Although most sports are still primarily focused on recruitment campaigns there are actually three areas which require investment (outlined in the diagram below).
Retention programs: Economic research indicates it is 6x more expensive to recruit a new customer than keep an existing one. A key focus of sports organisations should be maintaining their existing playing base. I have previously discussed the importance of the connection to the elite sides to support player retention.
Sports should look to introduce ticketing and communications programs to connect children and families to the elite teams - even more beneficial would be programs that allow participants to share a match day experience with team mates.
Transition programs: All sports deliver "sampling" programs through school and community events. Strategies need to be put in place to collect data and provide opportunities for individuals to move to a higher level of engagement. The ultimate goal should always be the club system but what are the "stepping stones" along the way?
Recruitment programs: Many sports are running above and below the line recruitment campaigns for clubs and participation programs. The programs, often linked to a website (www.playsport.com.au) are essential to recruiting new participants to the sport as they have the potential to reach the broadest population.
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