No matter what side of the isle you were on come election day, we found the media coverage to be fascinating. Specifically, when the data folks on the various broadcasts were highlighting small wins and losses in various counties and with specific demographics. In the end, victory was achieved through a series of small, calculated moves aimed at certain groups in specific geographies. The most interesting part of watching everything unfold was how they used data from the past two elections to prognosticate on the hours that would follow.
So what does this have to do with sports tourism? Here are a couple of thoughts…..
As the television personalities were talking about this county here and that town over there, it seemed that every location they discussed was an active sports tourism destination. Many of them our team has worked with over the years. The election experts weren’t talking about major markets, they were highlighting the data in these tier two and tier three communities where the real contest was won and lost. The tactics that the winning side used were like a good ground game in football. Run the ball, control the clock, keep the other team’s star quarterback off the field. Small wins with each positive running play leads to victory in the end.
We also couldn’t help but think….
This focus on the smaller markets mirrors the industry we serve. The majority of destinations that are focused on the amateur sports tourism market are not huge metropolises. They are smaller college type towns and sometimes even more rural in nature. The big cities that will host the World Cup, All-Star Games, and the like have been at this a long time and they play a much different game than the majority of the industry. The majority of destinations in our space that are successful lean on an intentional game plan to achieve their larger goals. No big mega event splashes for them, a steady and consistent ground game wins the race.
Lastly, we lean on data and benchmarking today more than ever before. I’m not saying our team at HUG is as smart as a highly paid political pundit may be, however we do carry out projects with the same methodology in mind. Use data to develop an intentional and achievable strategy to reach defined goals over the long run. Sounds a lot like what politicians do in their campaigns.
Define success. Lean on the data. Build a plan. Use a targeted ground game where needed.
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