) Complimentary Downloads Women's Golf Research now available at Sportsandleisureresearch.com Women Friendly Best Practices Make A Meaningful Impact On Golf Facility Profitability: The Little Family Foundation and National Golf Course Owners' Association released results of a longitudinal study, completed in early 2012. The SLRG research team tracked the behaviors and attitudes of hundreds of women golfers at 30 different golf facilities throughout the entire 2011 season, concurrently tracking operating performance of the facilities. The resulting analysis begins to quantify the impact of implementing a variety of women friendly best practices identified in the earlier 2009 study, "The Right Invitation." The results are quite telling, and you can view the report, here › | Conference Report: ) Last to Address MRA Annual Conference Sports and Leisure Research Group President Jon Last will be among the speakers at this year's Annual MRA Conference in San Diego. Last, a former national MRA President will participate in an interactive tandem presentation on June 6, reviewing how mobile video technology has enhanced the ability of researchers to capture a more insightful look at how consumers make complex purchase decisions in the sporting goods category. For more information on the session and the Annual Conference, visit the MRA website at www.marketingresearch.org. | ) Demonstrating the Benefits of Sports Marketing When a leading financial services industry holding company sought insight and inspiration on the impact of sports marketing for their operating divisions, SLRG was tapped to develop and deliver a customized presentation at their strategic planning meeting in Washington, D.C. in early May. The presentation sourced a variety of secondary and SLRG conducted research and perspective to highlight the evolution, impact and competitive landscape among leading sports marketers through the years. Among the topics covered were a profile of sports fans in America, effective financial services category sports marketing case studies and perspective and recommendations on how to effectively measure return on sports marketing investment. | ) Golf 20/20 Strategic Planning Meeting Following this Spring's World Golf Hall of Fame Inductions, SLRG President Jon Last was among nearly 70 golf industry leaders who assembled to review the state of industry efforts in growing participation in the game. Those assembled in St. Augustine, FL evaluated the most pressing issues, brainstormed on potential high impact strategies and provided direction to World Golf Foundation leadership towards the development of a new strategic plan. To learn more about Golf 20/20, visit www.golf2020.com. | Recent SLRG Research Of Interest: ) SLRG Research Supports Rebranding of a Sporting Goods Leader Can a fresh logo or new packaging impact consumer perceptions and price expectations in the sporting goods category? SLRG recently completed a multi-phase qualitative and quantitative study with prospective target customers to evaluate the potential impact of rebranding on the client's offerings. By using a rigorous experimental design approach, SLRG researchers were able to uncover the extent to which various enhancements alone, impacted a variety of consumer impressions and purchase behaviors. The research was instrumental in allowing the client to uncover the hierarchy of elements valued by consumers in the category and yielded definitive insights on the impact of various packaging and logo concepts in driving brand value and consumer purchase intent. Such research can save clients significant development costs, and optimize the impact of rebranding efforts before rolling out the new product. I Let us know how we can help optimize your new product launches and communications. Contact us › | ) The Marketing Value of "The Big Dance" A leading consumer brand and its sports marketing agency recently partnered with SLRG to measure the impact of their activation around the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Utilizing our custom approach to assess the impact of sports marketing activation, the SLRG research team was able to analyze and identify those key message points most resonant with the target audience, as well as the ability of the activation to alter perceptions and purchase intent. Sports and Leisure Research Group works extensively with both properties and brands looking to get a true understanding of how to maximize their sports marketing efficacy. Contact us to learn more. | ) Extending an Iconic Hospitality Brand into Sports The SLRG team recently completed a series of focus groups for a travel and hospitality mainstay, looking to assess the viability of further leveraging sports marketing to transform their vacation offering. Working closely with the client project team and their agencies, Sports and Leisure Research Group developed and implemented extensive qualitative testing inclusive of video and prototype concept with target consumers in the U.S. and abroad. The resulting findings and their implications served as a strategic springboard from which the client can further develop and implement these concepts to build both group and FIT business in a competitive leisure market. Let us do the same for you. Contact us › | | | SLRG IN THE NEWS Golf, Inc.: The Spring 2012 issue cover story, 25 Big Ideas for Powering the Golf Industry Into the Future includes five recommendations from SLRG President Jon Last. Golf Bars, catalogue show rooms and certified women friendly facilities are among the concepts explored. The piece is available here › Media Post's Marketing Sports: Each month on Media Post's Marketing: Sports, SLRG's Jon Last offers his take on a number of issues and opportunities impacting sports marketing. FEBRUARY: The February posting spoke to new SLRG research that demonstrates the particular value of sports fans to marketers in the current economy.
READ MORE › MARCH: Last speaks to the opportunities and pitfalls of athlete marketing amidst rampant free agent movement.
READ MORE › APRIL: The April piece explores how sports venues fit into the marketing mix.
READ MORE › MAY: Reviews interesting research on how understanding the way people think can yield successful sports marketing strategies.
READ MORE › These pieces as well as previous columns and other SLRG media coverage can be found here ›, in the "Last Word" section of our website: Jon's columns post regularly on the second Tuesday of each month. You can find them on the SLRG website or receive immediate notifications on Twitter, by following him, here › PGA Industry Insider: The April issue features an interview with SLRG President Jon Last on Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) applications in the golf industry. Read it here › Golf Range Magazine: The March 2012 issue cites SLRG's groundbreaking research study with Golfsmith and Sports Illustrated Golf Group on the impact of custom club fitting on the golf industry. You can read the article here › | |
