Slam Dunk Service
Last week I attended a gala printing plant opening, complete with a plant tour, wine tasting (that included customized bottles of wine for each attendee, of course…), hors d’oeuvres, and two speakers. The host company, GDS, is among those trying to spread the gospel of using variable data printing to create more relevant, personal, one-to-one marketing communications. So GDS invited me to speak on trends in custom communications, and Tom Glick, CMO of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, to speak about the team’s VIP All Access program.
Glick’s was a great presentation, during which he revealed some of the strategy behind how the Nets are building a better understanding of its season ticket holders, and using that information in its marketing communications, as well as its in-arena fan experiences. The approach, launched this season by Nets CEO Brett Yormark, aims to deliver a “personal touch for all season ticket holders,” no matter where their seats are located in the arena. This means treating every season ticket holder as an individual by learning more about their specific needs and delivering experiences based on those needs. For example, if a season ticket holder has a favorite player the Nets will arrange for that player to sign an item of their choice (within a specified group of items, like a jersey or a ball) when they renew their tickets. Or the team may invite a season ticket holder’s child to take a shot on the court early before the game, or to rebound for the players.
In fact, creating a compelling customer experience is so important to the Nets that the team recently “acquired” Dashawnda Brown from the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts to work with Glick in running the VIP All Access & Experience department. Brown brings expertise on high-end hospitality to the team that it will weave into its All Access program.
