age’ of sports marketing,” Eccleston
said. “We discovered a treasure trove of
findings, but none more so than the importance of intimacy. The delivery of ‘never
been done before’ intimate moments will
more likely ensure the delivery of results.”
Norwalk, Conn.-based Team Epic is a division of London-based Aegis Media and
was created in 2010 with the merger of two
existing Aegis entities: Velocity Sports &
Entertainment and experiential marketing
unit Vivid Marketing. Team Epic clients
include AT&T, FedEx, IBM, Sports Illustrated, Procter & Gamble, and Samsung.
The project here stands as the first agency
research effort that aims to link pyschographics with fan behavior while also considering fans’ outlook on current events
and personal issues, such as income and
job stability. Octagon in 2005 launched its
Passion Drivers study, a research program
that factors psychographics such as “sense
of belonging” and “nostalgia” to quantify
the emotional connection that fans have
with sports, music and entertainment. The
Team Epic project adds societal considerations from the respondents, such as their
thoughts on the economy and on their jobs.
In the study, before any sports-related
questions were posed, participants were
asked to do a self-evaluation of their current
personal outlook. These questions aimed
to assess the 2,750 respondents on elements
such as their “level of happiness” and “state
of mind.” Participants also were asked to
gauge how they would describe themselves
now compared to recent years, considering
words such as “anxious,” “hopeful,” “overwhelmed” and “relaxed.” The respondents
further rated their level of concern about
specific non-sports topics, such as their employment status, health care and fuel costs,
and they were asked about their passions
and hobbies beyond sports.
It’s at that point that the survey segued
into questions regarding the participants’
attitudes toward sports and the role sports
plays in their lives personally as well as in
society overall. Questions involving media
use, technology and sponsorship considerations followed. Sample statements for
assessment included “I have no problem
with sponsorship on jerseys or the field of
play,” and “I get most of my sports news
through social media.”
One brand-side marketer who represents
a company that is not a Team Epic client,
nor had he seen the results of the survey,
said the more data, the better. Justin Reckamp, marketing analyst for State Farm’s
national sponsorships, said understanding
the mindset of consumers is key.
“State Farm looks at psychographic
information while planning activation,”
he said. “Our goal is to enhance the fan
experience, and you have to know what is
important to them emotionally in order to
create impactful activations. The ability to
offer a unique and customized experience to
a fan that [we] otherwise would be unable to
secure has been impactful for State Farm.”
Among other results of the survey:
• The study’s Receptive and Limited group
is the least diverse ethnically of the five
groups (91 percent white), has the lowest
average household income ($46,100 annually), and its group members are more likely
to be fans of NASCAR than any other sport
measured in the survey.
• The Couch Curmudgeon group, the least
physically active and oldest group (average
age: 49.8 years), makes up 23 percent of all
sports fans. These fans are more likely to
be fans of the NFL than any other sport
measured in the survey.
• NCAA football has a high proportion
of Super Jocks (highly engaged fans) and
Alumni Association consumers (sports
fanatics with high net worth).
How To Activate
Respondents were asked to rate a series of programs, experiences, promotions and other elements based on how enthusiastic they would be toward the idea as a fan.
TYPE OF
ACTIVATION
TOTAL FANS
FITNESS
EDGE
RECEPTIVE
AND LIMITED
SUPER
JOCKS
ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION
COUCH
CURMUDGEONS
Experiential (chance to meet, behind the scenes)
47%
46%
43%
75%
52%
31%
Convergent (customized viewing experience,
apparel company with sensors in the clothing)
39%
45%
34%
72%
40%
20%
Sweepstakes/promotional (early on-sale for customers
of a credit card company, free merchandise when you buy tickets)
39%
42%
35%
69%
42%
21%
Mobile (discounts at stadium when scanning phone,
ability to purchase tickets through mobile phone)
39%
46%
34%
72%
41%
18%
Social media (networks that link fans and athletes,
updates from players during the game)
38%
44%
30%
73%
38%
18%
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Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness JOURNAL www.sportsbusinessjournal.com
JULY 23-29, 2012 ❘
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