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Town Sign Data Deal
Friday, 7th Jun 2013 12:57

Town have signed a multi-season contract with TALENT Sport aimed at making the most of the club’s supporter data.

TALENT Sport already work with the club on ticketing with the new contract set to integrate merchandising, non-matchday events, corporate hospitality and an extended loyalty system.

A TALENT Sport press release reads: “Ipswich Town FC has ambitious commercial plans for the club and intends to use TALENT Sport’s connected customer data for enhanced profiling and fan engagement plans.

“Supporters will also benefit from an improved experience online, where anything they want to purchase from the club can be done using a single-shopping basket in one simple transaction.

“For Ipswich Town FC, the ability to integrate all customer purchasing data in one place will allow it to engage with fans in a more tailored and targeted approach by building unique customer profiles.”

Joint-managing director Jonathan Symonds said: “We’re a very data-driven club and having the ability to profile our customers in an intelligent, informed manner is very valuable commercially, especially when you consider the appeal this will have to sponsors.

“The TALENT Sport team’s vision of providing an integrated e-commerce platform that drives transactions across the club’s departments makes sense to us — we want to understand exactly how our supporters behave and use this data to develop very intimate programmes to reward loyalty, incentivise fans to re-engage and drive attendance, whilst making it easy to upsell at every opportunity across the club. We’re very confident this will drive new revenues.”

Mark Dewell, managing director at IRIS Ticketing, added: “It’s exciting to see one of our longest-standing customers extend its use of TALENT Sport across the entire fan experience.

“We are not just a ticketing company — TALENT Sport delivers so much more, from merchandising, events through to hospitality.

“Ticketing will always be at the centre of football clubs’ transactions and drive a key part of their revenues. However, having that single, connected view of the customer gives clubs the ability to interact and engage more effectively with their fans on a unique customer journey.

“We’re delighted to work with Ipswich Town FC across the board, bringing alive our goal to position TALENT Sport as an integrated ticketing e-commerce platform.

"It drives robust, connected transactions whilst giving clubs the data for enhanced fan engagement and ultimately improves their [return on investment] in technology.”


Photo: Action Images



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JoshTheLad added 13:05 - Jun 7
Sounds interesting. Shows that the new MD's really know what they're doing business-wise unlike the previous chap - which is reassuring.
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BillBlue added 13:06 - Jun 7
I frankly do not like the look of this so am going to withdraw my details from the Town.
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Meadowlark added 13:10 - Jun 7
I guess the reason that there are no comments is because nobody can understand a word of this!
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theobald1985 added 13:17 - Jun 7
here come the cold calls
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Brazilsnuts added 13:18 - Jun 7
Welcome to the ITFC nectar/club card....hope they do good discounts
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michaeldownunder added 13:34 - Jun 7
I hope not, but look out for loss of jobs at ITFC for some office staff


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Bergholtblue added 13:47 - Jun 7
Well here I am on the integrated ticketing e-commerce platform waiting for the train to take me on my unique customer journey. Wonder where we are going and should I have brought sandwiches with me?
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spanish_archer added 13:53 - Jun 7
Technology. 100% useful
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Blueray added 13:58 - Jun 7
Billblue...."I frankly do not like the look of this"..... Jeez....have an open mind will you? This is not cold calling (and I'm sure we've all been played victim to that). This is targeted marketing, and so I would think nothing to worry about. Better this than have some guy in call centre telling you that you need new double glazing...
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JamieD added 14:07 - Jun 7
So... what are they doing?
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Michael11 added 14:32 - Jun 7
Can anyone break this down into non-jargon for a dope please? I have no idea what is going on.
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BluJu added 14:33 - Jun 7
More mailshots through the door then...
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FabianMalyon added 14:44 - Jun 7
Hi guys. I work for a large data intelligence company. What ITFC are doing here is no different to what happens when you go to Tesco, Amazon and so on.

By linking your purchasing habits across ITFC products and services to some simple information about you (normally age, sex and so on) they can actually reduce the amount of contact they make with you (like direct mail, emails and so on) to ensure that it is of more interest to you.

A lot of the work they will do will probably be annonamised (they will remove your name and just use Age, Sex, Town etc) and use all of the data about 'groups' of supporters to produce products and marketing materials to appeal to those 'groups'.

Obviously, if you are uncomfortable with this, you can opt out and they will have to abide by the Data Protection Act to ensure that your data is used proportionally and for a purpose that is of benefit to you.

If you're worried, head over to http://www.ico.org.uk/ for more guidance on this kind of stuff but what ITFC are doing is perfectly normal. Think about the offers you get from Tesco each month. How many of the products have you bought before? How many are of interest? Tesco do a good job of using customer data to target relevant offers that benefit you and them. When this stuff is done properly, it's normally win-win.
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tractaboy added 14:50 - Jun 7
Data Deal, is he the guy from the Goonies?
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Blueray added 14:52 - Jun 7
Thanks for the insight FabianMalyon, as suspected, this isn't a marketing conspiracy. Just a way of a business trying to know their customer better and target sales accordingly. Nothing that any other forward thinking company on the planet are not doing already.
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FabianMalyon added 14:54 - Jun 7
@tractaboy - No, that's the marketing company he started up with his share of the pirate treasure.

@Blueray - spot on. Nothing out of the norm and maybe a good thing for all.
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RobbieScarlatti added 14:57 - Jun 7
Some say unique customer experience, some say junk mail. Its all the same thing, just depends whether you like being approached by companies a lot touting stuff that is mildly relevant rather than irrelevant. Personal taste. If you dont, i'd opt out. Consumer choice.

Good data pitch from the lad above but as someone who also works in data the end result is still to extract more value per person fron your database (customers). Sometimes thats a good deal. I've used it to work out who will be prepared to pay premium. Not always win win.
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FabianMalyon added 15:00 - Jun 7
Hi Robbie. Agree. It often depends on personal view, aim of the business and so on.

If people are worried, opt out. If they're not bothered, don't worry.

If it saves ITFC a few bob on marketing or poorly performing products (if only they could do the same with players so easily!) then hopefully that means more money for new players.
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CavendishBlue added 16:41 - Jun 7
There is no such thing as Junk Mail.Only badly targetted letters/leaflets/emails/calls.

I always rip up the 'NO JUNK MAIL' signs from ignorant homeowners when delivering to them .

How is your average deliverer/postie supposed to know what is /isn't junk mail just by looking at your house?
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billysdad added 17:25 - Jun 7
Bugger, for a minute I thought we had signed that bloke from Star Trek.
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Taricco_Fan added 18:35 - Jun 7
Looking forward to the junk mail, spam emails and text messages.
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PaulyMF added 19:29 - Jun 7
If it means more money for the club and ultimately MM to spend on players, then it can't be all bad!!
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RegencyBlue added 20:48 - Jun 7
I guess this means more 'opportunities' are coming my way to buy stuff I dont want!

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RonFearonsHair added 21:50 - Jun 7
The only 'product' I buy from the club is a season ticket. That's it. I would happily have told the club that for free without them having to waste money on an external organisation. That said, I'll be interested to see what marketing opportunities my spending habits have generated.
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nthstd added 22:11 - Jun 7
I have had a couple of match day experiences at Portman Road and they were great value for money and all round great. The thought of some company thinking they can make more money out of me or pee me off trying is sickening. I have no interest other than a couple of pints, a lethal burger, an over priced pie and a football match. I already delete the emails the club sends and I'm none the worse off for it.
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