Sports Marketing Machine Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Vince Surdo discusses the launch of Catch's new software, Front Office, designed to streamline operations for sports teams. The conversation covers the challenges teams face with chaotic operations, the importance of data in sales tracking, and how mobile ordering can enhance fan engagement.  Surdo emphasizes the need f...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Jeremy Neisser discusses the potential ban of TikTok in the United States and its implications for sports teams and fan engagement. He outlines the legal scrutiny surrounding TikTok, the national security concerns, and the possible outcomes of the ban, including a complete ban, stricter regulations, or operational changes. N...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser discusses the resurgence of direct mail as a powerful marketing tool for sports teams. He highlights its high open rates, tangibility, and reduced competition compared to digital ads. Neisser shares successful case studies from teams utilizing direct mail for sponsorship and alumni donations, emphasizing...

Send us Fan Mail In this Sports Marketing Machine Podcast episode, Jeremy Neisser shares his 12 marketing and fan engagement predictions for 2025. He discusses the impact of AI on fan engagement, the rise of flexible membership models, the dominance of short-form video content, and the importance of user-generated content and micro-influencers. Neisser emphasizes the need for a holistic marketing...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, KC Smurthwaite discusses the mission and operations of Athletics Admin, a consultancy focused on solving problems in collegiate athletics. He shares insights on revenue generation, donor engagement, and innovative fundraising strategies, particularly in the context of the evolving landscape of college sports and NIL regulations. The discussion emphasizes the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine Podcast, host Jeremy Neisser explores the pros and cons of selling tickets to brokers. He discusses the historical context of ticket brokering, its evolution, and the implications for teams in terms of revenue, fan experience, and pricing strategies. The conversation highlights key considerations for teams when deciding whether to en...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the implications of tariffs on sports marketing, focusing on how they affect budgets, promotional strategies, and fan engagement. He explains what tariffs are, their purpose, and how they can increase costs for imported goods. Jeremy provides actionable strategies for sports teams to manage these costs, including setting aside emergency fu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Jeremy Neisser discusses strategies for maximizing fan engagement and sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. He emphasizes the importance of offering two distinct deals to reduce decision fatigue, the necessity of early pre-promotion to build excitement, and the critical nature of tracking and analyzing results to refin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the impact of user-generated content on marketing strategies, using Chili's success on TikTok as a case study. He emphasizes how sports teams can leverage similar tactics to engage fans, boost ticket sales, and create memorable experiences. The conversation covers practical strategies for encouraging fans to share their experiences an...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine Podcast, host Jeremy Neisser discusses practical strategies for sports marketers to enhance fan engagement and increase ticket sales. He emphasizes the importance of creating memorable experiences for fans and introduces two low-effort website updates that can yield high returns on investment. The episode covers the implementation of...

Send us Fan Mail In this podcast episode, Tom Bridger discusses the innovative digital activation platform, WIT Contests , which enhances fan engagement in sports through gamification and data collection. He shares successful case studies, strategies for increasing ticket sales and sponsorships, and the importance of adapting to modern fan expectations. Bridger emphasizes the platform's effec...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neisser shares three effective strategies to increase ticket usage among season ticket holders and mini-plan holders. He highlights the value of proactive communication , exclusive events , and personalized game day perks in boosting fan engagement and retention. By using these approaches, teams can strengthen em...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Maria Valentyn discusses the planning and execution of a successful promotional event themed around Taylor Swift's Era's Tour. The discussion covers the ideation process, ticket acquisition, budgeting, community engagement, marketing strategies, sponsorship activation, and the overall impact of the event on ticket sales and community involvement. Ma...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, Jeremy Neisser discusses the intricacies of mini-plan pricing for sports teams. He emphasizes the importance of analyzing ticket buyer data to set effective pricing strategies. By using a specific formula, he illustrates how teams can avoid underpricing their mini-plans and maximize revenue. The conversation covers the trade...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Sports Marketing Machine podcast, host Jeremy Neiser interviews Steve Robinson, former Chief Marketing Officer at Chick-fil-A, about transforming customer experience and building emotional connections with customers. Steve spent 35 years as the CMO of Chick-Fil-A starting in 1981. Robinson shares insights on the importance of customer feedback, creating a cu...

Send us Fan Mail The conversation discusses the success of the Bluey Night promotion at the Lansing Lugnuts baseball game. The promotion involved bringing the popular children's character Bluey to the ballpark for a meet and greet with fans.  The planning process involved working with Minor League Baseball and the group Oasis, who had the rights to Bluey. The promotion was heavily marketed, w...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses how to analyze advertising effectiveness in sports marketing. He breaks down advertising into two categories: new customers and repeat customers. He explains that consumers rarely buy the first time they see an ad and need to be reminded multiple times before making a purchase. Neisser emphasizes the importance of looking at new customer a...

Send us Fan Mail Jeremy Neisser sits down with Courtney Rice from WolfCycle AI Wolf Cycle AI is an automated intelligence software that provides AI-powered sales and retention strategies for sports and entertainment partners. It uses virtual assistants to run strategic outbound campaigns and drive membership sales, group sales, premium and partnership sales. The software combines AI with human ove...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses the differences between first-party and third-party data and how they can benefit sports teams. First-party data is data collected directly from the audience or customers and is owned and controlled by the team. It includes ticket sales data, purchase history, website interactions, email marketing engagements, and more. On the other hand,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Kassidy Ellenby, the Executive Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications at DePaul University, about an open role for the Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Experience . They discuss the duties and expectations of the role, including overseeing marketing efforts for men's basketball, managing a budg...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jeremy Neisser discusses a team that was struggling to sell tickets despite their marketing efforts. He identifies three key issues: prioritizing single game ticket sales over season tickets and group sales, allocating the majority of the marketing budget for awareness activities instead of collecting email addresses, and not setting goals for major promotions. Je...

Send us Fan Mail Marketing directors in sports often struggle to convert past customers into returning customers. On average, only 33% of past ticket buyers return for a game the following year. To improve customer conversion, marketing directors can send a post-game email to single-game buyers, thanking them for attending and offering a discount or special opportunity for another game. This strat...

Send us Fan Mail The main theme of this conversation is the importance of customer service for current ticket buyers. Jeremy Neisser emphasizes that while marketing directors and ticket sales teams are focused on finding new customers, there needs to be an intentional focus on providing excellent customer service to retain and satisfy current ticket buyers.  Jeremy provides an example of a team th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jeremy Neisser and Emmanuel Elmajian discuss different strategies for selling group tickets. They explore the shift from traditional group sales to individual members of a group buying their own tickets at a discounted rate. They also discuss the benefits of this new approach, such as increased control for buyers and more data for sellers. The conversation covers...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jeremy Neisser interviews Heather Doane from Destroyer Promotional Products about improving merchandise sales. They discuss 10 tips for teams to implement, including inventory management, understanding retail space, visual merchandising, competitive pricing, and more. Heather emphasizes the importance of knowing your inventory, organizing the back of the house, an...