GLASGOW 2014 TICKETING CAMPAIGN - Marketing...

CATEGORY:1.2 Marketing Planning – Resources, research and insights

AUTHORS:Brian Coane Leona Coupar

WORD COUNT:1,584

GLASGOW 2014 TICKETING CAMPAIGN

AMBITION AND OBJECTIVES

This summer the sporting world is coming to Glasgow. 70 nations will compete for glory in 17 sports. It’ll be the biggest sporting and cultural event ever held in Scotland.

More than anything, packed stadia will make the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games a success. It’s not just about the commercial success of selling tickets. It’s the atmosphere that a sell out crowd will create, making the Games unforgettable.

Our task was to motivate the people of Glasgow, Scotland and the UK to buy as many tickets as possible. We faced challenging objectives:

• £19M revenue target

• 75-80% stadia occupancy

• Fulfil the bid commitment of being “accessible to as many different people as possible”

Glasgow 2014 were also taking a major gamble. Around 1 million tickets were available to the public (equivalent to 70% of the total venue capacity) and 70% of their total marketing spend was behind this campaign. It was a bold strategy. If it worked the rewards would be substantial. Failure would leave the Games with unsold tickets and a very depleted marketing budget.

This wasn’t a challenge to be approached lightly, particularly following the attendance at the Delhi 2010 Games.

Barriers we would need to address

(1) Watching on TV. One of the biggest barriers we faced was a perception that the best place to see the action is on TV, in the comfort of your own home.

“The best seat is in front of the telly, especially with the Olympics coverage and Scottish weather.” (Dec’12 qual.)

(2) Ticket process. Despite all the positivity towards Glasgow 2014, there was still a concern that the process of getting tickets might be tricky.

“How easy is it going to be to get tickets – with London it was just so complicated – it was a nightmare” (Dec’12 qual.)

There was a clear lack of understanding.

“What does ballot even mean, why not have first-come, first-served?”, “Will I randomly be allocated tickets I don’t want if my event is oversubscribed?”, “Will the money just be taken from my account?” (Dec’12 qual.)

The ticketing process for London 2012 had generated a substantial amount of negative PR.

(3) Pricing. There was a risk that higher priced events would drive perceptions that the Games are not priced with ordinary people in mind.

(4) Green, red and amber sports. December 2012 quant pricing analysis identified some events we could sell out and some we’d need to focus on, for example, those in large stadia (eg Ibrox for Rugby 7’s) or those with high number of sessions (eg badminton with matches every day).

STRATEGIC THINKING AND

PLANNINGResearch insights

We used research to inform our plans. From a mix of quant. and qual. research we identified two key audiences with a higher intention to attend the Games:

(1) Sports participants. There was a strong correlation between sports participation and intention to attend the Games. 23% of adults in Scotland intended to purchase tickets, rising to 44% amongst those participating in sports in the last year (Mar’13 quant).

(2) Families. Parents were motivated by the idea of taking their children. Nearly half of those with a strong intention to attend claimed they’d be bringing children under 17 (Dec’12 quant).

Regional considerations

We had to be mindful that awareness and consideration levels differed by Home Nation –intention to purchase tickets reported at 20% in Scotland compared to 3% in England/Wales, (Oct’12 quant). We were predominantly talking to people in Scotland, but couldn’t be too parochial. We needed a campaign that would resonate as much in Inverness and London as it would in Glasgow.

THE COMMUNICATION

JOURNEYThere were two main phases to the ‘Magic’ message:

1. One Year To Go (23 July 2013) – the launch of a ticketing guide via PR, including ambassador Chris Hoy.

2 . Tickets on sale (19 August) – major paid for media.

The approach to the ‘Logic’ messaging was different. We focused on more of a drip approach using a mix of PR, social and paid-for media, aiming to knock down these barriers before tickets went on sale.

EXECUTION AND IMPLEMENTATION

OF PLANSWe needed to communicate that there is only one way that you can truly experience the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. By buying a ticket.

To do this we developed a two-pronged approach.

Magic

This is your opportunity to be the games – a goosebumps, heart quickening, tingle down the spine campaign – about the sport, about being there.

Logic

This is how you get your tickets for Glasgow 2014: the process, affordability and transparency.

Motivations Barriers

Persuade to buy Make it easy to buy

MAGIC LOGIC

HIGHER CONVERSION RATE

INCREASED BASKET SIZE

TESTING OUT OUR APPROACH

In creative testing (March 2013) the ‘Magic’ creative was successful in motivating people to believe the Games are an experience not to be missed and enticing them to want to buy tickets.

Spontaneous response to TV script

TV Script

Open on a wide shot looking down The Clyde at The Armadillo and The Hydro Arena. We hear a voice say,

VO: WHERE WILL YOU BE WHEN THE WORLD COMES TO SCOTLAND?

We cut to outside a venue and then inside, where the camera pans across rows of fans. They’re all wearing bright face paint and colours of their home countries and waving flags.

VO: WHEN A CITY BECOMES AN ARENA.

Cut to a time lapse of The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome being built.

VO: WHEN LEGS TURN TO PISTONS

Cut to a cyclist belting along the curve of a velodrome, her legs a blur.

VO: AND FEET TURN TO SPRINGS.

Cut to a gymnast launching himself off a spring board.

VO: WHEN BIG GUYS SLIP INTO WEE TRUNKS,

Cut to a huge diver in Speedos stepping onto the high board.

Cut to ringside at a boxing match as two fighters are going at it. We pan away to the crowd jumping out of their seats, punching the air with their fists.

VO: WHEN FISTS FLY.

VO: WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH

Cut to a pole vaulter in slow motion as his pole snaps mid jump.

VO: WHEN UNDERDOGS HAVE THEIR DAY.

We cut to the back of an athlete’s tracksuit with Nauru written on it and show a gold medal around his neck.

VO: WHEN MILLIONS WATCH ONE IN A MILLION.

Cut to footage of Jessica Ennis and Michael Jamieson.

VO: WHERE WILL YOU BE?

We move between quick shots of Commonwealth stadiums and sports. We see women’s hockey, The Chris Hoy Velodrome, men’s rugby, Hampden Park and women’s judo. The final titles appear and our voice echoes the words that appear on screen.

VO: TO BE THERE, GO TO GLASGOW2014.COM. TICKETS FROM £15.

glasgow2014.com appears on screen along with the Commonwealth Games sponsorship logos.

See the best athletes from £15.You’ll be able to catch the best athletes from just £15. In fact, two thirds of Games tickets are under £25, with half-price tickets at every sport for children and over 60s. And you won’t have to worry about getting around – public transport in the local area on the day of your event is included in the price of your ticket.

£15

£7.50

£25

Adult prices start from

Half-price concessions start from

Two thirds of all sport tickets are under

EVERYONE’S INVITED

Three easy steps for buying tickets.

On 19th August, tickets will go on sale and you’ll have four weeks to apply for the tickets you want online or by post.

In late September, you’ll find out if you’ve been successful in your application for tickets, and your payment will be processed. To be fair to everyone, tickets for the very popular sessions – where there is more demand than seats available – will be decided in a fair and simple draw. Shortly after, all applicants also get a second chance to purchase any remaining tickets.

Finally in late October, any tickets still up for grabs will go on sale to the general public on a ‘first come, first-served’ basis.

1

2

3

21 3


70%

8%9%

1%

7%

5%

Tickets on sale to the general public.

Reserved for sale to Commonwealth Games Associations athletes, officials and the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Will be held for contingency.

Reserved for sale to broadcast partners and hospitality clients.

Reserved for sale to sponsors.

Reserved for sale to Games Partners.

Where do the tickets go?We’re making sure more people get to the Games:


Our ‘Logic’ infographics successfully communicated that the ticketing process is straightforward, fair and an accessible process.

“it’s really clear, makes you think there is a better chance of me getting a ticket” (May’13 qual)

glasgow2014.com/tickets Glasgow 2014XX Commonwealth Games

OFFICIAL TICKETING GUIDE

We also gained clear direction for The Ticketing Guide to be user friendly, it needed to lead with the ‘Magic’ (motivating & inspiring the audience) supported by the Logic (more detailed) information towards the back. This approach would also support the challenge of selling red and amber sports tickets.

Outdoor

Our OOH strategy was to “paint Glasgow with a 2014 brush”:

• Every single large format site in Glasgow (a media first)

• Sites in highest indexing areas of the city for our family and sporty audiences

• Bus sides and taxis running throughout the city centre.

Whilst on a smaller scale, this approach extended out to a number of other UK cities – Belfast, Cardiff, London, Manchester and Newcastle – with advans and large format central sites.

MEDIA SELECTION MAGIC

TV

We dominated all media channels available before and during the ticketing ballot period, fulfilling the two key pillars of the strategy: Magic & Logic.

Partnership with STV:

• Sponsoring the entire channel July 23rd, One Year To Go

• 5 second blipverts in place of STV’s own breaks to provide a 3, 2 and 1 day countdown to tickets going on sale (UK media first)

To extend the reach out with Scotland, 20” and 40” TV ads ran on ITV1 to help launch, sustain and countdown the final days of the ticketing ballot period.

Cinema

A key medium for our target audiences, activity ran in the top 25 cinemas across Scotland to maximise reach.

Press

Focus was on editorial and forging key partnerships:

• Educational supplements dominated Scottish media on One Year to Go, with a number of innovative sponsored features, pullouts and giveaways

• Blanket coverage, with every single major press title in Scotland (a first for media in Scotland), and key national titles reaching a wider UK audience i.e. The Sun, The Times, Daily Mirror, Metro and Evening Standard.

MEDIA SELECTION LOGIC

Radio

Radio was crucial in terms of educating our audience about all 17 sports – eg. Real Radio presenters tried each of the 17 sports in a head to head challenge.

VO: TO GET HERSELF TO THE GLASGOW 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES, PARA-CYCLIST AILEEN MCGLYNN TRAINS SIX DAYS A WEEK. IN HER DECADE LONG CAREER SHE’S CYCLED ENOUGH MILES TO GET FROM GLASGOW TO LONDON 140 TIMES, AND HAS DRUNK ENOUGH WATER TO FILL TEN SWIMMING POOLS.

TO GET YOURSELF TO THE GAMES, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS JUMP ON A BUS BECAUSE YOUR TICKET INCLUDES THE COST OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT. PICK UP ADULT TICKETS FROM JUST £15 AND TICKETS FOR KIDS AND OVER 60S FROM £7.50, PLUS £4.50 FOR POSTAGE. TO BE THERE, APPLY BEFORE 16TH SEPTEMBER AT GLASGOW2014.COM

VO: TO GET HIMSELF TO THE GLASGOW 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES, MICHAEL JAMIESON SWIMS 70 MILES EVERY WEEK. OVER A YEAR THAT’S THE SAME AS SWIMMING FROM GLASGOW TO NEW YORK. WHEN TRAINING HE SLEEPS IN A SPECIAL ALTITUDE TENT SO HE CAN SWIM FOR LONGER. AND SO FAR HE’S SPENT NEARLY A QUARTER OF HIS ADULT LIFE IN THE POOL.

BUT, TO GET YOURSELF TO THE GAMES ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GRAB A TICKET. TWO THIRDS OF ALL SPORTS TICKETS ARE 25 POUNDS AND UNDER, PLUS £4.50 FOR POSTAGE. AND TICKETS FOR UNDER SIXTEENS AND OVER SIXTIES ARE HALF PRICE. TO BE THERE, APPLY BEFORE 16TH SEPTEMBER AT GLASGOW2014.COM

Ticketing guide

340,000 copies of the ticketing guide were distributed across Scotland and via sponsors (eg. Virgin Stores).

Digital

Online display activity focused specifically on contextual targeting for every sport as well as re-targeting users who had dropped off during the purchasing process.

In addition we made use of the 300,000 strong social and email database built up by Glasgow 2014 to rally people to buy tickets.

glasgow2014.com/tickets Glasgow 2014XX Commonwealth Games

OFFICIAL TICKETING GUIDE

Badminton

Welcome to the fastest racquet sport on earth - where shuttlecocks fly at 300 kilometres an hour. This fast and furious game will bring out the competitive streak in the mildest of temperaments. See how the players size up their opponent. They stare through the net and anticipate the serve. Will it lightly whisper over the net or will it hurtle to the back of the court? Prepare to watch in awe as trainers screech across the floor, racquets whip through the air and the shuttlecock clips the line. This is a game of instinct and lightning-fast reactions. Without fitness, flexibility and fancy footwork, you’re done for.

Venue: Emirates Arena

Tickets from: £15

Find out more: glasgow2014.com #2014badminton

medals up for grabs.06 courts hosting

23 sessions.06

Schedule Thu24.07

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Badminton

For full schedule see p64

15 Apply online: glasgow2014.com/tickets

17 SPORTS11 DAYS1 PLACE TO BE

I’ve looked forward to this moment for many years. One of the world’s greatest sporting competitions on home soil. The Commonwealth’s best athletes – many returning to the UK after remarkable achievements at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – battling for medal glory across 17 sports and 11 days of competition. The Commonwealth Games is a very special event, and has a special place in my heart. Winning Gold for Scotland at Manchester 2002 and Melbourne 2006 were incredibly proud, emotional moments for me. With passionate home crowds, I know that the athletes competing for Team Scotland are in for a life-changing experience. Put simply, your cheers and support could mean the difference between Silver and Gold. And with around a million tickets up for grabs, there will be something for everyone. All the people involved with Glasgow 2014 want the venues to be filled with enthusiastic fans – and I’m proud to be an ambassador for the Games. I’m particularly happy that there are special half-price tickets for under-16s and over-60s. Getting young people involved in and inspired by sport is something I’ll always be committed to. On behalf of Glasgow 2014 and its partners, we thank you for all your support so far - and look forward to receiving your ticket application and seeing you next summer. Ticket sales open from 19 August to 16 September. Let’s go!

Sir Chris Hoy Glasgow 2014 Ambassador

Where will you be, when the world comes to Scotland? When the XX Commonwealth Games come to Glasgow, Scotland’s sporting capital? I’ll be there – and I hope you’ll be there too.

Cover Photography: Ian M

acNicol


Triathlon It’s got three acts, costume changes and plenty of drama, but this isn’t theatre. Triathlon uses the great outdoors as its stage; its players are the athletes, conquering the landscape as they swim, cycle and run towards the final curtain. Don’t call triathletes good all-rounders. It doesn’t do them justice. These are athletes whose endurance and versatility places them firmly in the sporting elite.

It starts with open water swimming. The competitors don’t have the luxury of a lane each here – they need to find their own breathing space as they jostle through choppy waters. Out of the water and it’s off with the wetsuits and onto the bikes for a gruelling cycle leg. These transitions are everything – seconds lost while putting on your shoes can have a devastating impact later in the race. Harshest of all is the last leg – the final run when reserves are at their lowest. Expect 100% commitment. Triathlon is all about showing true grit.

Schedule Thu24.07

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Triathlon


Venue: Strathclyde Country Park

Tickets from: £15 Access to the park is free.

Find out more: glasgow2014.com #2014triathlon

Photography: Janos Schmidt


Schedule Thu24.07

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Sat26.07

Sun27.07

Mon28.07

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DivingSwimming

Aquatics


Diving

With nerves of steel, the divers rule the roost up near the rafters. They stand perfectly still on the platform. With eyes closed, they’re visualising the dive they’re about to perform. It lasts fractions of a second but it’ll blow you away. With acrobatic skill and precision the divers twist, turn and soar over the water. Everything counts in the battle for points - the starting position, the take-off, the flight and the entry. Will they glide under the surface without raising a ripple?

Venue: Diving: Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh Swimming: Tollcross International Swimming Centre

Tickets from: £15

Find out more: glasgow2014.com #2014aquatics

Swimming

The first thing that hits you is the heat and familiar smell of the pool. Then it’s the wall of noise bouncing off the tiles. At the centre of everything is a glistening 50 metre stretch of blue, where records will be broken and medals won. The swimmers line up. They’re wearing caps, goggles and suits that fit like a second skin. Look at the shoulders. These are swimming machines.

Water droplets sparkle and fly as the swimmers cut through the water. Lungs work like bellows and limbs power them forward. The lead is won, lost and reclaimed as they surge ahead, reaching for the finish. The crowd is on its feet, cheering as one. With nail-biting finishes that’ll leave you breathless, the swimming competition is one of the hottest tickets in town.

Photography: PA


EVIDENCE OF RESULTS

The total number of applications was a phenomenal 2.3 million leading to 78% of tickets sold within the first ballot window.

When ticket applicants were given the opportunity to buy further tickets before they went on general sale, this increased capacity sold to a staggering 92% of all available public tickets, well surpassing the original target. Reported by the Scotsman as a ‘record’ and ‘unprecedented’ ticket sale.

THE BIG QUESTION: how do we know the campaign was responsible for driving this success?

With a successful launch, the campaign continued to drive applications during the ballot period accelerating the number of applications submitted in the last week.

Tom Daley – 9/9/13 – 1 week to go. Abseiling down The Finneston Crane. The day the Record became the Daley Record.

PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITY

Detailed Partnership activity plans built ‘bottom-up’ interest:

• Joint marketing plans with 17 sports governing bodies (toolkits containing e-mails, newsletters, inserts, digital assets and event activation materials)

• Promo teams distributing collateral to gyms and sports venues

• Mascot visits to events, a focus on red/amber sports - rugby sevens, gymnastics, hockey and badminton.

The campaign met its objective of attracting people from across the Home Nations (Ticketmaster Oct’13 ticket buyer data mapped for the UK). Preliminary counts report that 53% of tickets were sold to people in Scotland (20% of these in Glasgow). However, it was the ticket sales from people living in other Home Nations that exceeded all expectations (accounting for 46% of tickets purchased).

Clear evidence that the campaign shifted attitudes and behaviours, particularly amongst people in England and Wales – those claiming to have applied / intent to apply (Nov’13 quant) doubled from previous purchase intent recordings (Oct’12).

The campaign also succeeded against the objective of attracting families – it’s estimated that around 35,000 families have secured tickets to the Games (Oct’13 Ticketmaster data).

ROIThe campaign smashed all targets; exceeding the £19M revenue target, selling 92% of public tickets available and helping enable the largest number of people to attend the Games. For every £1 invested in the Ticketing Campaign 3 tickets were applied for; a revenue return of £31 on every pound invested in the campaign.

The campaign has made the Games the number one sporting event taking place in the UK – spontaneous awareness of the Games has increased beyond levels reported for other major sporting events (e.g. Ryder Cup, 6 Nations Rugby, Wimbledon), with the only exception being the FA Cup Final which the Games is on-par with (Nov’13 quant tracking).

There is evidence that the ‘Logic’ strategy strand of the campaign has advanced understanding and knowledge about the Games – with over a third of adults stating they know ‘a lot’ about the Games, a significant increase from previous recordings (Mar’13, Scotland quant).

The activity generated extraordinary levels of interest across all 17 sports, with many of the lower profile (red / amber) sports over-subscribed e.g. Gymnastics received 4 times more applications than tickets available.

100m Final

Gymnastics

Aquatics

Triathlon

£40 Opening Ceremony

Tickets

Ticket Allocation

Ticket Demand

The 5 events that were flooded with applications

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