Brent Leary, an authority not just on the use of data in business, but a thought leader on voice activation and a commentator on Amazon’s behemoth of a business, hit the nail on the head when he reviewed my newly-published book for the sports industry. Paul Greenberg, the “godfather of CRM” who generously provided the book’s foreword (worth buying just for that) also pointed out “it reads the way you speak” with Russell Scibetti of KORE adding that it’s “the perfect balance of philosophy and practicality”. And this is exactly what I was aiming for when I set out to write Winning with Data over 14 months ago.
As I mention in my preface, when I first entered this sector, having already spent over 20 years working in professional sports, I really struggled to quickly grasp both the fundamentals of CRM and the application of analytics – How could it increase ticket sales? Why would it lead to greater participation? What relevance does it have to selling and leveraging sponsorship? So when I first set pen to paper and submitted my proposal to Routledge, the global business and academic publishers who supported me with this, it was these questions I was seeking to answer. And more.
Guest Contributions
I’ve so many favourite pieces in this book, all contributed by some incredibly generous people. Here are just a few:
- The case study provided by Charlie Shin, VP of Data and Analytics at MLS, who takes us through their processes to ensure data sits at the heart of their approach to fan engagement.
- Mic Conetta, Head of CRM at Arsenal FC whose detailed contribution helped me tackle the challenging area of business change: getting buy-in from management and colleagues alike.
- Peter Willems, Head of Marketing Activities and Sponsorship at UEFA, who provided not one but two case studies – a dive into the crucial role data played in a major sponsorship negotiation, and a realistic look at how long it took (is still taking) an organisation of their size to fully embed CRM as a strategy and a philosophy.
- Mark Bradley of the Fan Experience Company who set the tone of the book perfectly with the message that he spends his life spreading: that the relationship a club or team has with its fans is not like that of an ordinary brand and needs to be properly understood.
I’ve written this book with several audiences in mind – rights owners of all size (data is relevant no matter how big or small you are) and from every department within your business (although it doesn’t touch performance data), students looking to enter the sports industry, and indeed anyone else looking to understand more about this vastly important area. It’s available from Wednesday August 1st and you can order it here and from many online book stores.
Feedback
I’d love to get your feedback – good and bad – so please feel free to get in touch, or add a review on Amazon. This book is the result of collaboration with many people – I’d like to maintain that approach to knowledge-share as you go through this book, considering how the insight gained can help you tackle your challenges and make the most of your opportunities.
