Final Project: Sport Marketing Plan

Objective of Assignment

Student(s) will prepare a marketing plan for a sports team, product or brand of their choice. The purpose is for students to apply and synthesize the material presented on sport marketing during the semester so that they understand marketing principles applied to the sport environment.

Subsections of the Assignment

1. Provide a detailed description of the team, product, or brand and the entities it is a part of.
   1. Nassau Coliseum – New York Islanders
   2. Village attached/next to coliseum
      1. Boutiques
      2. Bars – Ballast Point, Greene Turtle

• Night Club

1. Athletic companies – Nike, Adidas, Under Armour
2. ProShop for Islanders
3. Calvin Klein, Steve Madden, Ugg, Victoria’s Secret

• Gym – dedicated to ice hockey athletes/lacrosse
• Children’s Jungle Gym or Play Area

1. turf/ice rink

1. Brings in revenue beyond games
2. Opportunity for local businesses

Nassau Coliseum first opened in 1972 and has recently been renovated in 2017 (website). It currently serves stadium for the New York Islanders. When the coliseum was being renovated, the Barclays Center was the temporary home stadium for the team.  For this project, we will be focusing on a marketing plan to engage the surrounding communities with the coliseum. The best way to engage Islander fans, community members, and others who live in the area is by adding a village next to the coliseum. By adding this village, it would promote the New York Islanders, Nassau Coliseum, and the brands associated. Some examples of places that would be placed in the village are boutiques, bars, night club, athletic companies, proshop, retail, gym, children’s play area, and an ice rink/turf area for seasonal use. By adding this village, it would bring in more revenue beyond games, enhance opportunities for local businesses, and bring in more people who may have not been to the area.

To give credit where it is due, this idea is based off of Patriot Place and the Lighthouse Project. Through this marketing plan, we will present ideas that will be more cost effective and sustainable. The village will also enhance the experience for the fans who attend the games and for surrounding community members. In addition to those visiting the village and the coliseum, the brands involved will gain exposure. The village will aid in brand development for the Islanders and other various brands.

Citation: https://www.nycblive.com/nycblive-info/about-us

2. Define the marketplace and the various segments that you wish to reach in that market in regard to customers and corporate partnerships. Be specific in stating how wants and needs are being met.

3. Present a SWOT analysis for the idea.
   1. If we implement the village these are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

If we implement the village these are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Some of the strengths are that the village would get more restaurant business because there are not any nearby. Fans can go to these restaurants in the village after games, concerts, conferences, or other various events held in the area. In addition to this strength, another that aligns is the use of the village for other events like those listed above. Another strength is the amount of colleges located near the coliseum. Having bars, night clubs, and restaurants in the village would target this audience. Another strength is that the village will allow for continued growth. The village can grow by having more shops added or by fan growth. As time continues, more shops may be added which is more cost effective. Lastly, the biggest strength is that Nassau Coliseum has the space for all of this. The village can be built due to the massive areas around the coliseum.

Along with the strengths follows the weaknesses. Of course there is a lot of space for growth, nearby colleges, and a chance to get new fans, but there are some downfalls. One of the weaknesses is that there is tons of parking around the coliseum. The parking will have to be condensed and lots of construction will take place. In addition to this, not only will construction take time and money, but the building of the village will as well. Another weakness is that there is no public transportation near the coliseum. The commute to the coliseum can be difficult for those traveling there if they do not have access to a vehicle. This increases the amount of money spent by the fans because they have to use rideshares. Lastly, the location of the coliseum isn’t ideal for fans. If the village is added to the coliseum, this may entice people to come to the area, but overall there isn’t much around.

The weaknesses are some valid areas that we need to take into consideration, but we can use the weaknesses to aid in the opportunities. The opportunities for the village are endless. For example, relationships with Uber, Lyft, Via, and other rideshare companies can collaborate with the Islanders. Other transportation opportunities are providing shuttle buses for neighboring colleges and towns. The village can also potentially open up a hotel since there aren’t close hotels and there is so much space to put one. By having the hotel, this can provide opportunities for fans from NY or outside NY to visit. Other opportunities include exposure for local businesses in NY. This connection between Islanders and NY businesses can help fans associate places like Shake Shack, Nathans, Bagel Place, Joe’s Pizza, or Daily Burger with the team. The last opportunity that we discussed was the naming of the arena and the village. This can be done by big sponsors.

The last area that needs to be analyzed are the threats. The threats are not as extensive because there is way more room for opportunities. Some of the threats are the local mall and the Rangers. Another threat is that the coliseum is on Long Island which only targets those in the area. The last threats are  that could play a large role in the village is if state and local governments approve the project. The other threat is the current community safety of the area. If the village was placed in the area, this could potentially make the area more safe due to more people circulating in and out of the village, coliseum, and community.

4. Describe the product and its extensions. Create a matrix for product positioning using price and level of excitement and price and level of performance in comparison with other sport products in the market. Provide a schedule.
   1. Lighthouse Project tried to implement this plan before and it didn’t succeed. Now a decade later, new plans and technologies have evolved that could potentially make this project more successful. Making all parties happy and benefiting current Islander sponsorships/coliseum/surrounding community.
   2. In 2009, the project was estimated to cost $3.8 billion and paid by 2 rich people.
      1. This was a threat to the community
   3. Excitement – fall back for whatever your budget is for entertainment
      1. Example: Hanging out and not spending money but still get to see all advertisements around the village
   4. Discuss strategy for pricing of tickets, concessions, and sponsorships.
      1. Tickets and promotion
         1. Student seating, student discounts, student shuttles (ex: Geico Shuttle), etc.
      2. Concessions
         1. Designated area called Village concessions
            1. Three select things from specific the village restaurant’s menu
            2. Simple/classic/original

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6. Present an overview of sponsorship and signage inventory and opportunities for sponsors. Provide a list of inventory and prepare packages at different levels.
7. Present promotions that will be used to create awareness and increase the value of the experience.
   1. Explain how and where advertising will take place.
   2. Give personal selling strategies.
   3. Explain which and how promotions will reach various segments.
   4. Have season-long in-game promotions for halftimes and time-outs when applicable.
   5. For game promotions, include the contest that the promotion will be used for. You should have a promotion for all home games.
   6. Present a diagram of place of distribution. Provide details on seating, concession stands, restrooms, parking, and so on. Why was the site selected?

9. Present the public relations strategies to be used.