#142 Building trust with your fans starts with the right partner

Sports CDP Crash Course - Data Talks

When it comes to leveraging fan data to drive ticket sales, merchandise revenue, and high-value sponsorships, you need a partner you can trust. That’s where we come in at Data Talks.

At Data Talks, we’re proud to partner with a diverse range of sports organizations across various countries and sports. From the passionate football supporters of 1. FC Magdeburg in Germany to the committed fans of the Vålerenga in Norway and PAOK FC in Greece, our reach is broad. We also work with AIK, the trailblazing Lewes FC—known for their gender equality stance, and FK Crvena Zvezda, helping these clubs not only understand but also engage their supporters on a deeper level. But our expertise isn’t limited to football and ice hockey. We’re also working with the Swedish Golf Federation, Dolphins - which is competing in the Australian National Rugby League and the Austrian Handball Federation, to name a few.

No two clubs are the same, which is why we tailor our approach to meet your specific needs. For instance, when 1. FC Magdeburg wanted to increase merchandise sales, we helped them initiate a campaign encouraging fans to print their names on their jerseys to increase purchases. The outcome was impressive sales and a clear understanding that targeting specific groups can create fantastic results.

To check their strategy, 1. FC Magdeburg divided their audience and sent the same campaign to two different groups. Group one targeted those who purchased a shirt this year, but also spent a minimum of 90 EUR in previous purchases—a small but promising group of 1,200 recipients. Group two went broader, reaching all supporters who bought a ticket in the last two years, totaling a whopping 38,000 recipients.

The smaller group saw outstanding results—a jaw-dropping 66% open rate, a 6% click rate, leading to 20 orders and 1431 EUR in revenue from 1100 recipients. The larger ticket buyer group also held its own with a superb 54% open rate, and 6% click rate, resulting in 90 orders and a revenue of 7384 EUR from the expansive pool of 38,000 recipients.

While both groups had fantastic open rates, the segment that had previously bought merchandise stole the spotlight with higher conversion rates. Proportionally, this smaller segment generated significantly more sales. In fact, if that segment were as large as the the segment that had previously bought tickets, the numbers would have skyrocketed to 630 orders versus the already impressive 90 orders from the ticketing segment.

The message was simple yet impactful – a warm reminder that time was running out to secure tickets for the upcoming match.

The combined results from both groups brought in a total revenue of 8 815 EUR in the Fan Shop. Here’s the takeaway—the Data Talks Customer Data Platform (CDP) empowers clubs to go broad or laser-focused. Both approaches yield great outcomes, and the real magic happens when you pinpoint the right strategy, connect with the right audience, and present them with an irresistible offer.

Similarly, we helped SC Fortuna Köln prove the power of fighting until the last moment with their last minute ticket campaign. With just 20 hours remaining before a match, Fortuna strategically targeted around 9,000 profiles in their database who had not yet purchased tickets. The result? Despite the short ticket-buying window, the campaign led to an impressive 83% increase in ticket sales. The success of this initial campaign was just the beginning. Fortuna Köln recognised the vast possibilities that the Data Talks platform offered. Beyond overcoming their first challenge, they now look forward to utilising the platform’s advanced features, including segmentation, personalisation, and automation.

Fortuna Köln’s success story is a testament to the transformative power of data-driven strategies and the seamless collaboration with Data Talks. As the club continues its journey, it remains committed to embracing innovation, driving fan engagement, and unlocking new avenues for revenue generation.

Building trust with your fans starts with trusting the right partner. At Data Talks, we’re more than just a Sports CDP provider—we’re your ally in creating unforgettable fan experiences and driving your club’s commercial success. Join the ranks of 1. FC Magdeburg, PAOK FC, and more than 500 others who have trusted us to help them sell more tickets and merchandise and negotiate sponsorship agreements of higher value.