How can sports marketers use framing and anchoring to influence fans' perceptions and choices?

The framing effect concerns the way in which information is presented. In the context of sports marketing, this means presenting sports products or experiences in a way that attracts the attention of fans and positively influences their perception. Let's take the following situation as an example: Situation: F1 GP Ticket. Framing: Instead of just selling a ticket to the race, F1 promotes a "Paddock Club" which includes not only the seat but also benefits such as access to the team garages, meet & greet, simulations and much more. Result: Fans are more inclined to buy the “experience” because they perceive it as a significant added value in comparison to just a grand stand ticket.

In my experience, you always want to frame your client’s image in a positive light. For example, pair together a non-profit and a local business and create an NIL partnership. This will be key in growing the brand of your client. Show the impact the athlete is making on the community and invite media to cover the story. The brand will get a positive ROI just from the story alone.

Tom Brady's final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers exemplifies the power of framing effects in sports marketing. By emphasizing different aspects of his career, marketers could position the season as a "victory lap" celebrating his past achievements or "unfinished business" highlighting his pursuit of another Super Bowl ring. This strategic use of framing shapes fan perception and emotions, ultimately influencing their engagement with the team and the season.

Provide a reference point to anchor your audience's perceptions. Usually, you'd see anchoring with pricing - matchups against significant rivals or higher ranked opponents may be priced higher than those against struggling teams - but it can be used elsewhere. Marketing your team against other things to do? Are you only comparing your product against other sports teams, or against other forms of entertainment that have a similar duration? Tell you audience what you want to be compared to so you can make your pitch on why you're the best way to spend their time.

A prime example of anchoring in sports marketing is SeatGeek's partnership with the New York Yankees. Their limited-time premium package, priced at a premium, acted as an anchor. When standard tickets were offered later at a lower price point, they felt like a significant bargain – even though they might have still been above what some fans would typically spend. This highlights how anchoring can influence fan perception of value, driving sales across different price tiers.

Another great example of using framing effectively is a having a catchy headline or great picture to draw people in based off emotions because it’s usually the first thing they see. If your team just won a championship Shout out to the LSU Women’s Basketball team Posting messages and pictures about the journey, the celebrations and key moments invokes feel good moments and your target audience will want to read more!

To leverage anchoring in sports marketing, establish an impactful anchor point that shapes fan expectations and choices. It should be introduced prominently at the campaign's start and be persuasive and consistent to affirm the brand's message. Careful to sidestep potential counter-anchors like rival promotions, marketers must focus on reinforcing their chosen anchor with compelling content. The aim is to guide fans' decision-making processes, aligning them with the marketer's strategic goals, such as increased engagement or sales, ensuring the anchor remains influential amidst the plethora of options fans face.

Leveraging framing and anchoring techniques empowers sports marketers to shape fans' perceptions and choices strategically. By crafting compelling narratives that resonate emotionally, reinforcing team identity, and influencing perceived value, marketers can not only enhance fan interest and loyalty but also drive increased spending, revenue, and overall satisfaction, fostering a robust and enduring fan base.

The strategic duo of framing and anchoring empowers sports marketers. Framing cultivates fan connection through compelling narratives (e.g., underdog journey, historic chase). Anchoring reinforces perceived value (e.g., limited edition merchandise). This fosters increased fan interest, loyalty, and spending, while establishing brand advocates.

It has been my experience working North America, Europe and China that one must make completely sure they zero in on a central message that ignites cognitively. The difference is that most people see this in traditional terms which means expensive, and that’s wrong. Be something definite and never allow others to reframe and or re-anchor the full buy in

The big challenge of framing and anchoring is that you don't do it well or you frame or anchor your team to the wrong things. As an example, the price of your tickets: - Do you want them to seem like a bargain even if you are pricing at a premium price point? Frame the price against another premium product that might be even higher priced like a fancy dinner. You might say, "Dinner with a view" and show a game with F&B options in front of you and glasses of wine on a table. - I'd be much more worried about anchoring your price because you can easily undermine the perception of value by offering a discount.

Ways to leverage these principles effectively include: Craft Compelling Narratives: Frame your brand's story in a way that resonates emotionally with fans. e.g. Nike's iconic "Just Do It" campaign frames athletic pursuits as a journey of personal empowerment. Set Positive Anchors: Highlighting past successes or memorable moments can anchor fans' expectations and associations with your brand. Engage Authentically: This is key to establishing trust and credibility with fans. Ensure your messaging and actions align with your brand values to create genuine connections. Create Social Proof: Showcase endorsements and testimonials from beloved athletes/influencers to anchor your brand's credibility and influence fans' perceptions positively.