Examples of basic sports club marketing:

• placing information about membership registrations in the local newspaper or on roadside signs
• offering a discount on court hire prices to induce greater use of the courts
• improving club facilities
• being helpful to prospective members.

All of these things help position a club to achieve set goals, which can include:

• attract new members and retain current members
• attract sponsors
• increase revenue
• build community goodwill.

No matter what a club wants to achieve, it’s highly likely a marketing plan can contribute to a positive outcome.

Marketing plan

A marketing plan assists you to integrate your total marketing effort. It ensures a systematic approach to developing products and services to meet and satisfy your customers’ needs.

After conducting your market research and selecting your target market, the next step is to prepare a marketing plan. A marketing plan is a written policy of a market strategy, how long it is going to take to implement and complete.

Environmental analysis

• A discussion about the industry you are entering, in an historical and a geographical sense.
• A look at changes, advancements and trends over the last 10-15 years, and the current situation at an international, national, state and local level.
• Identify where your particular business fits into the industry and why there is an opportunity for your business.

Products and services

• A full description of the range of products sold and/or services offered, emphasising differences, improvements, innovations etc. compared to other products/service on the market.

Customer demographics

• Indicate who your customers will be in each segment, their age, sex, lifestyle, interests, geographic location.
• How many are there in the areas you are going to service?
• Competition and competitive advantage
• List three of your major competitors.
• Make a realistic assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.
• How will you address their strengths and capitalise on their weaknesses?
• How many staff do they have?
• How long have they been in business?
• What position do they have in the market? (for example quality, price, service).
• Do they have a waiting list for their product/service?
• Indicate why you think people would change their current buying habits to become your customers.
• How will your competitors react when you enter the market?
• Will your business have any adverse effect on other competing businesses?
• What is your competitive advantage?

Price strategy

• What pricing technique will you use? Explain why.
• What are your prices? Include a list of prices.
• Classify your goods and services (for example GST taxable supply, GST free or input taxed)

Advertising and promotional strategy

• List the methods you will use and the cost of bringing your product/service to the attention of prospective customers, e.g. in which publication will you advertise.
• Will you use direct marketing campaigns, if appropriate.
• What promotional literature will you be developing, for example flyers, etc.
• What other promotional tools will you use?
• Prepare a timetable for 12 months of all promotional activities, remember to include the costings in your cash flow.

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis

• A grid identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
• Include a discussion of how you will take advantage of the strengths and opportunities and what action you will take to counter the weaknesses and threats.

Market research 

• Details of the results of your market research produced from primary and secondary resources.
• Include details of any surveys/questionnaires used.
• Include tables and charts as appropriate.

Market targets

• How many products (or hours of service) are you going to sell. The targets need to be realistic, achievable and sufficient to make a profit.
• Present them in a table showing your targets for the first 12 months of operation.
• Make allowance for seasonal factors and the time required to go from a new business to full operation.