My Brief notes from the Leaders in Sports Conference. Focusing on Digital , Social Media, Mobile and Fan interaction.

1. 2013 Conference Notes

2. Bryta Schulz - Vindicia
SaaS billing and marketing solutions for
recurring subscription and one-time payments,
microtransactions and freemium business
models
• The least attended measure of business today by far is the billing & payments
landscape
• Experiment with new offers, promos, bundles will definitely help testing the
market and uncover the right customer engagement
• With subscriptions, companies can not only build solid long term relationship
with their customers but also increase the predictability of their revenue
• Any subscription business model allows for repeating revenue when a strong
retention strategy is in place with automatic renewals, appropriate customer
notifications and well managed entitlements.
• A billing platform must therefore have the flexibility to recycle payment
methods in the event they are declined without needing to contact the
customer for more information.

3. Shergul Arshad Head of
Digital Roma FC
• Content is their number 1 focus as it drives everything they do
• With shirt sales Roma FC can see a three, four or five ‘x’ growth when
we launch through social media.
• Roma launched affiliate programme networks for their e-commerce
store on LinkShare and drove sales to approximately 2-3,000 new
publisher sites
• They put Roma Twitter handle on the front of the players’ kits and got
TV exposure which drove their account
• Roma is close to launching a new e-commerce platform with Raptor
Sports Properties Group, allows more global distribution through
warehouses
• If you have leftover stock from previous seasons, ebay is a platform to
use, really useful for us as an end of life-cycle outlet,” Arshad suggested.

4. Brian Costello
Portland Timbers
• They customize their social media and content based on their city, how
different are their fans from other cities?
• Social Media is now part of Marketing and Communication Budget
• What we’re doing is using social media to integrate a sponsor but also to
engage with the fans.

5. Greg Lalas - Editor-In- Chief - MLS
Tom Bender - GM Bundesliga Digital
Bryan Grey - CEO Bleacher Report
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The most affordable way to reach their audience and grow was via digital
MLS found that by connecting all soccer fans their own audience grew, and they brought
all the clubs under their umbrella
By not investing in the relationship of the fan is to risk the future of your brand, the digital
age is changing behavior of people not just technical changes. They define themselves
upon relations, Facebook, Twitter etc..
This generation wants things now - get engaged , interactive and need it fast and clear
Have to know that if you start in a new platform you have to be engaged 24/7...Fans don't
visit 9 to 5 only
Highlights of games are a must - MLS tries to put it up under 10 min and under 1min is the
goal.
They also listen to the audience and respond....they create responsive content...how are
they part of a conversation with content..for twitter etc. You need to respond right away
or the conversation is gone.

6. Didac Lee - FC Barcelona
Like many other international teams, FC Barcelona localize for a specific market china, spain, etc... the content is local as well. they don't translate but localize..so
their site may talk about other sports like Tennis in China.
How do they run a campaign - actions have to be relevant to all parties...partner, club
and fans. For partner, raise awareness of brand to fans and affiliation to brand For
club, add value to the emotional link they have to fans. For Fans create entertaining
content and value.
Once they start placing their partner brand on the website and mobile , in order to
avoid brand blindness they integrate the brand into the story , image and video.
See Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkTsyll1SUo
For sponsor integration / story telling

7. Ken Fuchs - Head of Ent, Sports / Games - Yahoo
Stefan Mennerich - Dir Digital FC Bayern Munich
Brendan Parnell -COO, Tabcorp
• For mobile we provide what fans want - Scores, stats, play by play or highlight,
fast news...3 taps max
• Mobile - try to drive registration via web for mobile portal...ie they can only
register via web but can use app and mobile
• Mobile - added value for sponsors to go across platforms as your fans engage
across platforms
• Integrate video cleverly - short form, mid form and long form video so they can
package for each type of fan
• Personalization - what does each fan want...break them down into smaller
groups and deliver, it takes time to figure it out
• Give story telling...start from stadium to website to social media, if you can
access people directly it is more valuable to sponsors...newsletters and sign ins

8. Alex Jenkins
Contagious Feeds
• We innovate to explore new ways to connect with people
• We used to compete with attention in living room, people would go get a drink or
snack...but now there are multi-screens to compete with.
• Even though studies show Multi-screening is keeping us in the room, it takes
attention away … Link http://www.thinkbox.tv/server/show/nav.1870
• Youths switch platforms average 27 times an hour
• Attention has taken a hit , so that is why we innovate to re connect
• Too many companies focus on media and not social and talk too much about
themselves
• Top reason people contact brands is to complain, then they look for a discount
• Video Link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPWJ0KhBbZ4 entertaining way to
sell and pitch a product that talks to an audience
• Connect to people by offering a branded service that they want
• 80% of all branded apps downloaded less than 1000 times - Deloitte research