Executive Summary
Organization Mission and Brand Identity
Pittsburgh Maulers is not an entity that requires introduction to the world American Football lovers, particularly in the Alliance of American Football (AAF). The team first competed in the 1984 season of the United States Football League, but after 2 years of underwhelming performance and a failed relocation bid to Cleveland, the Edward J. DeBartolo, folded the franchise without so much as a press conference. The franchise made a comeback in 2019 to a new set of sports markets that operates in a dynamic and complex manner. The re-launched Pittsburgh Maulers must compete with established franchises for market share to have positive return on investment through increased revenue from tickets and products and service offerings. It is likely that the youthful generation of fans lack awareness of the franchise as brand, hence comprehensive marketing is imperative to foster the team’s presence among American football lovers. For this reason, the Pittsburgh Maulers organization mission statement is to be a sports entertainment company dedicated to winning AAF Championships, growing new football fans, and providing superior entertainment, value, and service.
The new look Pittsburgh Maulers’ home stadium is Heiz Field located at 100 Art Rooney Avenue Pittsburgh, PA. The stadium a state-of-the-art facility opened in 2001 with a capacity of 68,400, which ranks it 24 th in the National Football League. The stadium gives Pittsburgh Maulers identity as a sports brand, allowing it to provide unlimited live sporting action to tens of thousands of American Football lovers. The Western and Eastern Conference of AAF have five teams each, and Pittsburgh Maulers, is in the eastern region can easily tap into an already existing fanbase of American Football. In Addition, Pittsburgh city has a rich history as a sporting town, implying Pittsburgh Maulers can easily build its brand as a sporting franchise.
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Product and Service Description
The main objective of Pittsburgh Maulers is to generate revenue by offering sports as entertainment. Sports and entertainment go hand in hand because the later can contribute to explicit gain. According to Prakash (2015), sports can be a medium of recreation and entertainment if managed judiciously. The combination of sporting and recreation events can amplify the entertainment value, attracting big corporates involvement in the activities. This is critical in the modern commercialized world of sports. Pittsburgh Maulers objective is to offer good entertainment value to spectators, hence attracting marketing corporates, which translates to big business. American Football provides entertainment value because of its uniqueness associated with the pace of action, unpredictability, national ego, sexuality, personalities, closeness of spectators to action, the carnival atmosphere, and titanic struggles. As a result, spectators are inclined to pay for tickets in exchange for this entertainment value, which is marketed using diverse strategies discussed in the subsequent sections. Pittsburgh Maulers also markets diverse merchandise including trainer pullovers, break-away-jackets, t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other sporting paraphernalia.
Overview of Marketing and Implications for Organizational Marketing Program
The overall marketing plan for Pittsburgh Maulers centers on penetrating the market to gain the share of existing consumers. The marketing strategies are aligned to ensure quality and value of service delivery through entertainment, and programs that bring the fan base closer to the team.
Situation Analysis
The Marketplace and How the Brand Fits
da Silva and Las Casas (2017) observed the need for a marketing framework that recognize sporting fans as consumers. Pittsburgh Maulers operates in a highly competitive environment with established competitors commanding significant market share. The franchise competes with a host of teams in the AAF including Arizona Hotshots, Birmingham Iron, Orlando Apollos, San Antonio Commanders, Atlanta Legends, Memphis Express, Salt Lake Stallions, and San Diego Fleet. In Pittsburgh, the team faces competition from other professional sporting franchises namely Steelers (NFL), Pirates (MLB), and Penguins (NHL). Sport fans are driven my different motivations to attend games. According to da Silva and Las Casas (2017), high involvement is dependent on behavior and degree of attachment to the team. Spectators have evolved from the statistic-obsessed teenage fans donning sportswear from head to toe, to those seeking value in experience. Pittsburgh Maulers engage in a sport with the ability to offer ultimate entertainment value which makes it suited to serve the needs of the modern spectator-consumer.
Ticketing, Demand, and Market Trends
The AAF 2019 season started on February 9 and the league is committed to attracting spectators used to college prices. Therefore, it is only logical that Pittsburgh Maulers adopts economy pricing strategy that would give it the best chance of market entry. As the only AAF professional franchise in Pittsburgh city, the team serves a population of 304,391 whose average income is $40, 000. The demand for tickets is high, and the Pittsburgh Maulers can maximize through tickets prices similar to other teams or lower. Currently, single game tickets in the league go for less than $50 with the cheapest seats priced at $15. Season-ticket-package gives access to the same seats at $75 (Ticket IQ, 2018).
SWOT Analysis
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Strengths Rich history as sporting enterprise State of the art stadium and infrastructure Already existing market to tap into Lower ticket prices |
Weaknesses Absence of established financial performance Bleak history from dismal performances during previous stint Lack of established marketing structure and infrastructure Cost of investing in players – sport has become a highly paying profession |
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Opportunities Expanding market of professional sports to tap into Availability of corporate sponsorship willing to invest in franchise expansion Popular culture drives American football in the US Potential for diversification of revenue sources |
Threats Established competitors Limited market in Pittsburgh city History repeating itself |
Marketing and Promotional Strategy
Target Market
The target market are people of all social and economic classes because the ticketing programs are geared to serve diverse needs of these populations. With an average income of $40,000, Pittsburgh city has a large proportion of the population that can afford premium tickets. The franchise targets the high-end consumers through strategic product offering of seats that includes:
Three Club Lounges seating 7,300
129 Suites seating 1,544
47 Concession stands
7 novelty stores
2,800 square foot video board in South end-zone
FedEx Great Hall on ground floor showcasing Pittsburgh’s rich football history
Marketing Objectives
To add value to the sporting and entertainment experience of fans through innovative strategies
Align pricing strategies with consumer needs and preferences as per the options offered at the stadium
Create brand awareness through corporate social responsibility by engaging in just social causes
Build consumer loyalty through merchandising and product offering that allow fan to identify with their team
Creating memorable experience during matches to attract fans regardless of the outcome of the games
Marketing Tactics
Throughout the season, season-ticket holders will have guaranteed access to playoff tickets, receive an inaugural season special gift, and have access to “meet the team” events. This is intended to motivate more spectators to subscribe to the season-ticket program, hence increasing revenue by over 25%. Other marketing tactics that are projected to raise revenue by at least 20% include merchandising, in-stadium experience, reaching out to all, and corporate social responsibility.
Marketing Campaigns
Professional sports have emerged as a lucrative business commanding billions of dollars in revenue. Sports franchises have the potential to attract fans both in and out of their home bases. Therefore, it is critical to adopt a comprehensive marketing strategy that would reach far and wide. Successful campaigns can be realized by targeting:
Fans who support leagues by attending games, following games on television and other media, and purchasing league- and team-related merchandise;
Television and other media companies which purchase the right to show games as a programming option;
Communities which build facilities and support local clubs;
Corporations which support leagues and clubs by increasing gate moneys, purchasing teams outright, or providing revenues through sponsorships or other associations.
References
da Silva, E. C., & Las Casas, A. L. (2017). Sport fans as consumers: An approach to sport marketing. British Journal of Marketing Studies , 5 (4), 36-48.
Prakash, B. (2015). Entertainment Value of Sports and playing for profits. International Journal of Academic Research, 2 (2-4), 73-76.
Ticket IQ. (2018). For 2019, the Alliance of American Football is poised to heat up the Winter football freeze. Touchdown Wire. Retrieved from https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2018/11/28/alliance-of-american-football-ticket-preview/.
