Although Sony Ericsson has done a laudable job of breathing new life into the WTA Tour, the partnership’s joint marketing effort has come up short in many areas over the past three years.
Sony Ericsson is the largest sponsor in the Tour’s history, and frankly, it occasionally appears as if the Tour is uncertain of what to do with all the extra cash floating around its coffers. Some of the ideas and marketing solutions border on the cool, but irrelevant side, such as night tennis. Others leave you simply scratching your head and wondering how that could possibly help promote the sport.
While there are an infinite number of ways that tennis can be marketed, I recently wrote down three specific ways that Sony Ericsson, the WTA Tour, and its other sponsors could better market women’s tennis not only in the United States, but worldwide.
Embrace Fans and Social Media
It is time for the WTA to finally realize that social media and fan interaction are their friends. Granted, some of what is distributed by independent websites, blogs, forums, and chat rooms is based on rumor, but the Tour could help prevent this by offering easily accessible, accurate, and real-time information.
The Video on Demand Presented by Dubai Duty Free feature is a big step in the right direction, but the Tour should not limit itself to embedded video. Why not add some of these features?
- Embeddable Daily Image Galleries
- Top Player Badges that fans can post to their websites
- Screensavers and Desktop Wallpapers
- Weekly Review/Preview Podcasts
- Widgets
- Trivia Games
- Ringtones by Sony Ericsson
- Real-time Statistics
- An official WTA Tour Moderated Forum
- RSS feeds
- Live Chats with Tour Players
- Contests and Sweepstakes
- Mobile Alerts
Get the Facts Out
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour publishes a weekly internet newsletter called Notes and Netcords. This publication is my best friend every Monday morning as I peruse the injury reports, ranking movers and shakers, best quotes of the past week, latest statistics for the entire season, upcoming player schedules, and many more news briefs.
Unfortunately, if you do not know where to get the Notes and Netcords, you will have a hard time finding this vital information. Why is it not published in a more fan accessible location on the Tour website?
For example, are you trying to find on www.sonyericssonwtatour.com the reason why world No. 1 Serena Williams withdrew from this week’s Toray Pan Pacific Open? You have to start by looking for a buried .pdf document called Notes and Netcords.
Content that should be added to the Tour website:
- Statistics by Player, Tournament, and Year
- Updated Injury List
- Information on Player Charities
- Behind-the-Scenes Looks at Tour Players
- More Q&A Features
- Gear Reviews
- Coaching Tips
- More News Updates and Blogs by Players and Tennis Insiders
Better Integrate Product Placement for Sponsors
Forgive me, but reading the news that Vera Zvonareva uses a Whirlpool washer machine and dryer did not send me running for Home Depot. I believe that the players are grateful for free appliances and cell phones from Sony Ericsson, but I doubt that token player quotes help send fans racing to buy the SE or Whirlpool brands.
It’s time to make the sponsor’s money work for the Tour . . . and the fans.
- Offer a Sony Ericsson sponsored, personalized 1-minute voice mail message for one incredibly lucky fan.
What dedicated fan would not want their favorite player to answer their phone? I would venture that far more people would enter this sweepstakes than say the current “Challenge Your Hero” online promotion.
- Improve Social Media Content and Integrate it with Relevant Sponsor Advertisements.
A 30-second clip of a Whirlpool commercial with Vera Zvonareva would not keep me from watching updated videos from the Tour. Remember the embeddable photo gallery idea? Add a small banner ad to the bottom of the console and every individual who visits that website will see it.
- Give special benefits to Sony Ericsson subscribers.
I thought the Tour was off to a good start when it unveiled its now-inexistent “Girls on Tour” cellular phone campaign. Something similar to this would be a significant marketing pull if it were limited to only Sony Ericsson phone users. I know I would be happy to switch to a SE phone if it provided me with exclusive tennis content. For those of you looking for the Tour’s mobile site, go here to see the three features listed.
Hey Aaress, great points! I never even knew about that Netcords thing on the WTA’s Web site, which sounds like it should definitely be promoted.
I think something that can be done is more ads should be placed in areas outside of tennis: During the U.S. Open series is the only time you see ads promoting the sport and tournaments. But why wouldn’t the WTA spend a little bit more money to do its own promotion during prime time?
That is a very good point, Van! I wonder if the lack of promotion is partially a USA thing? Perhaps some of our non-USA readers can tell us if they regularly see tennis advertising?
I know here in the States, I rarely see tennis being promoted except as you said during the USOS or the days/weeks before Grand Slams.
Aaress, great post packed with realistic proposals.
I feel that sliding back the glass ceiling that exists between fans and players would be a positive development.
Yes there are risks involved, and some thought would have to go into how to enable more player-fan interaction, but I feel the benefits for the tour in terms of PR and social capital would be immense. Some players are more gregarious and approachable than others. But with the right structure, checks and balances, I think its workable.
As it is, fans can only look skyword to their hero’s.
Tapping and shouting on sound-proofed smoked glass is futile. I know how this can disillusion and dishearten fans more dedicated than I.
Excellent talking point.
Very well said, Alice. At the moment, the player-fan interaction is primarily limited to tournaments. If somehow the Tour could heighten that presence on the internet, it would significantly help promote tennis to the masses.