Best Practice

How Real-Time Customer Intelligence Can be Used By Stadiums

Baseball stadium

An apt definition of ‘Customer Experience’, as described in Harvard Business Review, is “the sum-totality of how customers engage with your company and brand, not just in a snapshot in time, but throughout the entire arc of being a customer”. A key challenge faced by stadiums is the ability to maintain strong relationships throughout the customer journey at scale, which is why investing in technologies that capture, monitor and engage with audiences is so important.

Personalization is often the approach taken when strategizing how to improve the customer experience, but for stadiums, scaling this approach can be a massive challenge. Instead of focusing on personalization, try incorporating innovative technologies into operations, like real-time customer experience intelligence that can be used pre, during and post-event. Below are three ways real-time customer intelligence platforms can be used at your next stadium event:

1. Keep an eye on the ground

Social media monitoring at stadiums allows management to keep one eye on the ground, and the other on making sure the event runs as smoothly as possible. Whether it be a sports game or concert, being able to monitor the action through the eyes of your audience can help you better determine how well the event is going. Stadium staff are also able to engage with any eye-catching or interesting social media posts that pop up. The Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust has been using real-time customer intelligence in their venues, resulting in higher engagement levels, a 60% increase in total follower reach, and more memorable experiences for their guests.

2. Social media screen activations

Changing demographics in stadium audiences has amplified the need for providing continuous digital connectivity within venues. Indeed, younger generations have begun filling up stadium seats, but growing up within the expectation economy, they require instant gratification with everything that they do, and attending live events is no exception. At a minimum, stadiums today need to offer constant connectivity to their audiences, similar to what they would likely have if they chose to stay at home and watch the event on television. In addition to this, venue operators need to begin thinking outside the box to create entertaining and interactive ways to attract their audiences to watch events live. Integrating social media monitoring and publishing tools that allow audiences to share their social media pictures across stadium event screens is an effective option to consider. Not only does providing audiences with the opportunity to have their pictures shared live on the big screen build a fun atmosphere, it can also drive your social media campaign off-premises.

3. Real-time feedback

Real-time customer feedback is another meaningful way to engage with audiences. There are multiple tools available for collecting feedback, but it’s the action taken on this information that can set your venue apart from others. For example, if there is something wrong with the restrooms in Section 1, or a light bulb in one of the corporate boxes has burned out, the fastest way to find out about these issues is by offering guests the ability to speak directly with operational staff. Soliciting feedback can be additionally useful in catching negative feedback before it hits review sites. QR codes can be placed in strategic spots around the venue, and automated alerts can be set up for the most important customers based on their feedback or rating. Immediate action can then be taken on the most urgent reviews with minimal disruption to the overall event. What’s particularly valuable about individual feedback is that the data captured can be analyzed for impactful insights following the event. Comparisons to previous events can be performed, and based on the outcomes of this analysis, improvements for future events can be made.

Since competition is fierce in the stadium industry, ‘smarter’ stadiums are paving the way to meet next-generation audience expectations. As a result, it’s important that venue operators introduce innovative technologies into their stadiums, like real-time customer intelligence, so that the next time potential attendees are prospecting an event at your stadium, they remember the great memories previously made and do not hesitate to book their next tickets.

November 18, 2021

Gabi Katz

Account Coordinator, Local Measure

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