Sports & Outdoor Recreation Marketing
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Course Introduction

 

Core Standards of the Course

STRAND 1
Sports & Recreation Events - Students will explore the varied world of recreation and sports events.

Standard 1
Explore recreation and sports opportunities available in your area. Examples: hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, snowboarding, skiing, Ice skating, hunting, baseball, golf, soccer, and football

1. Define recreation: an activity done for enjoyment.
   
2. Define sports: activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.
   

Standard 2
Identify programs (both individual and team) for youth, adults, and seniors in your school, city, and state.

1. Seasonal recreational programs
   
2. City sports leagues
   
3. Club sports teams
   
4. Youth, adult, and seniors fitness programs
   
5. UHSAA sanctioned events
   

Performance Skills

1. Evaluate events held in your community that an integrated marketing campaign can be developed to increase attendance, participation, or fundraising.
   
2. Determine which event you will use to create an integrated marketing campaign.
   

STRAND 2
Campaign Objectives - Students will be able to write SMART campaign goals that meet the organization or entity's vision for the event.

Standard 1
Distinguish between commonly used campaign goals and determine appropriate goals for your marketing campaign.

1. Specific
   
   • Pinpoint problems and opportunities in the market your event will occur and write campaign goals that reflect those needs.
   • Identifies a timeline for each goal
   • Describes target market clearly
   • Determines the best metrics for the campaign.
2. Relevant
   
   • Determine a campaign theme, slogan, or title for the campaign
   • Brand Awareness
   • Consider current economic conditions or the need to pivot.
   • Exhibits effective application of promotional strategies
3. Time-based
   
   • 45 days or 6 weeks before the event
   • Sets checkpoints throughout the campaign to determine if promotions are effective.

Standard 2
Demonstrate evidence of marketing knowledge by describing goals that will challenge the student's abilities and are still attainable.

1. Attainable
   
   • Compare competitive events happening in the same location during the same time period.
   • Set integrated marketing goals that combine traditional marketing and the use of digital marketing strategies.

Standard 3
Research-based goals - Demonstrate a variety of key metrics both digital and traditional metrics, that can be used in the goal-setting process

1. Measurable
   
   • Base campaign goals on primary and secondary research of existing events or previous year's results.
   • Sales goal based on last year's event or fiscal year
   • Track and report progress to all stakeholders
   • Identify the quantitative and qualitative indicators to measure your effectiveness.

Performance Skills
Create at least three campaign objectives using the SMART goal format.

STRAND 3
Campaign Target Market - Students will be able to identify and utilize relevant primary and secondary markets.

Standard 1
Marketing Segmentation - Describe how marketing segmentation can be used to think through who your primary and secondary markets are. Briefly review marketing segmentation.

1. Demographics
   
2. Geographics/Location
   
3. Psychographics/Interests
   
4. Behavioral (Provide specific details such as season/annual pass holders, merchandise purchases, and social engagement)
   

Standard 2
Campaign Reach

1. Targeting your marketing efforts to attract participants, fans, and community. engagement through the use of specific keywords.
   
2. Determine a unifying theme or central message that will engage participants.
   
3. Brand your campaign with a common look and feel.
   

Standard 3
Campaign Season - Identify the seasonality of the event that is taking place. Highlight examples from both the sporting and recreational industries.

1. Define Seasons: based on the time of year and the holidays.
   
   • Discuss both recreation and sports examples of seasons. i.e. Ski season (winter), Football (fall), River raft (Spring-Summer), Basketball (Fall-Winter)
2. Identify a promotional campaign that fits the appropriate season of your event.
   
3. Explain the purpose is to create brand or event awareness and build anticipation throughout the year
   
   • Off-Season and Pre-Season promotions and activities
   • Fan appreciation
   • Give back promotions
   • Season pass sales
   • Locals discounts and promotions

STRAND 4
Sponsors or Corporate Partnerships - Students will understand the relationship between sponsors and the recreation and sports events.

Standard 1
Describe the concept of sponsorship and the importance of the relationship between sponsors and recreation and sports organizations.

1. Define, understand, and identify sponsorship and sponsorship levels, including the benefits and challenges of sponsoring an event or entity.
   
   • Determine the levels of sponsorship for your organization
   • Level of promotional opportunity should match the level of sponsorship
   • Theme can be included in your sponsorship level
   • Should include a distinct group of benefits for the level of sponsorship
2. Challenges
   
   • Based on who you know limited in your prospecting of possible sponsors
   • No security or accountability
   • Saturation of teams and organizations asking for sponsorship
   • Will need to cast a wide net to get results. Example: If you contact 10 sponsors, 3 will be interested, and 1 will become a sponsor.
3. Discuss reasons a company would be involved in a recreational or sports event.
   
   • Leveraging your sponsor's followers/fans by using their official sites and pages.

Standard 2
Sponsorship Strategy - Describe the process of finding and building relationships with sponsors that share the same values and target market.

1. Identifying potential sponsors
   
2. Sponsorship goals
   
3. Understand the concept of borrowed equity: utilizes the appeal of an event to market products, increases sponsorship demand for the event
   
   • Why would an entity sponsor an event
   • Why would an organization select a specific endorsement, influencer, or celebrity sponsor
4. Creating a sponsorship proposal
   

Standard 3
Sponsorship Evaluation

1. Evaluate the sponsor's effectiveness
   
2. Assessing return on investment (ROI):
   
3. Measuring the brand awareness of a sponsor
   
4. Obtaining and analyzing customer feedback
   

Performance Skill (Choose one)

1. Identify at least 10 possible sponsors for an event that share the same target audience.
   
2. Create a sponsorship proposal that includes the levels of sponsorship, the cost, and benefits to the business for becoming a sponsor.
   

STRAND 5
Marketing Campaign Activities and Schedule - Students will explore and determine the marketing campaign activities and promotions that will be used for the event.

Standard 1
Explore the brainstorming process of creating a campaign theme for a recreation or sports event.

1. Branding your campaign
   
   • Brand awareness: the extent to which consumers are familiar with the distinctive qualities or image of a particular brand of goods or services
   • Consistent with brand identity and messaging.
   • Reinforce your brand values and personality.
2. Brainstorm a theme including
   
   • Slogans, taglines, or jingles
   • Avoid groupthink. Listen to all ideas
   • Consider your sponsors and other stakeholders
   • Ethical and Legal considerations
   • Consider tone of voice
3. Deciding on the visualization of the campaign
   
   • Use specific photo or video filters
   • Consistent color palette for all ads
   • Signage (facility, merchandise, banners)
   • Ensure ADA compliance online media

Standard 2
Campaign Activities - Describe possible choices for effective campaign activities.

1. Direct students to consider the target audience of the event.
   
   • Include both participants and viewers of the event
   • Intent: Campaign goals
   • Location: Venue seating, frequency, arrival time, and event time
   • Interest: Is this for hobby, entertainment, or competition
2. Select and develop the activities you will use to promote the event
   
   • Discuss activities that encourage registration or competitor sign-up
   • What do participants gain from participating
   • Beneficiaries of the event such as non-profits
   • Entertainment
   • Legacy Events
   • Extrinsic and intrinsic Incentives or clear benefits from participating
   • Discuss activities that encourage audience attendance
   • Theme nights
   • Giveaways
   • Half-time shows or performances
3. Unifying theme: throughout all campaign activities
   
   • Keep consistent, colors, verbiage, and slogan
4. Promote the campaign activities and event
   
   • Types of promotional media
   • Social Media Post
   • Videos both long and short form
   • Photos or Memes
   • Broadcasting
   • Announcements
   • Live Streaming
   • Radio and TV Channels
   • Mass Email
   • Traditional Media
   • Marquees, Billboard, Posters
   • Flyers or Mailer to Community
   • Press release

Standard 3
Campaign Schedule and Calendars

1. Campaign Calendar: An overview of the campaign that provides the ability to view the entire campaign in one place.
   
   • 45-day schedule of planned promotions
   • Cohesive and consistent throughout the 45 days
2. Campaign Schedule: A breakdown of specific dates and times of identified promotions for the campaign. Can be created by day, week, or by platform or media.
   
   • Who: Which team member is responsible for the promotion going out
   • When: What date and time is the campaign activity being held or the post going live.
   • What: the form of the promotion or activity.
   • Where: which means of distribution are you going to use

Performance Skill

1. Create three high-quality, appropriate, and creative promotional materials.
   
2. Create a 45-day calendar and a daily or weekly schedule of the campaign activities and promotions.
   

STRAND 6
Event Budget - Students will be able to create a detailed projection of the actual cost for the marketing of the event and all promotional activities and materials.

Standard 1
Research Projected Cost - Research the campaign event type and identify the applicable cost.

1. Venue: a building, gym, park, stadium, or facility
   
2. Venue costs may be different based on the type of venue needed for the event i.e. building, gym, park, stadium, or facility rental
   
3. Staff:
   
4. Staffing costs based on the event could include or be added to the facility rental. Ensure when you are researching the venue, ask which of the following may need to be paid separately.
   
   • Janitorial
   • Security
   • Officials or referees
   • Technology
   • Sound and lighting
   • Live streaming or video production
   • Staffing or volunteers
   • Room rental
   • Equipment rental
5. Look for both primary and secondary research on vendors
   
   • Contact vendors directly and ask for quotes
   • Read reviews of past customers' experiences
   • Create a survey to find resources
   • Include "In-Kind" donations from sponsors and community partners to offset the cost.

Standard 2
Marketing Budget Categories - Identify commonly used categories when budgeting for a marketing campaign

1. Media Production
   
2. Web Designer
   
3. Graphic Designer
   
4. Copy Writer
   
5. Print Promotion
   
6. Influencer(s) or SM Content Creator
   
7. Public Relations
   
8. Merchandise
   
   • Volunteers
   • Participants
   • Giveaways

Performance Skill

1. Conduct primary and secondary research for potential vendors
   
2. Create a realistic budget for a campaign that includes all incurred costs
   

STRAND 7
Key Metrics - Students will understand various key metrics to determine the success of a recreation or ports campaign.

Standard 1
Discuss qualitative metrics that will be used to measure campaign success.

1. Qualitative Metric: metrics that look at perceived value
   
   • Customer satisfaction
   • Reviews and comments on official sites or to personnel
   • Feedback surveys

Standard 2
Discuss quantitative metrics that will be used to measure campaign success

1. Quantitative Metric: a set of measurements that objectively evaluate your product or company's performance
   
   • Attendance rates
   • Tickets sales
   • Repeat purchases (Season pass holders, Repeat sponsorship)
   • Total revenue
   • Increase in sales, participation, attendance, and registration over last year.
   • Merchandise and concession sales

Performance Skills
Use your three campaign objectives to identify and select a related metric(s) to evaluate the success of the campaign

STRAND 8
Pathways, Post Secondary, and Careers - Students will understand the opportunities to graduate as a pathway completer, the post-secondary programs and Career opportunities in Marketing.

Standard 1
Highlight the courses offered at your school in the marketing pathway.

1. Explorer Courses
   
2. Concentrator Courses
   
3. Completer Courses
   

Standard 2
Explore post-secondary school programs in the region

1. Tech colleges & certifications
   
2. Associate degree programs
   
3. 4-year Bachelor's degrees
   

Standard 3
Explore potential careers in sport and recreation marketing. Include average salaries, benefits, flexibility, and work/life balance.

1. Athletic Director
   
2. Program Directors
   
3. Youth Programs
   
4. Park Operations
   
5. Athletics Supervisor
   
6. Recreation Management
   
7. Sports Event Planner
   
8. Sales Manager
   
9. Community Outreach Coordinator
   
10. Outdoor Recreation Leadership
    
11. Therapeutic Recreation
    
12. Adaptive Sports
    
13. Entrepreneurial Opportunities
    

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - THALEA  LONGHURST and see the CTE/Marketing website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - THALEA  LONGHURST.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.