What is Marketing?
Marketing is about customers
Marketing for Squash
Presented by
Elizabeth A Dendle
Senior Programme Director
HKU SPACE
Marketing is a cultural approach to
management - it is the process of how
everyone in an organisation works to
satisfy customers.
(Price, 2007)
The University of Hong Kong,
School of Professional and
Continuing Education
What is Squash?
• Positioning: Healthiest Sport (Forbes
Magazine), Good for busy people and
available “Anytime. Anywhere. Anyone”
• Products: competition, clubs, events,
development, coach and technical
education.
The University of Hong Kong,
School of Professional and
Continuing Education
The University of Hong Kong,
School of Professional and
Continuing Education
Who are they?
• Profile : Squash generally attracts educated
professionals who are higher income earners
mostly aged 25 to 45 years. More are men than
women.
• Participation: Played in over 175 countries by 20
million people on all five continents (www.
squash2016.info)
– But who are they not?
The University of Hong Kong,
School of Professional and
Continuing Education
Focus is on the customer
• Identify, anticipate and satisfy the needs
of your
o you customer.
custo e
– What have you done as a sport service
provider to exceed your customers’
customers’
expectations?
– How much focus on the customer is there in
your own organisation?
The University of Hong Kong,
School of Professional and
Continuing Education
1
Importance of marketing in sport Importance of marketing in sport

• Sport has progressed from an institution that • Marketing in sport has continued to gain significant
was simply ‘administered
administered’’ to a form of momentum
organisation that requires managing • Sports have had to find ways of generating revenue to
sustain the increasing costs of professional competitions.
• Sport has reached a phase in its development • The identification and nurturing of new markets has
where it is incumbent on the sport manager to brought recognition that the customer is central to
be actively seeking ways to increase the revenue ongoing organisational survival.
base of the organisation • Together with sport operations (all that surrounds the
• The professionalisation of sport during the last management of fielding a team), marketing is a sporting
20--30 years has raised the level of importance of
20 organisation’’s principle ground for identifying and
organisation
creating a competitive advantage.
the marketing function
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Definition of Sport Marketing

• Sport Marketing • Value customers put on it

– A social and managerial process by which the • Exchange - both sides obtain need and want
sport manager seeks to obtain what sporting • Social – political/social as well as profit
organisations needs and wants through objectives
creating and exchanging products and value • Process
with others (Shilbury et al, 2009, p.15) – Identify customer needs
– Segmenting and targeting customers
– Research and planning
– What to offer? 7 P’s of Marketing Mix
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Product A Planned Approach

Promotion Price • A market, customer oriented organisation
will have a customer focus in the
Customer organisation’’s objectives
organisation
Place People • Marketing plan is one of the most
important outputs of the marketing
process
Processes
Physical • Achieving the organisations strategic plan
Evidence
and direction
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2
US Squash: 2008-
2008-13 Plan Malaysia Squash: 2008-
2008-13 Plan
• Build brand reputation – fitness, efficiency, social and networked • To improve the development of players through
• Grow Membership – member club program and Squash Affiliates – Sustaining and enhancing the Elite, Pelapis and Junior
Program
– Promotion: website, publications, community building Development Programme

• Build
B ild Awareness
A –Top
T ranked
k d players
l att adult
d lt and
d Junior
J i level,
Convert Racquetball courts to Squash, and Events
l l
• To spread the game among the masses through
– Public Relations to promote health and social benefits – Strategic Alliance with existing and potential partners
– Ensuring existing facilities are fully utilised
• Increase Participation – Leverage strategic partnerships – Running squash clubs throughout Malaysia
– Products: Scholastic Squash Project, Promote school leagues, College
/Varsity Squash Initiative, Women’s Squash Initiative, Urban and
Community Programs, Develop Championships, Leagues and Ladders,
Launch Team Championship and Doubles Squash Initiatives (www.malaysiasquash.org)

(www.ussquash.com
www.ussquash.com)) The University of Hong Kong, The University of Hong Kong,
School of Professional and School of Professional and
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Marketing strategies/tactics and

England Squash: 2008-
2008-2013 Plan
tools
• Increased participation and accessibility • Market Segmentation and Target Marketing e.g.
– Increase participation by women, girls and by people from black
and minority ethnic groups – Juniors, College students, women, ethnic minorities
• Relationship Marketing e.g.
• Squash among best known and recognised sports in England – corporates,
p , educational and district institutions
– Brand
B d awareness, communication
i ti off focus
f on h
health
lth and
d fitness
fit
– Events, leverage media and work with WSF on Olympic bid • Product e.g. new leagues and competition,
• Promotions e.g. public relations, sponsorship,
• School age children websites.
– Introduce 122,000 to Squash thru Charter Clubs and School
Sport Partnerships • Place issues e.g. accessibility to facilities
• Product diversification e.g. Junior Development -
• Increased membership Mini Squash
– Develop number and type of memberships, player memberships
and affiliated clubs The University of Hong Kong, The University of Hong Kong,
(www.englandsquash.com) School of Professional and
Continuing Education
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Squash Potential Customer Marketing of Sport

• Marketing of sport
– Use of marketing mix variables to communicate the benefits of
sport participation and spectatorship to potential customers
• What are the benefits of Squash from the customers standpoint?

– Benefits of Squash e.g.

• Improves strength in your legs, arms and torso
• Great upper body workout
• Burns lots of calories
• Competitive sport
• Improves fitness and reduces illnesses
• A social sport
• Maximum exercise in minimum time
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3
 Customer centred MARKETING MIX – 4 P’s
PRODUCT PLACE
• Variety • Location
4+ P’s 4+ C’s • Design • Transport
• Features • Distribution
(Sellers perspective) (Customer benefit - • Benefits • Timing
buyers perspective) • Quality
• Branding
• Packaging
• Product/Programme • Customer needs/wants
• Price • Cost to the customer
PRICE
• Pricing Policy
PROMOTION
• Advertising
• Place • Convenience • Discounts • Sales Promotion
• Credit Terms • PR and Publicity
• Promotion • Communication • Allowances • Direct Marketing
• Peripheral P’s • Complete experience • Indirect
• Direct
• Personal Selling
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+ PERIPHERAL P's Why is sport marketing different?

• As a service has some element of intangibility associated with it,

PEOPLE PROCESS which involves some interaction with customers or with property in
People skills Operational their possession, and does not result in transfer of ownership.
Internal Customer Management Packaging (Payne 1993).
E t
External
l Customer
C t
– Cannot always be delivered in the same way (variable and perishable)

– Is inseparable from people - Coach of Squash is inseparable from the

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE session
Peripheral – The experience is intangible
Essential
Environmental
• Marketing mix variables change and become tailored for the
recreation and sport consumer
Atmosphere – Increased demand on the marketer
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Product Price
• Ensures that product characteristics provide • Ensures that the product is priced at a
benefits to the consumer
level that reflects consumer value
• Product types
– Participation Product
– Spectator Product
– Equipment and Apparel Place
– Promotional Merchandise • Distributes the product to the right place
– Facilities for producing participation or entertainment
at the right time to allow ease of purchase
– Services supporting squash
– Recreational activities
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4
 Promotion Promotional Tools
Sales Public Personal Direct
 Communicates the product’s ability to Advertising Promotion Relations Selling Marketing

satisfy the customer Television Point of purchase Press kits Presentations Catalogues
Radio Contests, games Speeches Sales meetings Mailings
Cinema lotteries
Newspapers Packaging Seminars Incentives Tel-market'g
PROMOTIONS/ Magazines
g Brochures/ Hospitality
p y Front Desk Internet
COMMUNICATIONS MIX Leaflets Annual Reports Coach Electronic
Posters Samples Charitable shopping
donations
Premiums
Outdoor Exhibitions Sponsorship CD Rom
Advertising Direct Sales Public Personal Logo/emblem Demonstrations Events WWW
Relations
Marketing Promotion and Publicity selling Display signs Coupons & Celebrities E mail
cash discounts Word of mouth
Fliers Sponsorship Coach
Coach Interactive
Trade-in allowance kiosks
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Fuji Mini Squash Scheme – Hong Fujifilm Mini-

Mini-squash
Kong Squash Promotional Campaign
• Organisational Objective
– To develop the game of squash in Hong Kong

• Promotion Objectives
– To introduce the game of squash to juniors aged 6 to 12 years
and to develop the market of primary schools
• Target group
– Primary
• Teachers in primary schools
• Parents of primary age children
– Secondary
• Children aged 6 to 12 years
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Fujifilm Mini
Mini--squash cont.d Fujifilm Mini
Mini--squash cont.d

• Promotion Strategies • Promotional Mix

– Introduce mini squash to parents and teachers by making the – Advertising – posters, pamphlets,
game accessible, east to play, easy to manage – Direct Marketing – letters, members mailing, internet, email,
– Build interest in children by taking the game to the community – Sales promotion – sponsorship giveaways, Exhibitions,
and schools Demonstrations
– PR/Publicity – Press Conference, Press Release, television,
– Present squash as a safe game and suitable for children celebrities, events, sponsorship, Word of Mouth
– Develop trust and confidence in parents and teachers of – Personal Selling - Presentations to schools
organisers
• Promotional Activities • Monitoring and evaluation
– Primary School Training Scheme - Mini Mini--squash Instructor Course, – Evaluation of media coverage and sponsor recognition
School Roadshows, School Team Training, Inter- Inter-schools
– Data concerning participation and reach monitored
Competition
• Increase 1996 2,000 to 2008 40,000
– Youngsters Training Scheme – Carnival, Mini- Mini-Squash Training – Expenditure reviewed
Course, Mini-
Mini-Squash
TheCompetition
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5
 Lifetime Participation Findings cont.d

• Retention Marketing? An initial proposal for Hong Kong • Findings: needs

– Increase squash participation and retain participants in squash
activities throughout their lives (Chan 2008) – Adults play squash for
• Findings: Current situation • social and business purpose
– Demographics
g p – U15 shrinking g and population
p p aging
g g • regular exercise
– Status of squash superior to other sports
– HK Squash reduced membership/focus upon junior development – Improve skills in relaxed atmosphere
and elite players – Public perception of squash negative
– Adult players dropping out
– Resources in community clubs/coaching limited and facilities – Recreational squash training for adults and children
reduced – Non-
Non-competitive play and forum for meeting friends
– Squash perceived as difficult and requiring high energy
– Infrastructure, technology, resource training, leisure, – Develop link between clubs, schools, Gov.t and HK
administrative structure and relationships can support Squash
development The University of Hong Kong, The University of Hong Kong,
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Marketing for Squash

Recommendations
• Clubs promote squash to all levels and meet • Building awareness of squash
different recreational needs of different life • Developing confidence in brand (awareness of
stages the importance of branding and the customer)
– Promote
P t tto recreational
ti l players
l • Increasing membership, participation, access
– Racquet rental service
• Retention marketing?
– Diversified club activities e.g. master leisure play
– Roving consultation service • Social capital? Using-
Using-squash
squash--to-
to-help
help--at
at--risk
risk--
– Promote squash as hot sport for families and friends
youth www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29427626#29427626

– Interactive games on HK Squash website

(Chan 2008) The University of Hong Kong,
• Are you focused on your customer?
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The University of Hong Kong,

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