Chapter 2. Reaching the Customer

The Point: Businesses and organizations that have successfully utilized sports marketing to sell their products and services have been able to do so because each clearly understands how and why sports can be an effective medium to use when communicating the marketing message. Those that have risen to world-class status as sports marketers know that they cannot maximize their marketing efforts unless or until they segment desired markets.

Successful marketers recognize that viable market segments allow companies to forecast demand and determine precisely how many resources should be allocated to not only accessing a particular market, but also to ensuring a sufficient return on its marketing investment.

Along the way, these marketers have understood that the company's brand name is attached to all those that help it get the word out and, consequently, they select their marketing platforms carefully. These organizations are also aware of the importance of protecting the integrity of their marketing message at all costs.