About Sports Marketing 2.0

About SM 2.0 I started this site on a shoestring (with the help of my marketing / technology guru, Doug Karr), so that professional sports marketers could have a place to share their thoughts and experiences, to compare notes and build relationships with others like themselves.

Here's why:

If we don't get on the Web 2.0 train, it will leave the station without us.

I believe the business of sports is all about the fans, and I think we sometimes lose site of that fact as we pursue our business interests. I also believe that (as in EVERY other business) the Web is going to force us to re-think how we treat fans. If we act now, while things are good, we can strengthen our business even as we improve the fan experience. If we hold too long to our present business model, we risk allowing competitive forces to change the game with our without our consent.

Don't believe me?

Fans today are spending more time online than ever before, and they're not just passively consuming content. They're organizing their own fantasy teams, they're playing multi-user online games, they're drafting and generally managing their own digital franchises, they're chatting in real time and on forums with other fans, they're blogging, writing their own columns about the games and reading what other fans write (sometimes) instead of what "professional" reports publish. Instead of worrying about copyrights and intellectual property, we should be considering what are we doing to help them.

And we need to find new ways to help our sponsors

Just like fans, sponsors are a critical part of the sports business ecosystem, and I believe sponsors will play a MAJOR role in the 2.0 version of sports. Sponsors are our biggest customers, and now that we have more direct access to more of our fans (through the Web), we are positioned as never before to connect our sponsors to our fans in meaningful ways. Online sponsorship is a huge opportunity that hasn't even been scratched yet. Why? Partly because we haven't created digital sponsorship platforms and partly because the sponsors themselves aren't any more ready for Web 2.0 than we are. And ones that are ready are experimenting with disintermediary ideas. Even as I write this, many of the larger and more progressive brands are building their own online channels and their own online "experiences" for fans.

For all its glitz and glamor, the sports business is no different than any other. Technology is changing the way the game is played (both on and off the field), and creating new opportunities and challenges for all of us, teams, leagues, sponsors, technology providers and fans.

So what do we do? There's a lot going on here. There's a lot to consider. There's no clear roadmap for success. And when all is said and done, we're all busy doing business the way we do business. Who has time to think lofty thoughts about the future when we've got a game to play today? I submit we need to find the time to think. We need to find time to talk. We need to find time to experiment and find time for small failures. If we don't push the issue and test new ideas, we will lose what we're trying so hard to keep. And that's a problem.

Here's how you can be part of the solution

We can make this new market together. So go ahead. Set up your profile page. Start your blog. Upload your videos and powerpoints. Grab a Sports Marketing 2.0 "badge" from this page and post on your personal Web page or in your E mail. Do anything you can to contribute to this community, and you will find ideas and opportunities will begin coming your way. That has been my experience ever since I started blogging about this subject last year. And if you're interested in meeting face-to-face with others just like yourself, then consider coming to one of our upcoming events.

Sports marketing 2.0 will hold its first summit at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan on February 12, 2008.

This is an invitation only event and open only to members of Sports Marketing 2.0 community. We're keeping this event very small on purpose. Only 50 sponsors, teams / leagues, agencies and technology providers will be invited, you can request an invite here.

Pre-game "mixer" open to all community members

If you can't make the Summit meeting, please join us for our OPEN "mixer" the night before (the 11th), from 6pm to 8pm at the Roosevelt Hotel bar. You can register for that event by joining the "Pre-game Mixer" gro....

Don't live in NYC?

Other summit meetings are being planned for San Francisico and Chicago. These meetings will be invitation only, and will be kept relatively small to maximize the potential idea sharing and relationship building among attendess. Watch for new groups to form for these events, and submit your invite requests early.