Plus.Fan For Teams
Why Fans Want More Than
Loyal Points Programs?
Rewarding fans for interacting with your team sounds like a great idea – fans earn points for purchasing a ticket, attending a match, buying merchandise at the team store or even downloading an app.
Team management invests thinking that the rewards and points systems will generate more loyalty for the team, but fail to see results. So, why don’t those services deliver?
Intro
Points-based rewards programs can be appealing on the surface. Teams think they’re onto a new option for an easy-to-implement solution that will increase existing fan loyalty, keep new fans engaged and drive revenue.
What are Points Based Loyalty Programs?
Let’s review what points-based loyalty programs are and how they work. The programs are usually run by ticket services or third party app providers. WIth the platforms, fans create accounts (or use existing ticketing accounts) and can earn loyalty points for making purchases or completing tasks. Purchases could include buying a ticket, attending a match, buying merchandise at the team store or even downloading the team app. Actions might include referring a friend to an app – something “trackable” by the loyalty program.
Once enough points are accumulated, the fan can redeem the points for more merchandise, discounts, a private event or access to reward events.
So, what doesn’t work?
When points based loyalty programs are launched by sports teams, they face several challenges.
Here are three key reasons why they will not work effectively:
1. Points Are Transaction and Lack Fan Engagement
Sports fans are often deeply emotionally invested in their teams, and a generic points-based system can fail to create the level of personal engagement that fans crave. The reward system might not account for the varying interests, preferences, and behaviors of individual fans. Varying fan groups are looking for different offerings from their favorite teams.
For example, one fan may be more interested in exclusive behind-the-scenes content, while another may prefer discounted tickets. If the rewards are too generalized and do not offer meaningful or unique incentives that resonate with specific fan groups, the program may fail to foster deeper connections or loyalty.
Your “Superfans” are not going to be interested in a free 16oz soda from the snack the next time they attend a home match (they’re already attending all the matches). While the casual fan is only attending a match or two per season and it’s going to return to the stadium before next year – and will have forgotten about the benefit. Fans targeted with points rewards programs from the grocery store, online retailers, credit cards,
Finally, different clubs and teams have varying fan demographics, and not all fans are motivated by the same rewards. A transactional points system may work well for certain types of events or fan behaviors in some sports, but it could be less effective in others. For example, fans of football might prefer unique VIP experiences, while those of a basketball team may be more driven by game tickets or exclusive content. A one-size-fits-all points-based approach might not address these differences, leading to a lack of widespread appeal across diverse fan bases. As such, rewards could feel disconnected from what fans truly value – an emotional connection to their favorite team.
2. Difficulty in Measuring Fan Loyalty and Engagement
Fan engagement goes beyond mere attendance or purchasing products. True loyalty involves a complex mix of factors: emotional investment, social media engagement, watching games, attending events, and merchandise purchases.
A points-based system often oversimplifies these actions into a numerical value. The approach may not effectively capture the nuances of fan behavior and may reward less loyal fans more than those who are deeply dedicated. As a result, fans may not feel valued in ways that truly reflect their commitment to the team.
For example, the “Superfan” fan group is already advocating for your team in ways that go far beyond recommending their friends download an app. In fact, their friends probably already have the app. And with so many one-time actions built into the rewards system, the ongoing task to continually earn the attention of the fan is difficult for any team. With their dedicated and passionate support for the team, the “Superfan” is looking for much more than small discounts – they want value that goes above and beyond what the casual fan has access to.
3. Inconsistent User Experience & Integration
In short, the points and reward redemption process is simply too time consuming for most fans to use regularly – too much time, not enough value and no true connection to loyalty means the services aren’t used by fans in a meaningful way
“App fatigue” is a real challenge for any provider and asking fans to connect another app or service.
Most services also lack any reminder of the tiered value system of rewards – fans simply don’t remember what they could earn with their points because (1) the amount of time passed from signup is significant (2) the value of the reward is low, or (3) the reward would take so much time to earn that it seems impossible.
Similarly, without prompting, fans will not remember how to earn and capture more points. Take a non-sports example – why do credit card points work? You’re regularly paying your credit card bill every month, all-year-long and are bombarded with ads and marketing messages from all credit card companies about rewards on all media. And, the rewards options are almost infinite (including more gift cards). A sports club loyalty program has none of that.
Finally, while there is value in attributing activity and behavior to an individual fan, if a team has their ticketing, webstore and online accounts already connected (which they should) – they will be collecting more data on their fans than they would by relying on a rewards service for that same behavior data.
Wrapping Up
Points-based reward programs for sports teams can struggle because they may fail to capture the emotional connection fans have with their teams, overlook important fan behaviors, and apply a one-size-fits-all system that doesn’t work across diverse sports cultures and fan demographics.
Learn More about Plus.Fan
With Plus.Fan, managers and team staff have the flexibility to create the best experience for their fans. Learn more about the capabilities of Plus.Fan or contact us to get your team started.